China launches mass production of silicon-28: a tectonic shift for quantum computing
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced the start of serial production of silicon-28 with an isotopic purity exceeding 99.99%. This is a landmark event: for the first time, the country has mastered independent large-scale production of this material, which until now was only available in laboratory quantities and supplied primarily from abroad.
Silicon-28 is an isotope critically important for silicon-based quantum computing. Its unique property is the near-total absence of nuclear spin, which sharply reduces the level of magnetic interference. In ordinary silicon, the natural mixture of isotopes (including silicon-29) creates background noise that destroys the quantum states of qubits. Switching to ultra-pure silicon-28 can dramatically increase qubit coherence time and the stability of quantum processors.
The launch of mass production in China is not just a technological breakthrough, but a strategic move. Beijing is effectively gaining control over a key component for future quantum systems, which could change the global balance in the race for quantum supremacy. Alongside this, interest in quantum-resistant cryptography is also growing: once quantum computers become powerful enough, they will be able to break current encryption algorithms, including those protecting Bitcoin and other blockchains.
In my view, this move by China is a clear signal to the market: the era of quantum threats is approaching faster than many expect. For the crypto industry, this means the need to accelerate the adoption of post-quantum algorithms and quantum-resistant solutions today, rather than putting it off until tomorrow.