Controlling qubits on a quantum computer

QuTech, the advanced research center for quantum computers, will host the RF Technology event on November 30, 2021. QuTech, a collaboration between TU Delft, TNO and industrial partners, conducts a lot of fundamental research into quantum computers. One of the speakers at the event is Fabio Sebastiano, affiliated with TU Delft as assistant professor. In his presentation he will discuss the application of CMOS microwave drivers at cryogenic temperatures.

Quantum computers rely on processing the information stored in quantum bits (qubits), which typically need to be cooled well below 1 K to function properly.

One of the fundamental requirements in quantum computers is to be able to generate microwave electrical signals that are sent to the qubits. By shaping these signals properly, both in amplitude and duration, a specific operation can be forced on the qubits. The CMOS microwave drivers are electronic circuits that generate such signals to perform quantum operations on the qubits.

Performing operations on qubits requires a classical electronic interface, which is currently implemented at room temperature for the few qubits available today.

Future quantum processors will consist of thousands or even millions of qubits. To avoid the impractical requirement of thousands of cables from the cryogenic refrigerator to the room-temperature electronics, the electronic interface must operate at cryogenic temperatures as close as possible to the qubits.

To address these challenges, Sebastiano’s talk will demonstrate the use of standard CMOS technology to build a complex System-on-Chip operating at 4 K and capable of driving qubits with microwave pulses in the frequency range of 6 to 20 GHz. As demonstrated by the most complex cryogenic CMOS system ever built, it is a fundamental stepping stone towards future cryogenic electronic interfaces, the path to practical large-scale quantum computers.

For more information see the interview with Fabio Sebastiano for the event, which was originally supposed to take place in 2020. This event is a great opportunity to get direct access to the sources surrounding quantum computing research.

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