Quantum Motion, a British startup has shown a quantum-chip with 1024 qubits. Modern production processes and lines for semiconductor production are well suited for its production. The chip is produced on a standard 300 mm wafer, according to an unnamed firm. The proposed solution promises unparalleled qubit scaling and ease-of-control, but the developers are honest in reporting that it could take as long as 20 years to achieve universal quantum computers.
Quantum Motion works in the direction for spin qubits. This is where the production of silicon chip fits best. Single electrons can be trapped on the substrate to create traps. Their spins control the quantum states of the particles. They can also serve as qubits, which can be controlled or read. Intel, for example, has been able to reproduce spin qubits using 300-mm silicon substrates. However, it has not progressed beyond 2-qubit solutions for many years. This background makes the Quantum Motion chip with 1024 qubits seem like a breakthrough. It is also important to know if it is actually such.
“What you mean by ‘general purpose quantum computers’ or a ‘large-scale quantum computer’ will depend on what you mean. Yonatan Cohen is the CTO at Quantum Machines. — It will take between 10 and 15 years to build what is known as a fault-tolerant large scale quantum computer. This is when we can fully utilize the potential of a qubit computer, such as Shor’s algorithm which breaks the RSA Code.
What was the breakthrough in Quantum Motion development? A semiconductor quantum chip is placed inside a cryogenic chamber, just like other similar solutions. Each qubit within such a chamber was previously controlled by multiple signal channels. Complex circuits are needed to read and set quantum states. These can be easily modified by any noise. A simple spin qubit control system was developed by developers in the UK and the US. It requires just 9 conductors to operate a 1024-qubit chip. This opens the door to scaling. But, we don’t know how it will actually work in practice.
The company also proved that modern semiconductor production was, in principle suitable for the production quantum processors. One 0.1 mm2 She was able to control 1024 quantum states with the Bloomsbury chip by placing 1024 quantum dots.
Quantum Motion is not planning to develop quantum processors. This indicates that there are many problems still to be solved. Quantum Motion will focus its efforts on developing the software and hardware infrastructure required for quantum systems to operate.