Research conducted by Princeton University physicists is paving the way for the use of silicon-based technologies in quantum computing, especially as quantum bits—the basic units of quantum computers. This research promises to accelerate the use of silicon technology as a viable alternative to other quantum computing technologies, such as superconductors or trapped ions.
In research published in the journal Science Advances, Princeton physicists used a two-qubit silicon quantum device to achieve an unprecedented level of fidelity. At above 99 percent, this is the highest fidelity thus far achieved for a two-qubit gate in a semiconductor and is on par with the best results achieved by competing technologies. Fidelity, which is a measure of a qubit's ability to perform error-free operations, is a key feature in the quest to develop practical and efficient quantum computing.
Researchers around the world are trying to figure out which technologies—such as superconducting qubits, trapped ions or silicon spin qubits, for example—can best be employed as the basic units of quantum computing. And, equally significant, researchers are exploring which technologies will have the ability to scale up most efficiently for commercial use.
"Silicon spin qubits are gaining momentum [in the field]," said Adam Mills, a graduate student in the Department of Physics at Princeton University and the lead author of the recently published study. "It's looking like a big year for silicon overall."
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