Research projects - Quantum

The QuMIC (Qubits Control by Microwave Integrated Circuits) project focuses on the research and development of novel highly integrated BiCMOS chips at high frequencies (>10 GHz) and their hybrid integration with quantum electronics (ion trap and superconductivity chips) towards compact Multi-Chip Modules (MCM). These highly compact, integrated MCMs, intended to operate at a temperature of 4 K, lead to a significant miniaturization (by 8 orders of magnitude!) of the existing high-frequency electronics for driving quantum gates based on trapped ions and superconducting qubits. This approach not only enables the scalability of a quantum computer to a large number of qubits, but it is also a drastic reduction in the necessary high-frequency lines from room temperature to the cryogenic environment.

The Project is divided in two usecases:

Usecase 1 deals with amplitude modulating transmitters for ion-trap-based quantum control in the frequency range of 1 GHz to 13 GHz.

Usecase 2 deals with 100 Gb/s bit pattern generator for interfacing with a quantum accurate Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer.

Contact:
Paul Shine Eugine
Yerzhan Kudabay
 

Similar to a classic computer, an ion-trap-based quantum computer can be broken down into multiple regimes such as memory and interaction region. Whereas the memory region stores quantum states, the interaction region is “where the magic happens,” and the ions are manipulated to obtain the desired quantum operation. To transport the ions from one regime to another, the positively charged ions are typically moved through a varying voltage gradient along a column of electrodes. At their destined position, highly accurate confinement in control voltages is required to minimize any disturbance besides the desired quantum operation. This requires very precise and low-noise electronics, only a tight power budget due to the limited cooling power of today’s available cryostats is available.

Hence, within the ATIQ project, the Institute for CMOS Design focuses on developing trap-integrated cryogenic electronics to supply voltages for ion confinement and movement. To be implemented, electronics include but are not limited to Digital-to-Analog converters, amplifiers, filters, and switching matrices to apply the control voltages to the electrodes. In close collaboration with partners from academia and industry, several demonstrators will be developed within this project.

Contact:
Alexander Meyer
Christian Ziegler

Motivation
Superconducting parametric amplifiers in the microwave frequency range, which are based on Josephson junctions, can achieve such a low noise level that it is only limited by the quantum mechanical limit. However, these amplifiers usually have to be operated at temperatures of a few millikelvin (around -273 °C) and expensive, high-performance microwave generators are usually used to provide the power for the parametric amplification process. These two limitations restrict the application range of such amplifier circuits and make it difficult to use them widely for applications in which very weak signals in the microwave frequency range have to be amplified with extremely low noise. A typical area of application for such amplifiers is, for example, quantum computers based on superconducting qubits.

Objectives and procedure
The aim of CryoSoQ is to combine resonant superconducting parametric amplifiers with cryogenic CMOS electronics and thus take the first steps towards solving the aforementioned limitations. At the end of the project, a highly integrated CMOS signal source and a parametric amplifier will be operated at a temperature of 4 K (-269 °C) and combined to form a module.

Innovation and prospects
The project goals of CryoSoQ are to investigate fundamental questions on the way to a highly integrated parametric amplifier with an integrated signal source. The project is thematically related to hardware for quantum computers and quantum technologies. It should thus contribute to promoting the economic implementation of quantum technologies in Germany and strengthening competitiveness in the national and international market.Die Projektziele von CryoSoQ dienen dazu grundsätzliche Fragen auf dem Weg zu einem hochintegrierten parametrischen Verstärker mit integrierter Signalquelle zu untersuchen. Das Projekt ist thematisch der Hardware für Quantencomputer und Quantentechnologien zuzuordnen. Es soll damit zur Förderung der wirtschaftlichen Umsetzung der Quantentechnologien in Deutschland und der Stärkung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit im nationalen und internationalen Markt beitragen.

The ArCTIC project aims to drive significant advancements in the development of scalable microelectronics optimized for operation at cryogenic temperatures, with a primary focus on their integration into various quantum computing systems. Achieving this goal necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. It includes not only materials research of technology process, but also parametric performance of integrated devices at cryogenic temperatures and device modeling based on measurement data.

To address these challenges, the main goal of the project is to develop energy-efficient circuits for cryogenic applications such as low-noise amplifiers, digital to analog converters and high-speed ultralow phase noise microwave generators precisely characterized at an early stage so that they can later be combined into fully functional high-speed transceivers for cryogenic applications.