HRL Shows Self-Operating Silicon Quantum Processor That Performs Error Correction

Insider BriefPRESS RELEASE — HRL Laboratories published a quantum computing milestone in Nature today: a quantum processor that runs itself. Quantum computers normally depend on racks of external electronics to generate every control signal. HRL replaced those racks with a custom control chip that sits near the qubits, in the extreme cold. The combined system autonomously ran error correction, an essential routine for any future quantum computer.HRL’s approach addresses a central obstacle for all quantum computing platforms: how to control the enormous number of qubits that a useful machine will require without an unmanageable tangle of wiring and electronics.The results appear today in Nature as “A digitally controlled silicon quantum processing unit.”Errors fell roughly fivefold when the team added more qubits to their error-correcting repetition code, demonstrating the property of error suppression that all quantum computers will rely on. The results matched the team’s models, evidence that their approach should hold up as it scales. This is also the first time error correction has been executed entirely by a cryogenic controller, with no real-time involvement from room-temperature electronics.Quantum computers are more than just qubits. To operate at scale, they require control systems that are just as manufacturable and precise as the qubits themselves. This publication reports a complete prototype of the architecture HRL believes will deliver full-scale quantum computers at practical cost.“The technologies that enabled conventional computing weren’t just the highest-performing — they were the ones that could be manufactured cheaply and at scale,” said Rob Vasquez, President and Chief Executive Officer, HRL Laboratories. “We think quantum computing will follow a similar path. Our goal is to build these powerful computers using standard microchip production lines and fit each one inside a single refrigerator. This approach will keep production costs low and make the technology affordable enough to tackle a much wider variety of business and scientific problems.”TopicsShare Get the latest research, company news, and market intelligence every week. MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLEHRL Laboratories is a world leader in developing solid-state technology for quantum computing and networking. They are advancing a variety of technologies including silicon heterostructure quantum dot qubits, silicon carbide photonics, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors, chip-scale atom-optics components, and microwave-dot hybrid systems. HRL’s campus in Malibu, CA is equipped with on-site epitaxial semiconductor growth tools, a 10,000-square-foot nano-fabrication cleanroom facility, high-performance computational resources for theory and simulation, and cryogenic test and measurement laboratories. It is the same site that originated with inventions such as the self-aligned gate MOSFET and the world’s first laser. HRL’s semiconductor quantum chip, known as SLEDGE, is one of the quantum computing devices that will be available for UW–Madison researchers and students under a new industry partnership through the LPS Qubit Collaboratory.More in Research The Quantum Insider (TQI) is the leading source for the latest quantum technology news, market intelligence, industry analysis, and data covering the global quantum ecosystem.NEWSROOMPLATFORMSERVICESCOMPANY© 2026 Resonance Alliance Inc. All rights reserved.A RESONANCE NETWORK PROPERTYOne of our team will be in touch to learn more about your requirements, and provide pricing and access options.Subscribe to our industry leading leading newsletter for the latest in quantum news and insights. Necessary cookies are always on to ensure the website works. Optional cookies help us understand how the site is used. Privacy Policy