Abstract
Advanced computing technology is continuously demanding new materials, and the ultra-low temperature regime has become a point of interest in many fields, especially quantum computing. Quantum computing is an emerging field, hoping to leverage quantum mechanics to solve problems that traditional computers cannot. My Science, Technology, and Society (STS) paper examines quantum computing from an institutional level: focusing on research networks and how external pressures can influence the way discoveries are marketed. My technical project examines the low-level material science demands of quantum computing systems: where materials must perform at cryogenic –near absolute zero– temperatures.
The technical project focuses on designing a system to measure thermal conductivity at low temperatures. Thermal conductivity describes the rate of heat dissipation in a material and is a key factor controlling the effectiveness of semiconductor performance in a quantum system. However, thermal conductivity is highly temperature dependent, especially near cryogenic temperatures. Further, this property’s behavior varies greatly by material. The goal of the technical project was to accurately and cost-effectively measure thermal conductivity at low temperatures through the three-omega method. To achieve this, we refurbished an existing cryopump to create a precise vacuum and include experimental components.
The STS research examines a claim to “quantum supremacy” made by Google in 2019. Using Actor-Network Theory, developed by Micheal Callon and Bruno Latour, I argue that Google’s claim was the outcome of a network of research entities, funding concerns, and reputational actors, that was ultimately destabilized when IBM disproved Google’s central claims. I claim that Google failed to translate its technical success into a sociotechnical claim of “supremacy” because they failed to recruit IBM to the network before their claim. Further, Google inflated the significance of the accomplishment, leading to even greater disappointment when it was disproven. Together, these events led to a total destabilization of the network that had produced Google’s claim to quantum supremacy.
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Technical Advisor: Ethan Scott
STS Advisor: Benjamin Laugelli
Technical Team Members: Madeleine Mary Cotter, Mohammad Ahmadzai, Brandon Flores Castaneda, Andrea Rojas Ramirez, Philip Li, Matthew Alexander Orellana-Aquino, Raymond Ni, Jimmy Chen, Jonathan Martinez, Tristan Huynh, Jimmy Bastos Infantas, Hannah Heafner, Mia Petersen
