Archer Materials advances quantum computing chip technology with fabrication of nanodevices
Archer Materials’ fabrication of nanodevices is the first step towards qubit readout.
Archer Materials (ASX: AXE) has announced it has successfully fabricated nanodevices that will allow probing of quantum behaviour in its qubit material that is of fundamental importance to the company’s 12CQ chip technology.
The semiconductor technology company said this fabrication marks the first step towards the readout of quantum states from few and single qubits used in its 12CQ technology.
Archer’s 12CQ chip uses “world-first” qubit processor technology that could potentially allow for quantum computing powered mobile devices. The technology comprises a carbon nanosphere adapted to store a qubit.
Control and readout devices are required to set the qubit and read the qubit stored on the carbon nanosphere, whereby the control device performs quantum operations on the qubit and a readout device measures the results.
The company said the fabrication of the nanodevices was performed using “state-of-the-art” lithography and specialised software to obtain feature sizes compatible with a few to single qubits.
Repeatable and reproducible-at-scale fabrication process
The fabrication process is repeatable and reproducible at scale, making it able to solve challenges related to complex nanodevice proximity effects and the on-chip integration of micron and nanometre size features.
“This work marks a significant ramp up of development towards reaching Archer’s goal of on-chip qubit control and readout,” Archer chief executive officer Dr Mohammad Choucair said.
“The nanodevices are intended to translate the quantum behaviour of the 12CQ qubit material for on-chip information processing and provide a potential pathway to mobile integration,” Dr Choucair added.
Archer has previously announced validation of the classical behaviour of single and few-qubits and related device fabrication, and the on-chip detection of quantum information for macroscopic quantities of qubit material using mobile compatible technology that have direct implications on the company’s control and readout development.
Archer was granted an Australian patent for its 12CQ quantum computing chip technology last month.
The patent protects the proposed qubit processor chip and provides the company with exclusive and legally-enforceable commercial rights to the invention in Australia.