The partnership seeks to develop the next generation of photonic qubits.
Quantum computing company Xanadu has partnered with nanoelectronics research center Imec to develop photonic qubits on ultra-low loss silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides.
Who is Xanadu?
Xanadu is a Canadian company with a mission to “build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere.” The company develops photonic chips for near-term quantum computers. Photonics are used because of their scalability, so the work being done today can be a step toward large-scale quantum computers. The systems can be run at room temperature conditions and work well with current telecommunications infrastructure, sometimes even fitting in standard server racks at current data sensors.
Xanadu’s X-series chips are built from silicon and silicon nitride with three major components. Squeezers give input to the computer, interferometers act as the logical gates, and photon detectors measure the chip’s output.
X-series chips use lasers and generate what the company refers to as a squeezed state instead of the traditional quantum qubit. The interferometer is made up of beam splitters and phase shifters, and programs the squeeze states by supplying varied electrical voltages to the components based on user input. While moving through the interferometer, the quantum information is entangled and can be read by the transition edge sensors in the photon detector. The output becomes an integer array that can be read by the user.
Imec Wants to Shape the Future
Imec refers to itself as a research and development hub for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The company is working toward a “prosperous and sustainable future for us all.” Three pillars of research and development exist at Imec: a large infrastructure, highly talented scientists, and a network of partner institutions. These pillars are used to drive change in the semiconductor field, and create disruptive integrated systems in the electronics and digital industries.
Some of Imec’s most interesting projects are portable DNA sequencers, technology that produces renewable hydrogen energy and consumes carbon dioxide at the (relatively) same time, and transmitter chips that act as the building block for smart factories with enhanced robot-human interactions.
What Can Xanadu and Imec Do Together?
When a quantum computing company gets together with a nanoelectronics innovation center, we expect big things to happen. Or at least big ideas and large innovation on a small, small scale. Xanadu and Imec announced a partnership formed around creating photonic qubits that use silicon nitride waveguides.
Xanadu and its squeezed state system see a big benefit to using silicon nitride wafers instead of the traditional single photon method of synthesizing qubits. Squeezed states that are arrayed into Xanadu’s chip architecture using Imec’s silicon nitride components hope to push forward to a fault-tolerant quantum computing future.
At first glance this feels like a smart partnership with the possibility of promising results. Taking a company that is making quantum computing innovation news on a monthly basis, and putting that company with a research and transformative information center that also manufactures its own components—that’s a great match.
“We are pleased to partner with Xanadu, one of the most exciting companies working in the quantum computing space,” said Philippe Helin, specialty components program manager at Imec.
“Xanadu’s mission to build photonic quantum computers matches perfectly with Imec’s track record of and commitment to pushing the leading edge of integrated technologies,” added Haris Osman, Ipec’s VP R&D.
“Xanadu’s ultimate mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere. To do this we have the ambitious goal of reaching one million qubits using photonics. Working with Imec will help us build the right foundation based on fault tolerance and error-correctable qubits,” said Christian Weedbrook, Xanadu Founder and CEO. “One of the best parts of working with Imec is their agility and ability to scale production on new platforms by transferring them to top production foundries around the world.”
