HT TECH wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

Researchers develop novel thermometer to accelerate quantum computer development

The breakthrough provides a benchmarking tool for quantum computing of great value - and opens up for experiments in the exciting field of quantum thermodynamics.

By: ANI
Updated on: Mar 23 2021, 23:09 IST
Representational image. (Unsplash)
Representational image. (Unsplash)

During a new study, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, recently developed a novel type of thermometer that can simply and quickly measure temperatures during quantum calculations with extremely high accuracy.

The breakthrough provides a benchmarking tool for quantum computing of great value - and opens up for experiments in the exciting field of quantum thermodynamics.

You may be interested in

Mobiles Tablets Laptops
Google Pixel 8 Pro
  • Obsidian
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹106,998
Check details
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G
  • Green
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹104,999
Check details
Vivo X100 Pro 5G
  • Asteroid Black
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 512 GB Storage
₹89,999
Check details
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
  • Black
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹87,900
Check details
21% OFF
Acer Swift Go SFG14 41 NX KG3SI 002 Laptop
  • Pure Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹58,990₹74,999
Buy now
33% OFF
Acer Aspire 5 A515 57G Laptop
  • Gray
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹51,480₹76,800
Buy now
22% OFF
Acer Aspire 3 A315 24 NX KDESI 004 Laptop
  • Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹33,490₹42,999
Buy now
21% OFF
Asus VivoBook 15 X515JA BQ322WS Laptop
  • Transparent Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹30,990₹38,990
Buy now
33% OFF
Xiaomi Pad 6
  • Mist Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹26,999₹39,999
Buy now
55% OFF
Lenovo Tab M10 5G
  • Abyss Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹20,999₹47,000
Buy now
22% OFF
Realme Pad 2
  • Imagination Grey
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹19,599₹24,990
Buy now
Honor Pad X9
  • Gray
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹16,998
Check details

A key component in quantum computers are coaxial cables and waveguides - structures that guide waveforms and act as the vital connection between the quantum processor, and the classical electronics which control it. Microwave pulses travel along the waveguides to the quantum processor and are cooled down to extremely low temperatures along the way. The waveguide also attenuates and filters the pulses, enabling the extremely sensitive quantum computer to work with stable quantum states.

Also read: Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.

In order to have maximum control over this mechanism, the researchers need to be sure that these waveguides are not carrying noise due to the thermal motion of electrons on top of the pulses that they send. In other words, they have to measure the temperature of the electromagnetic fields at the cold end of the microwave waveguides, the point where the controlling pulses are delivered to the computer's qubits. Working at the lowest possible temperature minimizes the risk of introducing errors in the qubits.

Until now, researchers have only been able to measure this temperature indirectly, with relatively large delay. Now, with the Chalmers researchers' novel thermometer, very low temperatures can be measured directly at the receiving end of the waveguide - very accurately and with extremely high time resolution.

"Our thermometer is a superconducting circuit, directly connected to the end of the waveguide being measured. It is relatively simple - and probably the world's fastest and most sensitive thermometer for this particular purpose at the millikelvin scale", says Simone Gasparinetti, Assistant Professor at the Quantum Technology Laboratory, Chalmers University of Technology.

Important for measuring quantum computer performance

The researchers at the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology, WACQT, have the goal to build a quantum computer - based on superconducting circuits - with at least 100 well-functioning qubits, performing correct calculations by 2030. It requires a processor working temperature close to absolute zero, ideally down to 10 millikelvin. The new thermometer gives the researchers an important tool for measuring how good their systems are and what shortcomings exist - a necessary step to be able to refine the technology and achieve their goal.

"A certain temperature corresponds to a given number of thermal photons, and that number decreases exponentially with temperature. If we succeed in lowering the temperature at the end where the waveguide meets the qubit to 10 millikelvin, the risk of errors in our qubits is reduced drastically", says Per Delsing, Professor at the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, and leader of WACQT.

Accurate temperature measurement is also necessary for suppliers who need to be able to guarantee the quality of their components, for example, cables that are used to handle signals down to quantum states.

New opportunities in the field of quantum thermodynamics

Quantum mechanical phenomena such as superposition, entanglement and decoherence mean a revolution not only for future computing but potentially also in thermodynamics. It may well be that the thermodynamic laws somehow change when working down at the nanoscale, in a way that could one day be exploited to produce more powerful engines, faster-charging batteries, and more.

"For 15-20 years, people have studied how the laws of thermodynamics might be modified by quantum phenomena, but the search for a genuine quantum advantage in thermodynamics is still open", says Simone Gasparinetti, who recently started his own research group and plans to contribute to this search with a novel range of experiments.

The new thermometer can, for example, measure the scattering of thermal microwaves from a circuit acting as a quantum heat engine or refrigerator.

"Standard thermometers were fundamental for developing classical thermodynamics. We hope that maybe, in the future, our thermometer will be regarded as pivotal for developing quantum thermodynamics", says Marco Scigliuzzo, a doctoral student at the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology.

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on ,Twitter, Facebook, , and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 23 Mar, 23:09 IST

Sale

Mobiles Tablets Laptops
4% OFF
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
  • Titanium Black
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹129,999₹134,999
Buy now
13% OFF
Xiaomi 14
  • Matte Black
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 512 GB Storage
₹69,999₹79,999
Buy now
10% OFF
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
  • Black
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹72,200₹79,900
Buy now
12% OFF
IQOO 12 5G
  • Legend
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
₹52,999₹59,999
Buy now
35% OFF
Xiaomi Pad 6
  • Mist Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹25,925₹39,999
Buy now
38% OFF
Lenovo Tab M10 5G
  • Abyss Blue
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹20,999₹34,000
Buy now
38% OFF
Realme Pad 2
  • Imagination Grey
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
₹17,999₹28,999
Buy now
57% OFF
Honor Pad X8
  • Blue Hour
  • 3 GB RAM
  • 32 GB Storage
₹8,999₹20,999
Buy now
36% OFF
Infinix INBook X1 Pro Laptop
  • Black
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB SSD
₹44,990₹69,999
Buy now
29% OFF
Asus VivoBook 15 X515JA EJ522TS Laptop
  • Grey
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹44,689₹62,889
Buy now
34% OFF
Asus ROG Strix G17 G713QM K4215TS Laptop
  • Black
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 1 TB SSD
₹180,990₹272,990
Buy now
20% OFF
Dell Inspiron 15 5590 C583503WIN8 Laptop
  • Silver
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
₹68,500₹85,900
Buy now
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS