IBM transfers quantum information between two chips with 99% accuracy — ScienceAlert

IBM researchers connected two 120-qubit quantum chips with four long couplers and achieved an average quantum information transfer fidelity of 99%. The highest figure was 99.29%, ScienceAlert reports.

Connection between quantum modules

For the experiment, the team used four 80-centimeter-long L-shaped couplers made of superconducting aluminum. They transmitted qubit quantum states between the processors. Qubits are the basic elements of quantum computers: unlike conventional bits, which have a value of 0 or 1, they can remain in a state of superposition until measurement.

The modular architecture makes it possible to scale quantum systems by combining several chips rather than only increasing the number of qubits on a single processor. In the paper, the researchers described this solution as a practical path to creating several identical connections between large quantum processors after they are installed in a cryostat.

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Testing the system’s stability

During testing, the couplers lost little energy, remained operational after three heating and cooling cycles, and transmitted quantum entanglement between the two chips. According to the paper’s authors, this is the first demonstration of a multichannel quantum connection between large superconducting processors.

At the same time, the researchers recorded magnetic interference that affected signal quality. Further improvements in efficiency are needed for practical application of the technology. IBM intends to place qubits and couplers in cryogenic systems, and the company says its ultimate goal is to combine hundreds of quantum chips and create a fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029. The study has not yet undergone peer review; its preprint is available on arXiv.