Project description
A cool idea could lead to large interconnected quantum computing networks
When some metals are cooled to extremely low temperatures (close to 'absolute zero'), they become superconductors – their resistance to electron flow disappears. This lack of dissipation makes superconducting quantum circuits ideally suited for building large-scale quantum computing devices, where information processing is based on quantum bits (qubits) rather than binary digits (bits). However, the challenges imposed by the reliance on superconductivity and extreme cooling significantly hinder the implementation of local- and wide-area (LAN/WAN) networks connecting different devices and systems. The EU-funded SuperQuLAN project plans to remove this barrier with the demonstration of implementing LAN superconducting qubits in spatially separated refrigeration units connected via a cryogenic transmission line. Success will pave the way for larger metropolitan-area networks and open the door to internet connectivity for quantum computing devices.
Objective
Superconducting quantum circuits are one of the most promising platforms for realizing large-scale quantum computing devices, where in the near future a coherent integration of 100-1000 qubits is feasible. However, the required temperatures of only a few mK currently restrict quantum operations to superconducting qubits that are located within the same dilution refrigerator. This imposes a serious constraint on the realization of even larger quantum processors or the implementation of local- and wide-area quantum networks based on superconducting technology.
The targeted breakthrough of this project is to overcome this limitation by demonstrating for the first time the operation of a quantum local area network (QuLAN), where superconducting qubits housed in spatially separated refrigerators are connected via a cryogenic transmission line. Using this setup, we will implement state transfer protocols and distributed quantum algorithms between superconducting qubits that are tens of meters apart. In parallel, we will develop and demonstrate new electro-optical quantum transducer designs for fast microwave-to-optics conversion and many other essential components and protocols for efficiently integrating multiple superconducting quantum computing units into a single coherent network. The outcomes of this project will enable the non-incremental step from intra- to inter-fridge quantum communication and will facilitate the implementation of first quantum computing clusters. In the long run, this technology provides the basis for the realization of metropolitan-area scale quantum networks using superconducting circuits.
The project will be carried out by an interdisciplinary team of experts in the fields of superconducting circuits, nanophotonics and quantum information theory, and in close collaboration with industry partners. The complementary expertise of this consortium will ensure the scientific and economic success of this project.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computers
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynanophotonics
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssuperconductivity
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
1040 Wien
Austria