
In a significant step toward making quantum computing a practical reality, MIT and MITRE researchers have broken new ground by creating a modular quantum computer platform that can potentially outpace today's most powerful supercomputers, addressing problems once thought to be decades from a solution, this was outlined in a detailed piece in MIT News today. The tech breakthrough hinges on a scalable, modular hardware system known as a "quantum-system-on-chip" (QSoC), which allows for the precise control of thousands of qubits, which are the fundamental units of quantum information.
Unlike traditional bits, qubits can exist in multi-state configurations, offering unprecedented computational power through the phenomena of superposition and entanglement. However, wrangling such a massive number of these elusive qubits into a coherent and controllable system is no small feat—it requires cutting-edge technology and a significant amount of ingenuity. MIT's researchers, in a method that was likened to tuning "quantum radios" to the right frequency, found that this allowed them to align qubits to effectively communicate, and this task became significantly easier as the number of qubits increased, according to the researchers' statements obtained by MIT News.
The endeavor, spearheaded by Linsen Li, a wiz at electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and the lead author of the study, utilizes a pioneering fabrication method called the lock-and-release process. This process transfers an array of diamond color center microchiplets—tiny structures that host qubits—onto a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip, which serves as an advanced control panel for the array of qubits. Essentially, this merger amplifies the integrated chip's quantum capabilities and opens the door for large-scale, practical applications of quantum computing.
Researchers from MIT have developed an ambitious and innovative approach to quantum computing that could change the game as we know it; their research embraces the diversity of 'artificial atoms', using variant frequencies to address individual qubits while leaning on CMOS technology to ensure they can rapidly compensate for the various temperamental states of these quantum bits. Diamond color centers are the choice material for qubits due to their scalability, solid-state nature, and relatively long coherence times, according to a report by MIT News. The technology also enables remote entanglement with the potential for a large-scale quantum network.
The research group sees this as just the beginning, with indications that the system's performance can be further improved by refining materials and control processes. The support from the MITRE Corporation Quantum Moonshot Program and the U.S. National Science Foundation, among others, backs this quantum leap. The collaborative project boasts contributors from prestigious institutions such as Cornell University, the Delft Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and aligns with global research initiatives, including the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.
For a complete dive into the technicalities and the future impact of MIT and MITRE's innovative work on quantum computing, be sure to visit the comprehensive report on MIT News.