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Revolutionary Alloy Enables Quantum Cooling Without Helium-3

3/17/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Chinese researchers developed EuCo2Al9 (ECA), a rare-earth alloy that could revolutionize cooling for quantum computing.
The alloy enables cooling to temperatures near absolute zero without helium-3, which has been standard for decades.
The team built a mini-fridge using ECA and achieved 106 millikelvin.
The findings were published in Nature and suggest potential for smaller, more portable refrigeration and reduced helium-3 reliance.

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Story summary

Chinese researchers developed EuCo2Al9 (ECA), a rare-earth alloy that could revolutionize cooling for quantum computing.
The alloy enables cooling to temperatures near absolute zero without helium-3, which has been standard for decades.
The team built a mini-fridge using ECA and achieved 106 millikelvin.
The findings were published in Nature and suggest potential for smaller, more portable refrigeration and reduced helium-3 reliance.