MIT and MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers have studied the effects of cosmic rays on quantum computing, focusing on their impact on superconducting qubit arrays. They found that cosmic rays cause errors in these arrays at a rate of 1.59 per second, accounting for 17% of all such events. This is the first study to measure the cosmic-ray contribution to these errors directly. The findings suggest that future quantum computing applications will need to consider the impact of cosmic rays, and that radiation hardening, such as superconducting gap engineering, could be a potential solution.
What is the Impact of Cosmic Rays on Quantum Computing?
A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and MIT Lincoln Laboratory have conducted a study on the effects of cosmic rays on quantum computing. The team, led by Patrick M Harrington, Mingyu Li, Max Hays, Wouter Van De Pontseele, and Daniel Mayer, focused on the impact of cosmic rays on superconducting qubit arrays, a key component in quantum computing.
How Do Cosmic Rays Affect Quantum Computing?
Cosmic rays, along with other forms of ionizing radiation, can cause errors in superconducting qubit arrays. These errors, which are spatiotemporally correlated, can be problematic for conventional error-correction codes. The researchers found that cosmic rays caused correlated errors at a rate of 1.59 per second, accounting for 17% of all such events. The qubits responded to essentially all of the cosmic rays and their secondary particles incident on the chip, consistent with the independently measured arrival flux.
What is the Significance of This Study?
This study is significant as it directly measures the cosmic-ray contribution to spatiotemporally correlated qubit errors. Previous studies have inferred the impact of ionizing radiation on superconducting circuits through simulation, but this is the first to directly measure it. The results of this study indicate the importance of radiation hardening, such as superconducting gap engineering, to the realization of robust quantum error correction.
What are the Implications for Quantum Computing?
The implications of this study for quantum computing are significant. The difficulty of shielding cosmic rays presents a challenge for solid-state quantum processors. However, the researchers observed that the landscape of the superconducting gap in proximity to the Josephson junctions dramatically impacts the qubit response to cosmic rays. This suggests that engineering the superconducting gap could potentially mitigate the impact of cosmic rays on quantum computing.
What is the Future of Quantum Computing in Light of These Findings?
The findings of this study suggest that future large-scale applications of quantum computing will need to consider the impact of cosmic rays. The researchers suggest that radiation hardening, such as superconducting gap engineering, could be a potential solution. This could alleviate the impact of cosmic rays and prevent the need for deep underground facilities to shield superconducting quantum processors from cosmic rays.
“Synchronous Detection of Cosmic Rays and Correlated Errors in Superconducting Qubit Arrays” This article, published on February 5, 2024, is a collaborative work by authors P. M. Harrington, Mingyu Li, Max Hays, W. Van De Pontseele, D. Mayer, H. D. Pinckney, Felipe Contipelli, Michael Gingras, Bethany Niedzielski, Hannah Stickler, Jonilyn Yoder, Maurice L. Schwartz, Jeffrey A. Grover, Kyle Serniak, William Oliver, and J. A. Formaggio. The research focuses on the synchronous detection of cosmic rays and correlated errors in superconducting qubit arrays. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2402.03208