Taiwan research team develops advanced quantum computer device

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) A team at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) found a way to use microwave IC and TSMC 28 nanometer technology in the development of a low-temperature-control IC module, which can potentially reduce the size of a quantum computer by 40 percent.

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) on Wednesday made public some of the progress it has made with Academia Sinica and the Ministry of Economic Affairs since 2021, when the plan to jointly develop quantum technology was first launched.

The more quantum bits (qubits) a quantum computer possesses, the more information it can carry, so a quantum computing system can work better than a traditional computer when more qubits are allowed to function in the system.

Sheu Shyh-shyuan (許世玄), a division director at the ITRI's Institute of Electro-Optics and the head of a project on the key hardware of the quantum computer sub-systems, said at Wednesday's press conference that a quantum computer is equipped with a fridge and other devices and a crowd of cables for connections, which in combination can easily take up a whole room.

One qubit requires two to three cables, so if a 100-million-qubit system is to be realized someday in the future, that would mean 300 million cable lines, with the size of the control device and the system for cooling scaled up accordingly. As a result, power consumption would surge considerably, explained Hsu.

It is for this reason that "minimization" is a trend in quantum computing, Hsu said.

He added that his team utilized microwave IC design and TSMC's (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) 28-nm process technology, both of which are particular strengths of Taiwan, to develop low-temperature (4 kelvin, or minus 269 degree Celsius) control chips and modules to make the control devices smaller and place them in the low-temperature fridge.

The design could reduce the size of the system by 40 percent, highlighting the potential for it to be commercialized, Hsu said.

The minimization of the module can also shorten the route needed by quantum signal transmission and reduce the interruption of noise, Hsu added.

The module also lowers power consumption by more than 50 percent lower than results published by major international developers, making it an advantage for developing multiple-qubit superconducting quantum computers, he added.

The technology could be transferred to domestic companies, the researcher said, adding that some have already been in contact about possible cooperation.

Noting that executives from Finland-based quantum computer company IQM visited Taiwan last year to discuss possible cooperation, Science and Technology Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said that Taiwan, despite competing globally with limited funds, has achieved substantive results in quantum technology and is likely to become one of the places with most potential to excel in the technology.