Quantum Processor to Support Operation at Cryogenic Temps

A collaborative project led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid-State Physics IAF will develop a compact, scalable quantum computer processor — based on spin photons in synthetic diamond — that can be connected to classical computers. The €16.1 million ($17.6 million) project, called SPINNING (diamond spin-photon-based quantum computer), is funded by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is set to last three years.

The project includes the participation of 28 experts from academia and industry. The team seeks to develop a demonstrator that delivers low error rates and reliable operation at cryogenic temperatures, so that the demonstrator can be used adjacent to classical computer systems.

The quantum processor being developed via the SPINNING project is capable of operating with low cooling requirements, allowing it to be implemented in close proximity to classical computer systems and opening the door for scalable and hybrid computer architectures. Courtesy of James Thew, stock.adobe.com.

“One of the goals of our work is to ensure reliable operation of such an innovative quantum computer, and to create a periphery to make the computing power available to a broad group of users, for example via cloud computing,” said Rüdiger Quay, project coordinator and executive director of Fraunhofer IAF.

To develop the quantum processor with spin qubits made of synthetic diamonds, nitrogen atoms are specifically implanted in the diamond lattice. These atoms act as computer nodes between quantum properties that are transmitted by light, laying the foundation for later scaling. The quantum processor will initially be able to compute with 10 qubits, and subsequently with 100 and more, and would thus be able to predict the products of complex quantum chemical reactions.

The Fraunhofer IAF-led consortium that is developing the processor consists of six universities, two nonprofit research institutions, five industrial companies, and 14 associated partners (10 of which are companies).