Intel announces new 12-qubit quantum research chip

Recently, Intel announced its latest advance in quantum computing by introducing a groundbreaking technology. Tunnel Falls, the company’s first qubit quantum chip to use silicon spin. This is an important milestone in the company’s ongoing efforts to improve quantum computing.

While some specific data on performance metrics and chip topology are limited, the academic community has a chance to explore this technology and accelerate research and development efforts.

By supplying Tünel Falls to academic institutions, the company allows researchers to focus on experiments and research in the field of quantum computing.

Intel is collaborating with the Qubit Collaboratory (LQC) at the University of Maryland as part of the Qubits for Computing Foundry (QCF) program facilitated by the US Army Research Office.

By providing research labs with a state-of-the-art quantum chip, researchers will gain valuable hands-on experience working with scaled arrays of these qubits, advancing workforce development and opening up new possibilities for quantum research.

Tunnel Waterfalls are made on 300 mm wafers at the D1 production facility. Leveraging advanced techniques such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) and gate and contact processing, the 12-qubit device demonstrates Intel’s latest transistor fabrication capabilities.

In silicon spin qubits, information is encoded in the spin of a single electron (0/1). Each qubit device acts as a single electron transistor, allowing it to use a process flow similar to Intel’s standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic processing.

Intel believes silicon spin qubits have an advantage over other qubit technologies because of their compatibility with high-end transistors. Since qubits are the size of a transistor, They are up to 1 million times smaller than other types of qubitsIt offers potential efficiency in scaling, measuring around 50 nanometers by 50 nanometers.

Looking to the future, Intel Upgrade Tunnel Falls and is already developing the next-generation quantum chip and plans to launch it in 2024. The company also wants to form partnerships with other research institutions around the world to support the growth of the quantum ecosystem.