Chameleon Atoms: JILA Researchers Demonstrate Versatile Atomic Qubits That Can Pass Around Information Researchers are developing new technologies that harness quantum physics to defy the familiar constraints of daily life and established approaches. A variety of quantum simulations, quantum sensors and quantum computers have been developed that can significantly outperform existing technologies at certain tasks. Many quantum technologies are built on a foundation of qubits—the structures that store quantum states in ways that are practical to manipulate and interpret. Researchers and engineers are exploring many different approaches to making and using qubits, spanning platforms like superconducting circuits, trapped ions, neutral atoms and more. The various approaches have different advantages and disadvantages that are being navigated as quantum technologies are developed. In an article published June 11, 2026 in the journal Nature Physics, a team of JILA researchers led by JILA Fellow Adam Kaufman, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, report experiments demonstrating the versatility of ytterbium atoms as qubits. A neutral ytterbium atom is an adaptable chameleon that can be used as multiple styles of qubit, each bringing distinct advantages. Their experiments demonstrate a quantum multitool that can tackle quantum computations, quantum simulations and precise measurements of time and also combine the capabilities associated with each application. The group focused on a specific isotope of ytterbium, ytterbium-171, that has appealing features for multiple quantum applications. Scientists can use laser light to cool ytterbium-171 atoms, to hold the atoms in ordered arrays and to alter their quantum states. The properties of the atoms let them function as qubits in multiple ways. At a basic level, a qubit requires a pair of distinguishable states that can exist in combinations of the states called superpositions. The group’s experiments used a method they developed to transfer quantum states between