Intel And QuTech Demonstrate 2-Qubit Quantum Computing Breakthrough

intel and qutech demonstrate cryogenic quantum computing control chip
Early in 2020, we covered a cryogenic control chip from Intel called Horse Ridge that was destined to help make quantum computing more feasible. Since then, Intel has created a second generation of the chip, and the partnership between Intel and QuTech has only grown. Now, the collaboration is paying dividends as the researchers are now able to demonstrate the advances in the field.

When it comes to quantum computing, a major challenge seems to be interfacing between quantum electronics, which operate at incredibly cold temperatures, and regular room-temperature electronics. This is currently a bottleneck that slows research and development, but Intel has seemingly solved the problem with Horse Ridge, a cryogenic control chip that operates at 3 kelvin (-454.27F, -270.15C).

The research abstract explains that this chip has the same fidelity as room-temperature commercial instruments and could be programmed with several benchmarking protocols. This included a two-qubit Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, which operates more efficiently on a quantum computer than on traditional computers. Ultimately, the researchers claim that the results found “open up the way towards a fully integrated, scalable silicon-based quantum computer.”

Intel further explains that this integration could relieve wiring bottlenecks and subsequently have a controller chip and qubits on the same die, paving the path for quantum scalability. There is quite a bit of potential here, and we will have to see where it goes shortly, so stay tuned to HotHardware for updates on the developing quantum computing scene.