How the quantum systems accelerator set a shared direction in electronic controls for quantum computing

Quantum computing is a fast-growing field, but there is still a significant need in research and development to deliver on the promise of quantum advantage. The NISQ era (otherwise known as the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum era) describes the field’s current state. With imperfect hardware, the stability of quantum processors and the coherence time of qubits (the length of time that information survives) is still relatively short-lived. Errors and decoherence decrease the system’s ability to perform useful computations. Thus, a key challenge is manipulating the quantum states of a growing number of qubits with precision and synchronicity on such short timescales.

The Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA) has developed a technology roadmap of electronics controls. Electronic controls are the hardware and firmware that control and measure qubits through signals and pulses. By looking at the specifications of control systems that will be required across QSA’s computational platforms, the roadmapping exercise brought together leading experts from member institutions to establish common goals. It also served as an opportunity for researchers to share lessons learned about each platform and map out specialized solutions. QSA will share a follow-up article based on this roadmap which, once published, will help guide industry’s efforts in bringing advanced technologies to market.

Hear from Lincoln Laboratory's Mollie Schwartz, a QSA Thrust Lead, and others about their research leading to the electronics roadmap.