Could a revolution be underway in the field of quantum computers? PsiQuantum, a Californian company, seems in any case on the right track to democratize this cutting-edge technology.
Today, quantum computers are still experimental and remain in the intensive development phase. If the company OVH has one just like Google, there is still a lot to do to make this technology a tangible reality for everyone.
The start-up PsiQuantum, based in Palo Alto, California, plans to mass produce silicon-based quantum computers. To do this, it wishes to exploit already existing silicon chip manufacturing infrastructures. A bold positioning that could well change the situation.
A unique design strategy
Rather than following the classic path of increasing the size and power of quantum computers, PsiQuantum has chosen another path.
The centerpiece of their technology is having opted for the use of photons as qubits. Usually, superconducting qubits (like IBM or Google for example) or trapped ions are used. Photons have the advantage of hardly interacting with their environment, which makes them exceptionally stable for quantum calculations.
However, a problem arises: for the quantum computer to work, these photons must interact with each other in order to process the information. It is then necessary to develop solutions so that they can interact within an integrated circuit.
Recently, PsiQuantum has taken important steps in this direction. The team successfully modified a silicon photonic manufacturing process to incorporate advanced features. They have developed capabilities for detecting single photons and generating photon pairs directly on the chip. Integrating these functions on a silicon chip therefore makes it possible to exploit existing semiconductor production lines to one day hope to manufacture quantum computers en masse.
An approach that speeds up the manufacturing process, but above all reduces costs. Recently, the Australian government injected $1.3 billion into the company, proof that this strategy has potential.
Nothing is decided yet
Despite the considerable progress made by the PsiQuantum teams, they still have work to do! To realize their vision of large-scale photonic quantum computing, the obstacles to overcome remain quite significant.
First, the team aims to minimize the degradation of quantum signals to preserve the fidelity of the information processed by the computer. To do this, it focuses on reducing losses of silicon nitride materials (material used to make circuits) and improving filters (which direct photon flows) to improve photon transmission and minimize calculation errors. .
Another point of improvement: increasing the efficiency of detectors, which capture photons and then convert the information into signals, themselves used by other parts of the computer. Thanks to this, the loss of photons during their transit is minimized and the fidelity of the transmitted data is increased.
The team is also working on the development of high-speed optoelectronic switches. These devices are essential because they make it possible to modify the direction and interaction of photons in the circuits of a quantum computer. For this, PsiQuantum wants to use barium titanate to make these switches, a material that supports rapid and frequent changes very well, absolutely necessary for information to be processed at high speed.
PsiQuantum currently occupies a unique position in the quantum field and their approach could pay off if they can overcome the aforementioned obstacles. Their objective ? Achieve the production of an operational quantum computer in 2029 on a large scale. The race against the clock is on!
Source : Discover Magazine
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