Graphene is the darling material for next generation computing, and now researchers have found a way to use it in future quantum computers as well.

“Valleytronics”–mimicking the name of its rival spintronics–may yield a new encoding technique for quantum bits (qubits) traveling like waves in valleys of dual-layer graphene. Instead of encoding a qubit’s quantum information on the spin of an electron–as in spintronics–valleytronics encodes qubits with the momentum imparted by an electron-wave traveling in numbered valleys along the domain walls in dual-layer graphene. Separately, Georgia Tech and Honeywell have micro-fabricated an ion trap architecture aimed at increasing the density of qubits in future quantum computers.

“Qubits can be valley polarized along the topologically protected one-dimensional electron conducting channels at the domain walls of bilayer graphene,” professor Feng Wang told EE Times. “1D valley-polarized conducting channels in lattice of 2D graphene opens up new opportunities for future quantum computers.” He performed the work with postdoctoral researcher Zhiwen Shi and doctoral candidate Long Ju.