Neutral atom quantum computer for UK testbed
QuEra Computing is to supply a neutral atom quantum computer to the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC)
The initial neutral atom quantum computer testbed in the UK will build on qubit shuttling, using logical qubits to detect and correct errors inherent to quantum calculations. This qubit shuttling, which enables qubits to move while preserving their quantum state and allows for the entanglement of nearby qubits. Until now, this was a major barrier to achieving scalable, practical quantum computers and ultimately achieving quantum advantage.
As a result, the UK will be home to the first qubit shuttling and error correction testbed in the world. QuEra will begin work on its testbed for the NQCC soon and expects it to be operational in early 2025.
The testbed will have the ability to coherently shuttle groups of atoms, which sets the stage for experimentation with logical qubits. Logical qubits are an ensemble of entangled individual physical qubits, allowing errors in individual physical qubits to be detected and corrected. As a result, researchers and industry partners can experiment with cutting-edge algorithms that use these advanced capabilities.
A critical enabler of this system is the ability to dynamically reconfigure atoms in the processor using movable optical tweezers, introducing all-to-all gate connectivity. Like the system developed by Pasqal in France, this provides programmability at scale with just a few local optical controls, and enables a variety of optimised zoned-architectures.
The testbed will also introduce mid-circuit measurement to allow for conditional operations and executions based on intermediate results, setting the stage for future improvements such as the ability to correct errors or make dynamic adjustments to ongoing computations.
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”The UK will be the first to experiment with technology set to pave the way for a new era of quantum computing,” said Alex Keesling, CEO of QuEra Computing which is based in Boston and is built on pioneering research from Harvard and MIT.
“To be truly useful, quantum computers need to be built at scale, with modest operating requirements and, crucially, they need to be fault-tolerant. We have proven the ability of logical qubits to solve the issue of high error rates, and neutral-atom processors are the leading candidate to surpass the 100 logical qubit scale within the next few years. The UKRI and NQCC had the foresight to recognise this approach and its potential. As a result, the UK will gain a significant first-mover advantage and the chance to boost and prepare its quantum industries for the future.”
QuEra will introduce several key innovations into the testbed at NQCC. A zoned architecture is the quantum equivalent of a classical Von-Neumann architecture. This will provide developers with the opportunity to explore and optimize the architecture. It will also enable vendors to refine hardware that is essential to the supply chain for neutral atom processors. These processors are currently viewed as a leading solution for developing scalable, fault-tolerant computers.
This deployment will accelerate the cross-pollination between companies in the UK/EU quantum ecosystem, help develop the UK quantum workforce, set new performance standards, and make key advances towards fulfilling the UK national quantum computing strategy.
Quera already operates a 256qubit neutral atom quantum computer in the US, available over a major public cloud and for on-premises delivery and is developing large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
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