MIT showcases quantum chip communication without physical contact

MIT's new chip enables entanglement of quantum processors sans contact.

: MIT researchers developed a quantum interconnect that allows superconducting processors to communicate without a middleman, using microwave photons. This innovation employs a superconducting waveguide to facilitate photon exchange between quantum modules, each containing four qubits. A novel process of stopping photon emission midway leads to remote entanglement, achieving a 60% success rate. The research promises scalable quantum computers and was funded by key organizations including the Army Research Office.

MIT researchers have made significant advancements in quantum computing by developing a new interconnect device that enables communication between quantum processors without a physical link. Traditionally, quantum computing requires 'point-to-point' connections, which increase error risks with each data transfer. The MIT team, however, has created a system that allows for direct communication using microwave photons, a development that could allow for more scalable and error-resistant quantum supercomputers.

A critical component of this advancement is a superconducting wire, referred to as a waveguide, which operates as a 'quantum highway' where photons can rapidly travel between connected quantum modules. Each module houses four qubits which are responsible for converting photons into usable quantum data. This setup facilitates remote entanglement, a quantum phenomenon where two distanced particles correlate their states instantly. This allows the qubits to function cohesively, unlocking computational capabilities beyond current limitations.

For creating entanglement, MIT developed a unique technique that halts photon emission midway, placing the quantum system in a peculiar state where a photon is both emitted and retained. When this 'half-emitted' photon reaches the other module, entanglement is achieved despite the lack of a physical connector. However, capturing these photons is challenging due to potential distortion during travel. MIT tackled this by training algorithms to modify the photon's shape for optimal absorption, resulting in successful entanglements 60% of the time.

The model mirrors Oxford's approach, which employs ion traps for a slightly better entanglement rate of 70%. This pioneering work supports all-to-all connectivity, permitting any subset of processors to communicate directly. Such a scalable architecture underpins potential enhancements such as faster data protocol or multi-dimensional integration, which could increase communication efficacy further.

Aziza Almanakly, a graduate student involved in the research, emphasized the protocol's wide applicability, suggesting it could be adapted to various quantum computing platforms and larger quantum internet architectures. This groundbreaking study, funded by entities like the Army Research Office and AWS Center for Quantum Computing, was published in Nature Physics.

Sources: TechSpot, Nature Physics, MIT News

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