Expanding quantum systems is important for the development of quantum computing, as its advantages become more evident in large systems. Researchers at Darmstadt University of Technology have made significant progress towards this goal. The results of their research were published in a prestigious journal Optical.
Quantum processors based on two-dimensional arrays of optical tweezers created using focused laser beams are one of the most promising technologies for the development of quantum computing and simulations, which will enable high-throughput applications in the future. This technology will benefit a variety of applications, from drug development to traffic flow optimization.
Groundbreaking development in quantum bit technology
Today, these processors are capable of supporting hundreds of single-atom quantum systems, where each atom represents a single quantum bit, or qubit, as the fundamental unit of quantum information. To achieve greater success, it is necessary to increase the number of qubits in processors. This has now been achieved by a team led by Professor Gerhard Birkl from the research group “Atoms – Photons – Quanta” at the Faculty of Physics of the Technical University of Darmstadt.
In a research paper first published on the arXiv preprint server in early October 2023 and now published after peer review in a prestigious journal OpticalThe team reports the world’s first successful experiment to implement a quantum processing architecture with more than 1,000 atomic qubits in a single plane.
“We are extremely pleased to be the first to break the limit of 1000 individually controllable atomic qubits, as many other distinguished competitors are hot on our heels,” Birkle said of his results.
Innovative methods and perspectives
In their experiments, the researchers managed to show that their approach of combining state-of-the-art quantum optical techniques with advanced micro-optical technology allowed them to significantly increase the current limits on the number of qubits available.
This was achieved by introducing a new method of “quantum bit supercharging”. This allowed them to overcome the limitations imposed on the number of usable qubits due to the limited performance of lasers. 1,305 single-atom qubits were loaded into a quantum array of 3,000 trap sites and reassembled into error-free target structures with 441 qubits. Thanks to the parallel use of many laser sources, this concept has overcome technological limits previously thought to be almost insurmountable.
For many different applications, 1000 qubits is seen as the threshold above which the efficiency gains promised by quantum computers can now be demonstrated for the first time. That’s why researchers from all over the world are working hard to be the first to cross this threshold. A recently published research paper shows that this breakthrough for atomic qubits has been achieved for the first time worldwide by a research team led by Professor Birkle. The scientific publication also explains how further increases in the number of laser sources will deliver 10,000 qubits in just a few years.
Source: Port Altele
