Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 040501 (2008)

Quantum computing is in its infancy, in part because creating a large number of quantum bits, or 'qubits', is impossible without better control over quantum states. Side-stepping this snag, Klaus Mølmer and his colleagues at the University of Aarhus in Denmark propose encoding lots of qubits in clouds of polar molecules.

Their theoretical set-up would use a laser to 'write' qubits as a pattern across an entire molecular cloud — an easier task than controlling individual molecules. Radio waves would then transmit the data to a tiny patch of superconducting material where calculations could be performed. However, aligning the cloud with the radio antenna will be tricky, Mølmer warns.