Quantum processors of the future to be propelled by a 10-fold larger atom array, developed by Chinese scientific researchers.
A groundbreaking achievement in the realm of quantum computing has been made by a team of researchers led by physicist Pan Jianwei at the University of Science and Technology of China. They have developed a perfect array of 2,024 rubidium atoms for quantum computing in just 60 milliseconds, using an artificial intelligence (AI) system combined with optical tweezers [1][3][5].
The AI-driven Control and Optical Tweezers
The team devised an AI system that efficiently orchestrated the arrangement of each rubidium atom into a perfect pattern. This system drastically sped up the positioning process compared to previous manual or sequential methods [1][3]. They employed focused laser beams known as optical tweezers to hold and manipulate the neutral rubidium atoms, allowing for precise control of individual atoms’ positions and energy states [1][3].
Simultaneous Arranging for Scalable Quantum Computing
Rather than moving atoms one-by-one, the AI and optical tweezers controlled all atoms simultaneously, completing the large array in just 60 milliseconds (60,000th of a second). This breakthrough in scaling atom-based quantum computers, which had been limited to arrays of a few hundred atoms until now, is a significant step towards practical quantum computing [1][3].
High Accuracy and Efficiency
The system achieved near-perfect qubit operation fidelities—99.97% for single-qubit and 99.5% for two-qubit operations, along with 99.92% accuracy in qubit state detection [1]. These high-fidelity operations and exceptional qubit scalability make this approach reliable for practical quantum computing.
The Future of Quantum Computing
This innovation means atom-based quantum computing can scale far beyond prior limits, potentially enabling quantum computers with tens of thousands of qubits in the future by using stronger lasers and faster light modulators [1][3]. The combination of AI algorithms with advanced optical manipulation was critical to this rapid and precise achievement.
The team claims that this breakthrough could one day be scaled to tens of thousands of tiny building blocks [1]. The system was also able to detect the state of qubits with an accuracy of 99.92 per cent [1]. They introduced a metric of quantum circuit iteration rate (qCIR) and employed normalized quantum Fisher information to characterize the system's overall performance [1].
The study, led by physicist Pan Jianwei and researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, is hailed as a significant leap forward in computational efficiency [1][3]. Scientists in China have developed the largest array of atoms for quantum computing, capable of creating arrays 10 times larger than previous systems [1][3]. The new AI system operates in real time to shift every atom in the array simultaneously [1][3].
References:
[1] South China Morning Post. (2022, February 16). Chinese scientists create world's largest array of atoms for quantum computing. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3164111/chinese-scientists-create-worlds-largest-array-atoms-quantum
[3] Physical Review Letters. (2022, February 16). Rapid and Precise Arrangement of Neutral Atom Quantum Processors Using AI-Driven Control and Optical Tweezers. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.060502
[5] Science Daily. (2022, February 16). Chinese scientists create world's largest array of atoms for quantum computing. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220216120809.htm
The AI system efficiently orchestrates the arrangement of all atoms simultaneously for a perfect pattern, significantly speeding up the positioning process [1]. This breakthrough in scaling atom-based quantum computers, using an AI system combined with optical tweezers, has the potential to create quantum computers with tens of thousands of qubits in the future [1].
