Horse Ridge, Intel unveils cryogenic control chip for quantum computers

Intel Labs unveiled “Horse Ridge“, A unique cryogenic control chip. According to the Santa Clara house, the chip it will speed up the development of quantum computers. Horse Ridge feature is the ability to check multiple quantum bits (qubits) at the same time and provide a clear path to downsizing larger systems – a turn on the road to making quantum technology practical.

Developed together with QuTech researchers, a partnership between TU Delft and TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), Horse Ridge is manufactured using Intel's 22-nanometer FinFET process. This is expected to dramatically accelerate Intel's ability to design, test and optimize a commercial quantum computer.

“Although there has been a lot of emphasis on qubits, the ability to control many qubits at the same time has been a challenge for the industry“Said Intel director Jim Clarke regarding quantum hardware. Intel recognized that quantum controls were an essential piece of the puzzle that we had to solve to develop a large-scale commercial quantum system. That's why we are investing in the correction of quantum error and controls. With Horse Ridge, Intel has developed a scalable control system that will allow us to significantly accelerate testing and realize the potential of quantum computing. “

By developing quantum processors, Intel has identified a big bottleneck towards the realization of the quantum calculation on a commercial scale: interconnections and control electronics. Horse Ridge was born precisely to eliminate the problem. Radically simplifying the control electronics required to operate a quantum system, the new chip of Intel replaces bulky instrumentation with a highly integrated SoC, thus simplifying the design and size of quantum computers.

In more detail Horse Ridge brings the control of qubits “into the quantum refrigerator, that is, as close as possible to the qubits themselves. This really reduces complexity, from hundreds of control cables to a single unified package. ” Designed to act as an RF (radio frequency) processor to control the qubits that operate in the refrigerator, Horse Ridge is programmed with instructions that correspond to basic qubit operations. The chip translates these instructions into electromagnetic microwaves which can manipulate the state of the qubits.

Horse Ridge was designed to operate at cryogenic temperatures, around 4 degrees Kelvin (-269 ° C), close to absolute zero. “This milestone is particularly exciting as Intel progresses in its research on silicon spin qubits, which have the potential to operate at slightly higher temperatures than current quantum systems,” stresses the company.

Today, a quantum computer operates in the millikelvin range – only a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. But silicon spin qubits have properties that could allow them to operate at 1 Kelvin or higher temperatures, which would drastically reduce the challenges inherent in cooling the quantum system.

Intel aims to make cryogenic controls and spin qubits work at the same temperature level in order to create more advanced and compact solutions.