(RDMag) In another major step towards a universal quantum computer, UNSW researchers at the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) have shown for the first time that they can build atomic precision qubits in a 3D device.
Led by 2018 Australian of the Year and director of CQC2T Professor Michelle Simmons, the team has demonstrated that they can extend their atomic qubit fabrication technique to multiple layers of a silicon crystal. The group becomes the first to demonstrate the feasibility of an architecture that uses atomic-scale qubits aligned to control lines—which are essentially very narrow wires—inside a 3D design.
“This 3D device architecture is a significant advancement for atomic qubits in silicon,” says Simmons. “To be able to constantly correct for errors in quantum calculations—an important milestone in our field—you have to be able to control many qubits in parallel.”