New Chip Enables Scalable Control of Quantum Computing
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Led by Jake Freedman, Matt Eichenfield, and collaborators from Sandia National Laboratories, a new device has been developed that advances the scalability of quantum computing by efficiently controlling lasers required for thousands of qubits. Published in Nature Communications, the breakthrough utilizes microwave-frequency vibrations—oscillating billions of times per second—to manipulate laser light with extraordinary precision within a device nearly 100 times smaller than a human hair. This technology addresses the limitations of current bulky, power-intensive setups, offering a pathway toward manufacturing scalable optical frequency control essential for future quantum computers and networking technologies.
New Device Enables Scalable Quantum Computing Researchers have developed a new optical phase modulator device, significantly smaller than a human hair, that addresses a critical need for scalable quantum computing. This breakthrough enables efficient control of the lasers necessary to operate thousands – even millions – of qubits. The device manipulates laser light with precision using microwave-frequency vibrations oscillating billions of times per second, generating new laser frequencies essential for quantum computing, sensing, and networking technologies. Critically, this device is manufactured using CMOS fabrication – the same technology used for everyday electronics like phones and computers. This scalability is vital, as current methods rely on bulky, power-hungry devices unsuitable for large-scale quantum computers. The new device consumes roughly 80 times less microwave power than many commercial modulators, reducing heat and allowing for denser chip integration, bringing a truly scalable photonic platform closer to reality.
The team is now focused on integrating frequency generation, filtering, and pulse-carving onto a single chip, and will collaborate with quantum computing companies to test these devices in trapped-ion and trapped-atom systems. According to researchers, this technology represents a final piece of the puzzle for controlling very large numbers of qubits and is a step towards an “optical transistor revolution,” moving away from bulky optical components toward scalable integrated photonics.
Efficient Frequency Control for Qubit Operation This new device addresses a critical need for efficient frequency control essential to operate large-scale quantum computers. Current methods rely on bulky, power-hungry tabletop setups unsuitable for scaling to the tens or hundreds of thousands of optical channels required for future systems.
The team’s innovation uses microwave-frequency vibrations to manipulate laser light, enabling precise control over laser frequency with high stability and efficiency – key for instructing qubits in trapped-ion and trapped-atom systems. The device significantly reduces power consumption, using roughly 80 times less microwave power than many commercial modulators. This decreased heat generation allows for denser chip layouts, crucial for scaling to control large numbers of qubits. Researchers emphasize this is a vital step, as building a quantum computer requires controlling many individual atoms using extremely accurate laser frequencies—often differing by billionths of a percent—and current technology isn’t scalable for this task. Notably, the device is manufactured using standard CMOS fabrication, the same technology powering everyday electronics. This scalability—leveraging existing, high-volume manufacturing processes—is a major advantage. According to researchers, this allows for the potential to create thousands or even millions of identical photonic devices, bringing the goal of a truly scalable photonic platform for quantum computing much closer to reality. Creating new copies of a laser with very exact differences in frequency is one of the most important tools for working with atom- and ion-based quantum computers.Jake Freedman CMOS Fabrication for Mass Production of Devices Researchers have developed a new device utilizing CMOS fabrication—the same technology behind everyday electronics—to potentially unlock larger quantum computers. This approach avoids complex, custom builds, enabling the mass production of photonic devices.
The team created a device that is nearly 100 times smaller than a human hair, capable of efficiently controlling the lasers needed to operate thousands or even millions of qubits—the fundamental units of quantum information. This new device manipulates laser light with precision using microwave-frequency vibrations oscillating billions of times per second. Critically, it generates new frequencies of light through efficient phase modulation, consuming roughly 80 times less microwave power than many commercial modulators. This reduction in power consumption minimizes heat and allows for denser integration of optical channels, vital for scaling quantum computing systems. According to Professor Eichenfield, CMOS fabrication represents the most scalable technology humans have invented, with billions of identical transistors already present in modern electronics. By leveraging this existing infrastructure, the team aims to produce thousands or even millions of identical photonic devices, a necessity for the future of quantum computing. This approach promises a significant step towards scalable, integrated photonic technologies. Source: https://www.colorado.edu/ecee/tiny-new-device-could-enable-giant-future-quantum-computers Tags: