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npj Quantum Information

Realizing all-to-all couplings among detachable quantum modules using a microwave quantum state router

Chao Zhou, Pinlei Lu, Matthieu Praquin, Tzu-Chiao Chien, Ryan Kaufman, Xi Cao, Mingkang Xia, Roger S. K. Mong, Wolfgang Pfaff, David Pekker, Michael Hatridge

Published Jun 6, 2023• 49 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract One of the primary challenges in realizing large-scale quantum processors is the realization of qubit couplings that balance interaction strength, connectivity, and mode confinement. Moreover, it is very desirable for the device elements to be detachable, allowing components to be built, tested, and replaced independently. In this work, we present a microwave quantum state router, centered on parametrically driven, Josephson-junction based three-wave mixing, that realizes all-to-all couplings among four detachable quantum modules. We demonstrate coherent exchange among all four communication modes, with an average full- i SWAP time of 764 ns and average inferred inter-module exchange fidelity of 0.969, limited by mode coherence. We also demonstrate photon transfer and pairwise entanglement between module qubits, and parallel operation of simultaneous i SWAP exchange across the router. Our router-module architecture serves as a prototype of modular quantum computer that has great potential for enabling flexible, demountable, large-scale quantum networks of superconducting qubits and cavities.

DOI
10.1038/s41534-023-00723-7

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Abstract One of the primary challenges in realizing large-scale quantum processors is the realization of qubit couplings that balance interaction strength, connectivity, and mode confinement. Moreover, it is very desirable for the device elements to be detachable, allowing components to be built, tested, and replaced independently. In this work, we present a microwave quantum state router, centered on parametrically driven, Josephson-junction based three-wave mixing, that realizes all-to-all couplings among four detachable quantum modules. We demonstrate coherent exchange among all four communication modes, with an average full- i SWAP time of 764 ns and average inferred inter-module exchange fidelity of 0.969, limited by mode coherence. We also demonstrate photon transfer and pairwise entanglement between module qubits, and parallel operation of simultaneous i SWAP exchange across the router. Our router-module architecture serves as a prototype of modular quantum computer that has great potential for enabling flexible, demountable, large-scale quantum networks of superconducting qubits and cavities.
Abstract A central challenge for realizing large-scale quantum processors is the design and realization of qubit-qubit connections: we must be able to perform efficient gates between qubits, yet prevent connections from spoiling qubit quality or prohibiting "debugging" the system. In this work, we present a microwave quantum state router that realizes all-to-all couplings among four independent and detachable quantum modules of superconducting qubits. Each module consists of a single transmon, readout mode, and communication mode coupled to the router. The router design centers on a parametrically driven, Josephson-junction based three-wave mixing element which generates photon exchange among the modules' communication modes. We first demonstrate coherent photon exchange among four communication modes, with an average full-iSWAP time of 760 ns and average inter-module gate fidelity of 0.97, limited by our modes' coherence times. We also demonstrate photon transfer and pairwise entanglement between the modules' qubits, and parallel operation of simultaneous iSWAP across the router. The gates demonstrated here can readily be extended to faster and higher-fidelity router operations, as well as scaled to support larger networks of quantum modules.
Superconducting qubits provide a promising approach to large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing. However, qubit connectivity on a planar surface is typically restricted to only a few neighboring qubits. Achieving longer-range and more flexible connectivity, which is particularly appealing in light of recent developments in error-correcting codes, however, usually involves complex multilayer packaging and external cabling, which is resource intensive and can impose fidelity limitations. Here, we propose and realize a high-speed on-chip quantum processor that supports reconfigurable all-to-all coupling with a large on-off ratio. We implement the design in a four-node quantum processor, built with a modular design comprising a wiring substrate coupled to two separate qubit-bearing substrates, each including two single-qubit nodes. We use this device to demonstrate reconfigurable controlled- Z gates across all qubit pairs, with a benchmarked average fidelity of 96.00 % ± 0.08 % and best fidelity of 97.14 % ± 0.07 % , limited mainly by dephasing in the qubits. We also generate multiqubit entanglement, distributed across the separate modules, demonstrating GHZ-3 and GHZ-4 states with fidelities of 88.15 % ± 0.24 % and 75.18 % ± 0.11 % , respectively. This approach promises efficient scaling to larger-scale quantum circuits and offers a pathway for implementing quantum algorithms and error-correction schemes that benefit from enhanced qubit connectivity. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Scaling superconducting quantum processors requires interconnects that provide both non-local connectivity and parallel entangling operations. While current quantum routers offer greater connectivity than nearest-neighbour topologies, their support for parallel, independently addressable two-qubit gates remains fundamentally limited, imposing severe compilation overheads that constitute a critical bottleneck. Here we introduce a bus-based reconfigurable quantum router that enables parallel controlled-ZZZ (CZ) gates for modular superconducting processors. Constructed from a flux-tunable SQUID network, the router selectively connects interface qubits to two shared buses, allowing destructive interference to suppress idle interactions while supporting two disjoint CZ gates in parallel. Full-system Hamiltonian simulations yield parallel-gate infidelities ranging from 7.9×10−47.9\times10^{-4}7.9×10−4 to 1.8×10−31.8\times10^{-3}1.8×10−3 under the operating conditions considered, and an open-system analysis identifies the coherence requirements for high-fidelity operation. We further assess the circuit-level consequences using hardware-aware compilation and resource-constrained scheduling. For the 36-qubit quantum Fourier transform (QFT), QAOA-MaxCut, and random-pairing circuits, the router reduces the median SWAP count by up to 34%34\%34% and the native CZ count by up to 20%20\%20% relative to a matched two-dimensional grid. Circuit-depth reductions are workload-dependent, reaching 20%20\%20% for QAOA-MaxCut but remaining negligible for the QFT despite its lower gate count. These results show that enhanced connectivity and schedulable parallelism provide complementary benefits for connectivity-intensive algorithms, establishing the router as a compiler-visible hardware resource and providing a scalable architectural pathway toward constructing highly connected modular superconducting quantum processors.
Abstract Assembling future large-scale quantum computers out of smaller, specialized modules promises to simplify a number of formidable science and engineering challenges. One of the primary challenges in developing a modular architecture is in engineering high fidelity, low-latency quantum interconnects between modules. Here we demonstrate a modular solid state architecture with deterministic inter-module coupling between four physically separate, interchangeable superconducting qubit integrated circuits, achieving two-qubit gate fidelities as high as 99.1 ± 0.5% and 98.3 ± 0.3% for iSWAP and CZ entangling gates, respectively. The quality of the inter-module entanglement is further confirmed by a demonstration of Bell-inequality violation for disjoint pairs of entangled qubits across the four separate silicon dies. Having proven out the fundamental building blocks, this work provides the technological foundations for a modular quantum processor: technology which will accelerate near-term experimental efforts and open up new paths to the fault-tolerant era for solid state qubit architectures.
Abstract Three-dimensional integration technologies such as flip-chip bonding are a key prerequisite to realize large-scale superconducting quantum processors. Modular architectures, in which circuit elements are spread over multiple chips, can further improve scalability and performance by enabling the integration of elements with different substrates or fabrication processes, by increasing the fabrication yield of completed devices, and by physically separating the qubits onto distinct modules to avoid correlated errors mediated by a common substrate. We present a design for a multi-chip module comprising one carrier chip and four qubit modules. Measuring two of the qubits, we analyze the readout performance, finding a mean three-level state-assignment error of 9×10−39 \times 10^{-3}9×10−3 9 × 10 − 3 in 200 ns. We calibrate single-qubit gates and measure a mean simultaneous randomized benchmarking error of 6×10−46 \times 10^{-4}6×10−4 6 × 10 − 4 , consistent with the coherence times of the qubits. Using a wiring-efficient static inter-module coupler featuring galvanic inter-chip transitions, we demonstrate a controlled-Z two-qubit gate in 100 ns with an error of 7×10−37 \times 10^{-3}7×10−3 7 × 10 − 3 extracted from interleaved randomized benchmarking. Three-dimensional integration, as presented here, will continue to contribute to improving the performance of gates and readout as well as increasing the qubit count in future superconducting quantum processors.
Modular quantum architecture requires long-distance quantum interconnects to stitch together individual processor modules. Such interconnects, long-distance couplers or L-couplers, must support coherent quantum operation over meter-scale distances and scale to multiple connections between any two modules. Here we demonstrate four L-couplers operating between two 120-qubit IBM Nighthawk R1 superconducting qubit processors. Each L-coupler joins two Nighthawk lattice qubits through two frequency-tunable L-qubits, two RF-SQUID based "i2m" couplers, and 80 cm of superconducting aluminum coax. Each cable installs perpendicular to the processor surface, to enable denser connections, and is joined to the chip by an indium-to-indium room temperature pressure bond made after both modules were mounted. L-coupler modes near 5 GHz, with internal quality factors of 0.86 to 1.09e6, carry relay-based state transfer at a mean network benchmarking fidelity of 99.00%, with a best link of 99.29 +/- 0.07%. We then realize distant CZ gates between lattice qubits in separate modules at a mean fidelity of 94.75%, with a best link of 96.42 +/- 0.28%, and use them to generate entangled states across the two processors, including a demonstration of simultaneous Bell pair generation using two adjacent L-couplers. These four high-fidelity L-couplers establish a practical path to scalable quantum interconnects for modular quantum computing.