Here’s the translation to American English:
MIT has taken a crucial step in solving one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing: connecting multiple quantum processors without physical contact and with minimal error rates. This advancement, which involves using microwave photons and a technique for remote quantum entanglement, could pave the way for building truly scalable quantum supercomputers.
The Challenge of Quantum Connections
Currently, quantum systems rely on “point-to-point” connections, where information must jump between intermediate nodes. Each jump introduces an additional possibility of error, limiting the scalability and stability of the systems.
To overcome this limitation, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a quantum interconnection device that allows superconducting processors to communicate directly with each other without intermediaries. The key: using microwave photons as carriers of quantum data.
A Quantum Highway of Photons
The core of this advancement is a superconducting waveguide that acts as a “quantum highway.” By connecting two quantum modules to this waveguide, the system allows photons to be emitted and absorbed on demand. Each module contains four qubits that function as interfaces, converting the photons into usable quantum data.
Contactless Entanglement
One of the major challenges of distributed quantum computing is achieving remote entanglement: a quantum phenomenon that allows two particles to be linked over a distance in such a way that their states synchronize instantaneously, regardless of the separation between them.
To achieve this, the researchers devised an unusual technique. Instead of fully emitting a photon, they halt the process halfway, generating a kind of “intermediate quantum state” in which the photon is, paradoxically, both emitted and retained. When the second module absorbs this “half photon,” the processors become entangled without any direct physical contact.
Artificial Intelligence to Shape Photons
The team also faced the problem of photon distortion during their journey. To address this, they trained an algorithm capable of adjusting the shape of the photon to maximize its absorption. The result was a 60% success rate in creating remote entanglement, which validates the effectiveness of the method.
These results are comparable to those obtained by the University of Oxford with ion traps, achieving a 70% success rate.
Towards Distributed Quantum Computing
Unlike current configurations, where chips are connected in a limited manner, this design allows for “all-to-all” connectivity, meaning any processor can communicate directly with any other. This architecture is essential for creating complex quantum networks or future quantum internets.
Researcher Aziza Almanakly, a graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, states:
“In principle, our protocol for generating remote entanglement can be expanded to other types of quantum computers and larger-scale quantum networks.”
Publication and Funding
The results of the study have been published in the journal Nature Physics. This work has received support from institutions such as the U.S. Army Research Office, the AWS Quantum Computing Center, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Source: Techspot