Quantum Computers

Weathering the first quantum short

Weathering the First Quantum Short

A short report has placed a spotlight on IonQ, a quantum computing champion. This should not deflect long term interest in this or other quantum technologies.

Quantum Hardware

Quantum Hardware Outlook 2022

Big ticket investments have created a growing number of quantum unicorns. Chinese strides with photonic and superconducting qubits have grabbed attention. Trapped ions have shone with demonstrations of logical qubits. But who is winning the race to build a practical quantum computer?

Quantum Hardware Stack

Quantum Hardware Platforms – a brief overview

To understand the ambitious roadmaps of quantum hardware players we have to start by understand the contrasting advantages and challenges of each of their technology platforms. As we seek to scale up these solutions, the specific flavour of the technology being employed becomes increasingly important. This overview is taken from a presentation originally delivered at…

Quantum Hardware Outlook 2021

Quantum Hardware Outlook 2021

China’s quantum supremacy demonstration may grab headlines, but not yet leadership in the quantum computing race. Leading hardware groups have firmed-up their development roadmaps for the marathon ahead and error correction has become a key part of the story. The challenge of scaling-up remains pre-eminent. A growing number of quantum majors, startups and institutes are…

Quantum hardware – into the quantum jungle

The quantum computing landscape has been transformed by a surge of commercial startups pursuing very different technical paths. Investors and pioneers must prepare themselves for a challenging journey ahead. A growing list of major, midsized and startup companies have joined the quantum computing quest. However today’s prototype devices must be radically scaled up before they…

Superconducting qubits

Superconducting qubits

Superconducting qubits have seized an early lead in commercial quantum computing activity. Being first to demonstrate technical quantum supremacy means they are well placed to search for NISQ quantum advantage. However there are significant challenges to be faced in scaling up these systems in the extreme cryogenic environments they require. At milli-Kelvin temperatures, resistance-free current…

Trapped ions

Trapped ions

Years of academic activity is now transforming itself into a wave of spin-outs and startups. Trapped ion proponents point to the very high fidelity gates that have been achieved and additional opportunities for qubit connectivity. However the best gates have historically required precision Raman laser setups that come with their own significant challenges. Strip away…

Silicon spin

Silicon spin

Silicon enjoys an unrivaled lead in human fabrication know-how and investment. Importantly, in its isotopically purified form, it is an ideal neutral material to host sensitive spin qubits. Proponents emphasise the potential of this technology to deliver chip-scale solutions where some other approaches would require ‘building-size’ machines. But spin quibts are delicate. Nanofabricating the right…

NV diamonds

NV diamonds

Our ability to fabricate in diamond has undergone a transformation that is perhaps not fully appreciated outside of the specialist community. Diamond is another material well suited to hosting qubits. Point defects in a diamond lattice act in many ways like isolated atoms and can be used to form qubits. Nitrogen-vacancy colour centres are widely…

Phontonics

Photonic

Light is the first system where humans observed quantum phenomena and remains in many ways the best understood. Conventionally driven investment in silicon photonics has now transformed our ability to engineer light in compact devices. Photons are naturally immune to many conventional forms of noise and most operations can already be completed with very high…