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OPINION
superposition of three mutually orthogonal
The High-Stakes Push to quantum states. The management of 3D
quantum states could influence the future of
quantum technology being that these systems
Tackle Quantum-Compute can carry more information than qubits.
In December, Intel announced what it
called the first cryogenically controlled
Challenges processor, designed to accelerate the devel-
opment of full-stack quantum-computing
systems. Horse Ridge, produced using Intel’s
By Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio 22-nm FinFET manufacturing process, was
created in collaboration with QuTech. The
researchers aim to drastically simplify the
Last fall, Google claimed to have crossed the “quantum supremacy” control electronics in order to develop a small,
threshold, demonstrating that a quantum processor could perform highly integrated chip.
a calculation technically beyond the capabilities of a conventional
computer. The 53-qubit Sycamore processor performed in 3 minutes Beyond the physics
and 20 seconds a calculation that would have taken a traditional
supercomputer 10,000 years, according to Google. IBM rebutted and well-established
the claim, but the achievement was just one indication that we are mathematics of quantum-
witnessing a real revolution in quantum computing.
Companies and countries alike are investing huge sums in quan- computer science
tum-computer R&D. China is spending more than US$10 billion to build a quantum-compute loom some unresolved
research laboratory that is expected to open this year, while the European Union has earmarked
more than US$1 billion for its quantum master plan. The U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act engineering challenges of
provides US$1.2 billion to promote quantum information science over a five-year period. Intel
and Microsoft, as well as Google and IBM, are investing in facilities and training technical per- considerable importance.
sonnel. The companies are working to build hardware that reproduces the quantum model with a
targeted number of qubits. The cryogenically controlled processor
To achieve useful computational performance, machines must deliver hundreds of thousands operates at –269°C, or close to absolute zero.
of qubits. Beyond the physics and well-established mathematics of quantum-computer science Future improvements will aim to raise the
loom some unresolved engineering challenges of considerable importance. One challenge is chip’s operating temperature in order to cut
correcting the small random errors that result from the non-ideal elements of the circuit and the the complexity and cost of cooling the com-
interaction of qubits with the environment around them. plete system.
The engineering of a quantum computer requires not only perfect electronics but also a good The tasks ahead are daunting. But based on
software algorithm and good isolation from the environment to minimize decoherence. Efficient the size of their investments, companies and
quantum gates must be built to reduce the amount of control and time required for compute countries clearly believe quantum computing
operations and thereby improve the consistency of the quantum state. is worth the effort. ■
Scientists at Aarhus University have devised a superconducting circuit to implement a tunable
system consisting of 1 qutrit coupled to 2 qubits. The system can efficiently perform various Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio is a staff
quantum-computing tasks, including the generation of 2-qubit entanglement and 3-qubit correspondent at AspenCore, editor of Power
conditional quantum gates. A qutrit, or quantum trit, is a quantum unit that is described by a Electronics News, and editor-in-chief of EEWeb.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

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