IP Library Granted Patent US 7,876,145
Granted Patent B2
US 7,876,145 · App. 11/777,339 · Granted Jan 25, 2011

Control system architecture for qubits

Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,876,145
App. No.
11/777,339
Granted
Jan 25, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control system architecture for quantum computing includes an array of qubits, which is divided into a plurality of sub-arrays based on a first direction and a second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction, a plurality of control lines each coupled to a corresponding sub-array of qubits in the first direction, a plurality of enable/unenable lines each coupled to a corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction, a controls signal source that generates a control signal, wherein the control lines are used to apply the control signal commonly to one or more sub-arrays of qubits in the first direction, an enable/unenable signal source that generates a enable signal, wherein the enable/unenable lines are used to apply the enable signal independently to the corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction to set a bias point of each qubit of the corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction between a first position, in which the qubit is unenabled and not responsive to the control signal, and a second position, in which the qubit is enabled and responsive to the control signal.

Claims (33)

1. A control system architecture for quantum computing, comprising:

an array of qubits, which is divided into a plurality of sub-arrays based on a first direction and a second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction;

a plurality of control lines each coupled to a corresponding sub-array of qubits in the first direction;

a plurality of enable/unenable lines each coupled to a corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction;

a control signal source that generates a control signals, wherein the control lines are used to apply the control signal commonly to one or more sub-arrays of qubits in the first direction;

an enable/unenable signal source that generates a enable signal, wherein the enable/unenable lines are used to apply the enable signal independently to the corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction to set a bias point of each qubit of the corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction between a first position, in which the qubit is unenabled and not responsive to the control signal, and a second position, in which the qubit is enabled and responsive to the control signal.

2. The control system architecture of claim 1 , wherein the qubits comprise Josephson junctions.

3. The control system architecture of claim 1 , wherein the qubits comprise electron and nuclear spins.

4. The control system architecture of claim 1 , wherein the qubits comprise quantum dots.

5. The control system architecture of claim 1 , wherein the control signal source comprises a first superconducting SFQ (Single Flux Quantum) circuit.

6. The control system architecture of claim 5 , wherein the enable/unenable signal source comprises a second superconducting SFQ circuit.

7. The control system architecture of claim 1 , wherein the control signal source operates in a first environment having a first temperature range, the enable/unenable signal source operates in a second environment having a second temperature range, and the qubits operate in a third environment having a third temperature range.

8. The control system architecture of claim 7 , wherein the first temperature range is substantially equal to the second temperature range, and wherein the third temperature range is about 5 mK to about 30 mK.

9. The control system architecture of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of enable/unenable lines each coupled to a corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction.

10. The control system architecture of claim 9 , further comprising a enable/unenable signal source that generates a enable signal, wherein the enable/unenable lines are used to apply the enable signal independently to the corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction to move the bias point of each qubit of the corresponding sub-array of qubits in the second direction from a third position, in which the qubit is unenabled and not responsive to the control signal, to the first position, wherein the first position is between the second position and the third position.

11. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for controlling a qubit array, the method steps comprising:

generating a first signal to set a bias point of a plurality of qubits to a first position, in which each qubit is unenabled and not responsive to a control signal;

generating a second signal to move the bias point of selected qubits from the first position to a second position, in which each selected qubit is enabled and responsive to the control signal; and

generating a control signal to control operation of the selected qubits.

12. The program storage device of claim 11 , wherein the qubits comprise Josephson junctions.

13. The program storage device of claim 11 , wherein the qubits comprise electron and nuclear spins.

14. The program storage device of claim 11 , wherein the qubits comprise quantum dots.

15. The program storage device of claim 11 , wherein the method steps further comprise applying the control signal commonly to the qubits to control operation of the selected qubits.

16. A method of controlling a qubit array comprising:

dividing a number of physical qubits into logical blocks, wherein each logical block includes a plurality of physical qubits;

applying a first signal to one or more logical blocks to set a bias point of each physical qubit to a first position, in which the physical qubit is unenabled and not responsive to a control signal;

applying a second signal to one or more logical blocks to move the bias point of each physical qubit that is in the first position to a second position, in which the physical qubit is unenabled and not responsive to the control signal;

applying a third signal to one or more logical blocks to move the bias point of each physical qubit that is in the second position to the third position, in which the physical qubit is enabled and responsive to the control signal; and

applying the control signal to one or more logical blocks, in which the bias point of each physical qubit is in the first, second or third position, to control an operation of one or more logical blocks in which the bias point of each physical qubit is in the third position.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second position is between the first position and a third position.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the qubits comprise Josephson junctions.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the qubits comprise electron and nuclear spins.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the qubits comprise quantum dots.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2007
From: KOCH, ROGER HILSEN
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019553/0922 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090014714A1 · Jan 15, 2009