China has built the world’s first dual-core quantum computer, a development that could “significantly enhance” efficiency, official media has reported.

The breakthrough signalled that Chinese quantum computing technology was “entering a new stage”, according to the official newspaper Science and Technology Daily.

While other quantum computers rely on high energy consumption and need to be run in temperatures close to absolute zero, the design of this computer uses neutral atoms – which consume less energy and make it easier to maintain.

According to the report, the twin cores support parallel computing – a function compared to two brains operating together – and can divide tasks between them or correct each other’s errors.

The computer, known as Hanyuan-2, was developed by CAS Cold Atom Technology, a tech firm affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and based in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Quantum computers perform calculations and solve complex problems using qubits – or quantum bits – a fundamental unit of information.