Invisible Guardians in the Quantum Realm: The Cryogenic Technology Revolution of Silicone Rubber and Silicone Oil

In the extreme cryogenic environment of quantum computing (as low as -273.15°C), maintaining stable operation imposes almost (harsh) requirements on material performance. With unique low-temperature stability, insulation, and thermal management capabilities, silicone rubber and silicone oil have become the "invisible guardians" of core components in quantum computers. From cryogenic sealing to qubit protection, from cooling systems to precision lubrication, they are solving key challenges in quantum technology through the wisdom of materials science.

一、Material Challenges in Quantum Environments: From Absolute Zero to Performance Limits

Quantum computers require operation near absolute zero (-273.15°C) to reduce thermal noise interference with qubits. This extreme cryogenic environment poses three major challenges to materials:

Breakthrough of low-temperature brittleness: Traditional rubber materials become brittle due to molecular chain freezing below -100°C, leading to sealing failure. The environment below -200°C required for quantum computing was once a material  (forbidden zone).

Thermal conductivity control: Qubits are extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuations, demanding materials to achieve both precise thermal conductivity and thermal isolation at ultra-low temperatures.

Electrical insulation guarantee: Faint signals in quantum circuits are prone to interference, requiring materials to maintain stable insulation at ultra-low temperatures.

Silicone rubber and silicone oil address these challenges through special molecular structure design. The silicon-oxygen bond (Si-O) backbone of silicone rubber retains some segmental mobility at low temperatures, while the low freezing point molecular structure of silicone oil keeps it liquid in extreme cold, together forming the material solution for quantum computing.

二、Silicone Rubber: Cryogenic Sealing and Insulation Barrier for Quantum Equipment

（一）Molecular Design Breakthroughs in Extreme Cold Sealing

Specialized low-temperature silicone rubber achieves performance breakthroughs through dual molecular optimization:

Enhanced main chain flexibility: Introducing phenyl groups improves Si-O bond arrangement, enabling molecular chains to maintain 5% elongation at -269°C—300% higher than traditional silicone rubber.

Side chain polarity regulation: Gradient  (ratio) of fluoroalkyl and methyl groups reduces the glass transition temperature (Tg) below -120°C. Data from a quantum computing lab shows that the Shore hardness of this material increases by only 10 Shore A at -200°C.

In the Dewar flask sealing of quantum computers, a three-layer silicone rubber composite sealing structure achieves a leakage rate < 1×10^-12 Pa・m³/s—equivalent to a pinhole-sized gap taking 1,000 years to leak one liter of air at standard atmospheric pressure. This sealing system ensures qubit stability in extreme cold.

（二）Dielectric Performance Optimization for Ultra-Low Temperature Insulation

The dielectric constant of silicone rubber stabilizes at 2.8±0.1 at -200°C, with a dielectric loss tangent < 0.001. This excellent electrical insulation makes it an ideal cladding material for qubit connection wires. After a superconducting quantum computing team used silicone rubber insulation, qubit coherence time extended from 30μs to 55μs, approaching requirements for practical quantum computers.

三、Silicone Oil: Thermal Management and Qubit Protection in Quantum Systems

（一）Fluid Dynamics Innovation for Ultra-Low Temperature Heat Dissipation

Silicone oil remains liquid at -200°C with a kinematic viscosity of 200cSt, acting as the "cryogenic blood" of quantum computers. Through microchannel cooling design, silicone oil controls local temperature rise of qubits within 0.1°C. A quantum computing prototype using a silicone oil cooling system reduced quantum gate operation error rates from 2.3% to 0.8%.

Silicone oil exhibits unique thermal conductivity at ultra-low temperatures: 0.15W/m・K at -200°C, 1.5 times that at room temperature. This property enables efficient dissipation of faint heat generated by qubits while preventing quantum decoherence caused by thermal conduction.

（二）Liquid Barrier Protection for Qubits

Using silicone oil as a protective medium for qubits offers dual advantages:

Mechanical buffering: The viscosity of silicone oil buffers vibrations from outside the Dewar flask, with experimental vibration attenuation efficiency reaching 92%.

Electromagnetic shielding: The dielectric properties of silicone oil form a natural electromagnetic barrier, reducing external electromagnetic interference by over 40dB.

In a quantum computing system of a multinational tech company, a qubit array immersed in specially formulated silicone oil extended decoherence time caused by environmental interference from 150μs to 320μs—approaching the technical threshold for quantum error correction.

四、Future Innovations in Quantum Materials: From Molecular Design to System Integration

（一）R&D of Dynamic Response Silicone Rubber

Researchers are developing temperature-magnetic field dual-response silicone rubber. By introducing magnetostrictive nanoparticles, the material can automatically adjust its elastic modulus based on qubit states in extreme cold. Preliminary experiments show this material enhances qubit environmental adaptability by 50%, laying the material foundation for mobile quantum computing devices.

（二）Breakthroughs in Purification Technology for Quantum-Grade Silicone Oil

Through three-stage molecular distillation and isotope separation, impurity content in new quantum-grade silicone oil has dropped below 1ppm, with hydride content affecting quantum states <0.1ppm. Applying this ultra-pure silicone oil in quantum computing systems further extends qubit coherence time by 15%, supporting R&D of quantum  (hegemony) devices.

（三）Material Integration at the Quantum-Classical Interface

Silicone rubber and silicone oil are becoming bridges connecting quantum hardware with classical electronic systems. In the interface modules of quantum computers, flexible circuit boards made of silicone rubber maintain conductive stability across a wide temperature range from -200°C to room temperature. Silicone oil-filled transition joints enable low-loss transmission of qubit signals, with a signal attenuation rate < 0.5dB/cm.

五、Industrial Prospects of Quantum Materials: From Lab to Commercialization

As quantum computing moves from laboratories to industrialization, market demand for silicone rubber and silicone oil is exploding. Yole Development predicts the quantum computing materials market will expand at a 45% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030, with cryogenic sealing and thermal management materials accounting for 38%.

Technical standard establishment: ISO is formulating international standards for silicone rubber materials in quantum computing (ISO/TC 256), with physical property testing methods at -269°C as core content.

Industrial chain integration: Material giants like Dow and Shin-Etsu have established dedicated R&D centers for quantum computing materials, forming joint development models with quantum computing companies like IBM and Google.

Cost control breakthroughs: Continuous polymerization processes have reduced the production cost of quantum-grade silicone rubber by 60%, lowering material costs in mass-produced quantum computers from 40% to 15%.

From the quantum world of absolute zero to macroscopic technological leaps, silicone rubber and silicone oil are driving the quantum technology revolution through material innovation. They are not only the "invisible guardians" of quantum computers but also the chemical keys to unlocking the quantum era. With continuous breakthroughs in cryogenic material technology, these silicone-based materials will create more miracles in quantum communication, quantum sensing, and other fields, providing key support for humanity to unlock the ultimate mysteries of the physical world.



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