Refrigerators can create the coldest temperatures in the universe

A team of researchers developed a new quantum expansion refrigerator that could revolutionize quantum computing research. Able to create temperatures close to absolute zero (-240 degrees Celsius), this refrigerator becomes one of the coldest places on Earth when operating, Interesting Engineering reported on January 25. Maybell Quantum Company in Colorado, USA, developed the Maybell Quantum Big Fridge refrigerator through collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) to sell to customers around the world. The company’s first customer is a research institute in Canada and is expected to ship the product in early February 2025.

Maybell Quantum also plans to deliver products to places like Japan by the end of the year if all goes according to plan. According to the development team, the inside of the refrigerator is 270 times colder than deep space and 200,000 times colder than the coldest weather ever recorded on Earth. “When closed and turned on, this refrigerator will be the coldest place in the universe,” said Corban Tillemann-Dick, chief executive officer of Maybell Quantum. “This is the world’s best expansion refrigerator, a new paradigm for ultra-low temperature physics.”

The new refrigerator model will revolutionize the world of quantum computing. According to Tillemann-Dick, it is easy to use, reliable, requires little maintenance and is much smaller than previous models. In fact, the product only requires three 48cm server racks instead of a whole room full of pipes and wires. Therefore, the new refrigerator model is more convenient to store and use, greatly expanding the list of possible applications.

The frigid conditions inside refrigerators are necessary to create, maintain and control quantum states because heat causes errors in the quantum bits (qubits) on which computers rely. “The world will change dramatically thanks to quantum technology. We are talking about the end of infectious diseases, the cure for all types of cancer and the reversal of climate change. The biggest problems facing humanity confrontation will be resolved inside this cabinet,” Tillemann-Dick said.