Researchers at Atom Computing have successfully performed mid-circuit measurements on arbitrary qubits in an atomic array without disrupting others. This achievement is a crucial step towards fault-tolerant quantum computing, which requires large numbers of physical qubits, long coherence times, high gate fidelities, mid-circuit measurement, real-time error detection and correction, and algorithms to create logical qubits. Mid-circuit measurement allows quantum developers to glimpse inside a calculation and make decisions based on the information they see, enabling real-time error detection and correction. Atom Computing is working on larger scale production systems for commercial cloud services and continues its journey towards fault tolerance in collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Introduction
Researchers at Atom Computing have successfully performed mid-circuit measurement on arbitrary qubits in an atomic array without disrupting others, a crucial step towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. During the process, the team detected and replaced lost qubits from a nearby reservoir. Atom Computing is the first company to achieve this on a commercial atomic array system. The company is working on larger-scale production systems for commercial cloud services and collaborating with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to explore fault-tolerant quantum computing using atomic arrays of neutral atoms.
Atom Computing Demonstrates Mid-Circuit Measurement on Atomic Array
Researchers at Atom Computing have successfully demonstrated the ability to perform mid-circuit measurement on arbitrary qubits in an atomic array without disrupting others. This achievement is a significant step towards fault-tolerant quantum computing, essential for unlocking the full potential of quantum computing applications in industrial and scientific fields.
Mid-circuit measurement involves probing the quantum state of certain qubits, known as ancillae, without disrupting nearby data qubits that perform calculations. This capability allows quantum developers to glimpse inside a calculation and use conditional branching to determine which action to take based on the measurement results, similar to IF/THEN statements used in classical computing. With this ability, errors can be detected, identified, and corrected in real time.
Atom Computing is the first company to demonstrate mid-circuit measurement on a commercial atomic array system. This achievement shows that atomic array quantum computers are rapidly gaining ground in the race to build large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Importance of Fault Tolerance in Quantum Computing
Fault tolerance is crucial for achieving the true potential of quantum computing. It will likely require hundreds or millions of physical qubits to achieve fault-tolerant systems that can operate continuously and deliver accurate results, overcoming any errors that may occur during computation just as classical computing systems do.
Mid-circuit measurement is one of several key building blocks required to achieve fault-tolerant systems, along with large numbers of physical qubits, long coherence times, high gate fidelities, detection and correction of errors in real time, and algorithm and controls to create logical qubits.
Dr John Preskill, a theoretical physics professor at the California Institute of Technology, emphasized the importance of fault tolerance in quantum computing, stating that the essential longer-term goal is to hasten the onset of the fault-tolerant era.
Advantages of Atomic Array Quantum Computers
Atomic array quantum computers are emerging as a preferred architecture with intriguing potential. Atom Computing is building quantum computers from arrays of neutral atoms because of the potential to significantly scale qubit numbers with each generation.
The company has previously demonstrated record coherence times on its 100-qubit prototype system and is now working on larger scale production systems to offer as a commercial cloud service. The demonstration of mid-circuit measurement, error detection, and correction was performed on these next-generation systems.
Challenges in Mid-Circuit Measurement
Performing mid-circuit measurement is a complex task, as qubits are finicky, fragile, and sensitive. They are situated microscopically close, and a stray photon from a laser or a stray electric field can cause the wrong qubit to decohere and lose its quantum state.
The Atom Computing team exhibited a technique to “hide” data qubits and shield them from the laser used to measure ancilla’s without losing any of the quantum information stored in the data qubits. They also showed a competitive SPAM fidelity, a metric that states how well a qubit can be read out. This work demonstrates an essential pathway to continuous circuit processing.
Future Developments and Collaboration with DARPA
Atom Computing’s journey toward fault tolerance continues as they work to achieve all the necessary “ingredients” for fault-tolerant quantum computing on their current systems and future machines. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Atom Computing to explore how atomic arrays of neutral atoms can accelerate the path to fault-tolerant quantum computing.
“Mid-circuit measurement enables us to understand what is happening during a computation and make decisions based on the information we are seeing,” said Dr Ben Bloom, Atom Computing Founder and Chief Technology Officer.
Executive Summary
Researchers at Atom Computing have successfully performed mid-circuit measurement on qubits in an atomic array without disrupting others, a crucial step towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. The company is now working on larger-scale production systems to offer as a commercial cloud service, to achieve fault tolerance in quantum computing.
- Researchers at Atom Computing have demonstrated the ability to perform mid-circuit measurement on arbitrary qubits in an atomic array without disrupting others.
- Mid-circuit measurement is essential for quantum developers as it allows them to detect, identify, and correct errors in real-time during computation.
- Atom Computing is the first company to demonstrate mid-circuit measurement on a commercial atomic array system.
- Dr Ben Bloom, Atom Computing Founder and CTO, believes this is an essential step for the company’s technology, which uses lasers to hold neutral atom qubits in a two-dimensional array for computations.
- The company has previously demonstrated record coherence times on its 100-qubit prototype system and is now working on larger-scale production systems to offer as a commercial cloud service.
- Atom Computing is collaborating with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to explore how atomic arrays of neutral atoms can accelerate the path to fault-tolerant quantum computing.
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