Semiconductor spin qubits are an attractive quantum computing platform that offers long qubit coherence times and compatibility with existing semiconductor fabrication technology for scale-up. Here, we propose a spin-qubit architecture based on spinless multielectron quantum dots that act as low-crosstalk couplers between a two-dimensional arrangement of spin qubits in a hexagonal lattice. The multielectron couplers are controlled by voltage signals, which mediate fast Heisenberg exchange and thus enable coherent multiqubit operations. For the proposed architecture, we discuss the implementation of the rotated XZZX surface code and numerically study its performance for a circuit-level noise model. We predict a threshold of 0.18 % for the error rate of the entangling gates. We further evaluate the scalability of the proposed architecture and predict the need for 4480 physical qubits per logical qubit with logical error rates of 10 − 12 considering entangling gate fidelities of 99.99 % , resulting in a chip size of 2.6 cm 2 to host 10 000 logical qubits.
Semiconductor spin qubits are an attractive quantum computing platform that offers long qubit coherence times and compatibility with existing semiconductor fabrication technology for scale-up. Here, we propose a spin-qubit architecture based on spinless multielectron quantum dots that act as low-crosstalk couplers between a two-dimensional arrangement of spin qubits in a hexagonal lattice. The multielectron couplers are controlled by voltage signals, which mediate fast Heisenberg exchange and thus enable coherent multiqubit operations. For the proposed architecture, we discuss the implementation of the rotated XZZX surface code and numerically study its performance for a circuit-level noise model. We predict a threshold of 0.18 % for the error rate of the entangling gates. We further evaluate the scalability of the proposed architecture and predict the need for 4480 physical qubits per logical qubit with logical error rates of 10 − 12 considering entangling gate fidelities of 99.99 % , resulting in a chip size of 2.6 cm 2 to host 10 000 logical qubits.
Scalable quantum processors require tunable two-qubit gates that are fast, coherent and long-range. The Heisenberg exchange interaction offers fast and coherent couplings for spin qubits, but is intrinsically short-ranged. Here, we demonstrate that its range can be increased by employing a multielectron quantum dot as a mediator, while preserving speed and coherence of the resulting spin-spin coupling. We do this by placing a large quantum dot with 50-100 electrons between a pair of two-electron double quantum dots that can be operated and measured simultaneously. Two-spin correlations identify coherent spin-exchange processes across the multielectron quantum dot. We further show that different physical regimes of the mediated exchange interaction allow a reduced susceptibility to charge noise at sweet spots, as well as positive and negative coupling strengths up to several gigahertz. These properties make multielectron dots attractive as scalable, voltage-controlled coherent coupling elements.
The growing interest in quantum computers has triggered various approaches for the realization of a large-scale quantum processor that can eventually outperform classical high-performance computers. Quantum computers are attracting increasing attention for their potential to enormously accelerate the simulation of quantum systems and the solution of optimization problems, promising an immense impact, particularly in fields such as chemistry, medicine, and cybersecurity. Although it is still a long way to a practical quantum device, the progress over the last decades has shown encouraging results for a so far limited number of quantum bits, or qubits for short, which represent the computational units of the processor. One promising platform for the implementation of qubits is the spin of charge carriers in semiconductor quantum dots. Especially the use of purified silicon as a host material has significantly improved the performance of quantum operations. Advanced fabrication techniques from the established semiconductor industry in principle allow for the manufacturing of a large number of qubits on a small chip, making them specifically competitive from the perspective of scalability. In this thesis, we investigate challenges for electron spin qubits, particularly in the context of scaling to large qubit arrays for quantum computation. We evaluate the performance of quantum gates, present error mitigation strategies, and propose new quantum operations for two particular spin qubit implementations. In a dense array of Loss-DiVincenzo spin qubits on a chip, quantum information can be electrically controlled by microwave pulses. For neighboring qubits, capacitive couplings of nearby electrodes lead to crosstalk that affects the quantum computation. The first examination in this thesis addresses the effect of crosstalk on idling and operating spin qubits due to an interfering microwave drive. After the analysis and characterization of the performance, we suggest mitigation protocols for different constellations of important quantum gates, which can be easily implemented experimentally. We further show how to reduce crosstalk in a two-qubit gate using an asymmetric driving scheme, resulting in an enormous improvement of the gate performance, and may be used to generally overcome the obstacle of crosstalk. An additional source of errors in spin qubit registers originates from the finite residual exchange interaction between neighboring qubits. It arises due to a finite overlap of the electron wave functions and is caused by the limited speed at which the applied voltages can be controlled. We evaluate the fidelity of doing quantum operations under these circumstances with a varying number of neighboring qubits and present robust mitigation schemes with a decent performance also in the presence of noise. Besides crosstalk, another crucial observation in experiments using microwaves is the heating caused by the delivery of high-power radio frequency pulses to the quantum chip and results in a change of the qubit properties. We therefore investigate the impact of phonons on the energy levels in spin qubits to identify a temperature-dependent correction to the qubit state splitting. As microwave pulses are associated with potential errors, exchange-only qubits represent a promising alternative to achieve universal quantum computation only using baseband control. Therefore, we shift our focus towards exchange-only qubits and outline the main error sources in these systems, including residual exchange interactions between spins, charge noise from the applied voltages, and magnetic fluctuations in the material. A consequential complication of this implementation is that the quantum information can leak out of the qubit states. This effect, however, can be reduced in the presence of a finite magnetic field, as we will demonstrate in this thesis. The gate construction for exchange-only qubits usually requires more pulse steps than in the previous qubit type. Nevertheless, if exchange interactions are switched on simultaneously, this can result in faster quantum gates, as we demonstrate in this thesis. Especially the discovery of a quantum operation that introduces relative phases between computational and leakage states can be of interest for the construction of two-qubit gates and will be discussed in an example for a special operation space.
The Heisenberg exchange interaction between neighboring quantum dots allows precise voltage control over spin dynamics, due to the ability to precisely control the overlap of orbital wavefunctions by gate electrodes. This allows the study of fundamental electronic phenomena and finds applications in quantum information processing. Although spin-based quantum circuits based on short-range exchange interactions are possible, the development of scalable, longer-range coupling schemes constitutes a critical challenge within the spin-qubit community. Approaches based on capacitative coupling and cavity-mediated interactions effectively couple spin qubits to the charge degree of freedom, making them susceptible to electrically-induced decoherence. The alternative is to extend the range of the Heisenberg exchange interaction by means of a quantum mediator. Here, we show that a multielectron quantum dot with 50-100 electrons serves as an excellent mediator, preserving speed and coherence of the resulting spin-spin coupling while providing several functionalities that are of practical importance. These include speed (mediated two-qubit rates up to several gigahertz), distance (of order of a micrometer), voltage control, possibility of sweet spot operation (reducing susceptibility to charge noise), and reversal of the interaction sign (useful for dynamical decoupling from noise).
Quantum processor architectures must enable scaling to large qubit numbers while providing two-dimensional qubit connectivity and exquisite operation fidelities. For microwave-controlled semiconductor spin qubits, dense arrays have made considerable progress, but are still limited in size by wiring fan-out and exhibit significant crosstalk between qubits. To overcome these limitations, we introduce the SpinBus architecture, which uses electron shuttling to connect qubits and features low operating frequencies and enhanced qubit coherence. Device simulations for all relevant operations in the Si/SiGe platform validate the feasibility with established semiconductor patterning technology and operation fidelities exceeding 99.9%. Control using room temperature instruments can plausibly support at least 144 qubits, but much larger numbers are conceivable with cryogenic control circuits. Building on the theoretical feasibility of high-fidelity spin-coherent electron shuttling as key enabling factor, the SpinBus architecture may be the basis for a spin-based quantum processor that meets the scalability requirements for practical quantum computing.
Quantum processor architectures must enable scaling to large qubit numbers while providing two-dimensional qubit connectivity and exquisite operation fidelities. For microwave-controlled semiconductor spin qubits, dense arrays have made considerable progress, but are still limited in size by wiring fan-out and exhibit significant crosstalk between qubits. To overcome these limitations, we introduce the SpinBus architecture, which uses electron shuttling to connect qubits and features low operating frequencies and enhanced qubit coherence. Device simulations for all relevant operations in the Si/SiGe platform validate the feasibility with established semiconductor patterning technology and operation fidelities exceeding 99.9 %. Control using room temperature instruments can plausibly support at least 144 qubits, but much larger numbers are conceivable with cryogenic control circuits. Building on the theoretical feasibility of high-fidelity spin-coherent electron shuttling as key enabling factor, the SpinBus architecture may be the basis for a spin-based quantum processor that meets the scalability requirements for practical quantum computing.
Superconducting resonator couplers will likely become an essential component in modular semiconductor quantum dot (QD) spin qubit processors, as they help alleviate crosstalk and wiring issues as the number of qubits increases. Here, we focus on a three-qubit system composed of two modules: a two-electron triple QD resonator coupled to a single-electron double QD. Using a combination of analytical techniques and numerical results, we derive an effective Hamiltonian that describes the three-qubit logical subspace and show that it accurately captures the dynamics of the system. We examine the performance of short-range and long-range entangling gates, revealing the effect of a spectator qubit in reducing the gate fidelities in both cases. We further study the competition between nonadiabatic errors and spectator-associated errors in short-range operations and quantify their relative importance across practical parameter ranges for short and long gate times. We also analyze the impact of charge noise together with residual coupling to the spectator qubit on intermodule entangling gates and find that for current experimental settings, leakage errors are the main source of infidelities in these operations. Our results help pave the way toward identifying optimal modular QD architectures for quantum information processing on semiconductor chips. Published by the American Physical Society 2024