China launches mass production of ultra-pure silicon-28 — a breakthrough for quantum computing
China National Nuclear Corporation has announced the start of industrial production of silicon-28 with an isotopic purity exceeding 99.99%. This event is positioned as the first case in the country's history of independent large-scale production of this critically important material.
Silicon-28 is an isotope of silicon that lacks nuclear spin. It is this property that makes it indispensable for creating silicon-based quantum computers. In traditional chips, natural silicon contains about 4.7% of the isotope silicon-29, which creates magnetic interference and destroys quantum states (qubits). The use of ultra-pure silicon-28 allows for a radical reduction in noise levels and an increase in qubit coherence time, directly impacting the stability and accuracy of quantum computing.
From the perspective of the global technological race, this move by Beijing is strategic. Control over the supply chain of ultra-pure isotopes gives China a significant advantage in developing its own quantum infrastructure. Previously, the main suppliers of such material were Russia and some Western laboratories, but Chinese production is changing the balance of power in the market.
Scaling production to industrial volumes is not just a scientific achievement, but a signal that China intends to take a leading position in the field of practical quantum computing. If silicon-28 qubits truly move from laboratories to commercial products, this could become one of the key drivers for the entire semiconductor industry in the coming decade.
Analyst's opinion: For the crypto industry and blockchain sector, the development of quantum computers is both a threat and an opportunity. On one hand, powerful quantum machines on stable qubits could potentially break modern cryptographic algorithms (including ECDSA, which underlies Bitcoin). On the other hand, it is precisely such technological breakthroughs that stimulate an accelerated transition to post-quantum cryptography and the creation of quantum-resistant blockchains. China's breakthrough in silicon-28 makes this transition not hypothetical, but quite tangible within the next 5–10 years.