A new concept from Warwick researchers could help solve one of the biggest challenges to building large-scale quantum computers: enabling communication between vast numbers of quantum bits (qubits) over long distances across a single chip.

Published in APL Quantum, researchers from the University of Warwick and NRC Canada introduce the concept of Quantum Phononic Links (QPLs), a new approach to communication between qubits. It uses sound-like vibrations traveling through a specially engineered material to carry quantum information between qubits that are physically far apart.

Today’s leading quantum chips typically allow only neighboring qubits to communicate directly with each other. To build useful quantum computers, engineers expect to need to coordinate millions of qubits spread across an entire semiconductor chip, not just clusters of adjacent qubits. The team’s proposed approach uses sound vibrations, known as phonons, as an inherent communication system, allowing qubits to exchange quantum information over much greater distances than currently possible.