Quantum Leap: Scientists Develop 1,000-Qubit Architecture

Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt have set a new world record by creating a quantum computing architecture with more than 1,000 atomic qubits on a single plane for the first time. Their results were published in the prestigious journal Optica after a preprint appeared on the arXiv server in early October 2023.

Quantum processors based on two-dimensional arrays of optical tweezers, created using focused laser beams, are considered one of the most promising technologies for advancing quantum computing. Professor Gerhard Birkl, head of the “Atoms – Photons – Quanta” research group in the Department of Physics at TU Darmstadt, emphasized the significance of this breakthrough: “We are extremely pleased to be the first to surpass the milestone of 1,000 individually controlled atomic qubits, especially since we have many outstanding competitors.”

Until now, quantum processors could support only a few hundred single-atom quantum systems, with each atom representing one quantum bit, or qubit. This achievement includes an innovative method called “supercharging quantum bits,” which allowed the scientists to overcome the limitations imposed by the available laser resources. In their experiments, they loaded 1,305 single-atom qubits into a quantum array of 3,000 traps, which were then rearranged into defect-free target structures containing up to 441 qubits.

This discovery is significant because 1,000 qubits is considered a threshold at which quantum computers can begin to demonstrate their promised efficiency gains. Applications such as drug development and traffic flow optimization stand to benefit greatly from this technology. The research also indicates that further increasing the number of laser sources could enable quantum processors with 10,000 qubits or more in the coming years, opening up new possibilities for the future of quantum computing.