Thursday, October 12th 2017
Intel Delivers 17-qubit Superconducting Chip with Advanced Packaging to QuTech
Today, Intel announced the delivery of a 17-qubit superconducting test chip for quantum computing to QuTech, Intel's quantum research partner in the Netherlands. The new chip was fabricated by Intel and features a unique design to achieve improved yield and performance. The delivery of this chip demonstrates the fast progress Intel and QuTech are making in researching and developing a working quantum computing system. It also underscores the importance of material science and semiconductor manufacturing in realizing the promise of quantum computing.
Quantum computing, in essence, is the ultimate in parallel computing, with the potential to tackle problems conventional computers can't handle. For example, quantum computers may simulate nature to advance research in chemistry, materials science and molecular modeling - like helping to create a new catalyst to sequester carbon dioxide, or create a room temperature superconductor or discover new drugs. However, despite much experimental progress and speculation, there are inherent challenges to building viable, large-scale quantum systems that produce accurate outputs. Making qubits (the building blocks of quantum computing) uniform and stable is one such obstacle.
Qubits are tremendously fragile: Any noise or unintended observation of them can cause data loss. This fragility requires them to operate at about 20 millikelvin - 250 times colder than deep space. This extreme operating environment makes the packaging of qubits key to their performance and function. Intel's Components Research Group (CR) in Oregon and Assembly Test and Technology Development (ATTD) teams in Arizona are pushing the limits of chip design and packaging technology to address quantum computing's unique challenges.
About the size of a quarter (in a package about the size of a half-dollar coin), the new 17-qubit test chip's improved design features include:
Intel's collaborative relationship with QuTech to accelerate advancements in quantum computing began in 2015. Since that time, the collaboration has achieved many milestones - from demonstrating key circuit blocks for an integrated cryogenic-CMOS control system to developing a spin qubit fabrication flow on Intel's 300mm process technology and developing this unique packaging solution for superconducting qubits. Through this partnership, the time from design and fabrication to test has been greatly accelerated.
"With this test chip, we'll focus on connecting, controlling and measuring multiple, entangled qubits towards an error correction scheme and a logical qubit," said professor Leo DiCarlo of QuTech. "This work will allow us to uncover new insights in quantum computing that will shape the next stage of development."
Advancing the Quantum Computing System
Intel and QuTech's work in quantum computing goes beyond the development and testing of superconducting qubit devices. The collaboration spans the entire quantum system - or "stack" - from qubit devices to the hardware and software architecture required to control these devices as well as quantum applications. All of these elements are essential to advancing quantum computing from research to reality.
Also, unlike others, Intel is investigating multiple qubit types. These include the superconducting qubits incorporated into this newest test chip, and an alternative type called spin qubits in silicon. These spin qubits resemble a single electron transistor similar in many ways to conventional transistors and potentially able to be manufactured with comparable processes.
While quantum computers promise greater efficiency and performance to handle certain problems, they won't replace the need for conventional computing or other emerging technologies like neuromorphic computing. We'll need the technical advances that Moore's law delivers in order to invent and scale these emerging technologies.
Intel is investing not only to invent new ways of computing, but also to advance the foundation of Moore's Law, which makes this future possible.
Quantum computing, in essence, is the ultimate in parallel computing, with the potential to tackle problems conventional computers can't handle. For example, quantum computers may simulate nature to advance research in chemistry, materials science and molecular modeling - like helping to create a new catalyst to sequester carbon dioxide, or create a room temperature superconductor or discover new drugs. However, despite much experimental progress and speculation, there are inherent challenges to building viable, large-scale quantum systems that produce accurate outputs. Making qubits (the building blocks of quantum computing) uniform and stable is one such obstacle.
About the size of a quarter (in a package about the size of a half-dollar coin), the new 17-qubit test chip's improved design features include:
- New architecture allowing improved reliability, thermal performance and reduced radio frequency (RF) interference between qubits.
- A scalable interconnect scheme that allows for 10 to 100 times more signals into and out of the chip as compared to wirebonded chips.
- Advanced processes, materials and designs that enable Intel's packaging to scale for quantum integrated circuits, which are much larger than conventional silicon chips.
Intel's collaborative relationship with QuTech to accelerate advancements in quantum computing began in 2015. Since that time, the collaboration has achieved many milestones - from demonstrating key circuit blocks for an integrated cryogenic-CMOS control system to developing a spin qubit fabrication flow on Intel's 300mm process technology and developing this unique packaging solution for superconducting qubits. Through this partnership, the time from design and fabrication to test has been greatly accelerated.
"With this test chip, we'll focus on connecting, controlling and measuring multiple, entangled qubits towards an error correction scheme and a logical qubit," said professor Leo DiCarlo of QuTech. "This work will allow us to uncover new insights in quantum computing that will shape the next stage of development."
Advancing the Quantum Computing System
Intel and QuTech's work in quantum computing goes beyond the development and testing of superconducting qubit devices. The collaboration spans the entire quantum system - or "stack" - from qubit devices to the hardware and software architecture required to control these devices as well as quantum applications. All of these elements are essential to advancing quantum computing from research to reality.
Also, unlike others, Intel is investigating multiple qubit types. These include the superconducting qubits incorporated into this newest test chip, and an alternative type called spin qubits in silicon. These spin qubits resemble a single electron transistor similar in many ways to conventional transistors and potentially able to be manufactured with comparable processes.
While quantum computers promise greater efficiency and performance to handle certain problems, they won't replace the need for conventional computing or other emerging technologies like neuromorphic computing. We'll need the technical advances that Moore's law delivers in order to invent and scale these emerging technologies.
Intel is investing not only to invent new ways of computing, but also to advance the foundation of Moore's Law, which makes this future possible.
47 Comments on Intel Delivers 17-qubit Superconducting Chip with Advanced Packaging to QuTech
If/Once they do work, there would suddenly become a serious threat to the security of the infrastructure which our modern society is built on, and heavy regulation would be forced, wanted, and even welcomed by the majority.
Might as well not encrypt at all.
I say that if you're going to go through all the trouble to cool these things down to near absolute zero, then you may as well just throw a binary chip in there and clock it to a billion terahertz.
Cooking was impossible for millennia
Sharpening a stick was impossible for millennia
Rowing a boat was impossible for millenia.
We are not talking about building a relatively simple device that will be readily mass produced and available in a not too distant future.
We are talking about pinpoint an exact basic particle out of a gazillion others and keeping it masked from another gazillion continuously zipping through and around, perturbing the em field ad destroying the measurament.
This requires a crapton of energy and you will be never, ever, ever, never be able to do it on your lap on your couch.
The energy bill will not change, ever. Maybe you can devise clever methods to do it, but energy is energy, what you put in is what you get out.
Deep Wave requires 25 kw of continuous power. That's about as much as your average electric furnace. This is not something people will be using at home any time soon.
Maybe the "point of Encrypting your connection" will be to keep 7 billion other humans on this earth from draining your bank account every second of your life. I said infrastructure, not files.
If a general purpose quantum computer is ever physically possible, either it will need to be an extremely rare and heavily regulated item, or some genius will need to find a brand new way of securing our $19 trillion dollar infrastructure to replace the current method we use which was found as a mathematical law back in the year 1640; and every website, server, and service everywhere on the planet will need to change the way that they send, receive, and verify password information both server-side and client-side.
www.livescience.com/60645-quantum-encrypted-message-sent-between-buildings.html
www.sciencenews.org/article/china-quantum-satellite-adds-two-new-tricks-repertoire
for quantum ray tracing video card
I wanne see what monsters realy looks like lel