Why do quantum computers need very low temperatures to work?

Quantum computers need very low temperatures to operate. Why?Quantum computers are the most exciting thing to be talked about with scientists and tech enthusiasts because they can solve problems that are way too complex for the computers of today, like advanced simulations or breaking of certain types of encryption. They promise to solve very complex problems much faster than regular computers. This means that overcoming some of the biggest challenges is required to make quantum computers do the job. The biggest challenge can be spotted in the fact that quantum computers have to be kept ultra-cold at nearly absolute zero! For which we need to understand the ‘why’ by delving into how quantum computers work and what their sensitivity has to do with heat.

What Makes Quantum Computers So Delicate?

Quantum computers use special units called qubits. Unlike the normal bits of a computer, which can be 0 or 1, qubits can be both 0 and 1 at the same time. This property is known as superposition, allowing quantum computers to do a large amount of calculations in one run and making them much more powerful than their classical counterparts. This, however, is very fragile. Such qubits will easily go wrong at pretty normal conditions, high temperatures in particular. This phenomenon is called decoherence.