Graphite has long been a workhorse of industry – used in pencils since the 1500s, in steelmaking during the 1800s, and today in battery electrodes. Research from Peking University now suggests it could even play a role in next-generation quantum computers. According to a paper published on July 23 by the peer-reviewed journal Science, the research team has cleared a major obstacle on the road to practical quantum computers and come up with a realistic platform for the production of graphene-based quantum chips. Rhombohedral graphene is prized for its ability to host exotic quantum states but until now has been too unstable to produce at scale. Zhang Zhibin, a co-first author of the paper, said in an interview that previously the only way to obtain the material was through mechanical exfoliation.