Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich are working on semiconductor-based quantum computers that utilize spin qubits in silicon. The aim is to make these scalable using controlled electron shuttling, thereby paving the way for larger, more powerful quantum processors.
There is a great need for scalable hardware: quantum computing offers considerable potential for solving highly relevant socioeconomic computational problems. Scaling to the necessary qubit numbers, however, is currently limited by the wiring as well as space requirements of the quantum processor chips, which need to be operated at cryogenic temperatures.
Quantum information is encoded in electron spins, which are conventionally stationary. To allow scaling to relevant qubit numbers, single-electron shuttling is employed to enable the coupling of distant qubits and to relax space constraints at the quantum processor level. The compatibility of the platform with established semiconductor technology allows the fabrication of millions of qubits on a single chip.
Researchers combine chip design, nanofabrication, cryogenic characterization, and electronic control. Results are incorporated into industrial implementation via transfer projects and spin-offs.
Further information: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/pgi/pgi-11
