{"id":126883,"date":"2021-08-28T20:23:39","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T03:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/glass-chip-is-key-to-new-quantum-architecture"},"modified":"2021-08-28T20:23:39","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T03:23:39","slug":"glass-chip-is-key-to-new-quantum-architecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/glass-chip-is-key-to-new-quantum-architecture","title":{"rendered":"Glass Chip Is Key to New Quantum Architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

Maryland-based IonQ<\/a> has unveiled a new kind of chip in its quest to scale up its type of quantum computer<\/a> technology. Its computers calculate using the quantum states of ions electromagnetically trapped in the space near a chip. Previous traps were made using silicon chipmaking processes, but the company has now switched to an evaporated glass trap technology\u2014a way of constructing micrometer-scale features in fused silica glass often used to make microfluidic chips. Its previous trap technology, the company says, could not have supported IonQ\u2019s new quantum architecture, which is based on multiple chains of ion-based qubits<\/a>. Ultimately, IonQ executives say, the glass chip\u2019s reconfigurable chains of ions will allow for computers with qubits that number in the triple digits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe purpose of an ion trap is to move ions around with precision, hold them in the environment, and get out of the way of the quantum operation,\u201d explains Jason Amini<\/a>, who led the evaporated glass trap team at IonQ. The 3D glass and metal structure Amini\u2019s team constructed does all three better than its previous chips could, Amini says. Stray electric fields from charge on the silicon-based chip could destabilize the ions\u2019 delicate quantum states, reducing the fidelity of quantum computation. But the evaporated glass design \u201chides any material that could hold charge,\u201d he says. The effect is a more stable trap that computes better.<\/p>\n

Another advantage, Amini says, is that the trap could be shaped to \u201cget out of the way\u201d of quantum operations. In an ion trap computer the ions\u2019 quantum states are manipulated by zapping them with lasers. \u201cWe have to bring a lot of laser beams over the surface,\u201d says Amini. The glass chip is \u201cshaped to allow lasers to come through and address the device.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maryland-based IonQ has unveiled a new kind of chip in its quest to scale up its type of quantum computer technology. Its computers calculate using the quantum states of ions electromagnetically trapped in the space near a chip. Previous traps were made using silicon chipmaking processes, but the company has now switched to an evaporated [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":513,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1523,1617],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computing","category-quantum-physics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/513"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126883\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeboat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}