Control Circuit for Future Supercomputer to Be Produced in Finland 8 December 2004

Control circuit for future supercomputer to be produced in Finland 8 December 2004

The circuit will improve the computational accuracy the design of an integrated circuit comprising a and efficiency of quantum computers operating at quantum computer prototype and its control - the extremely low temperatures. first one to operate in a cold environment. This Quantum computers require an ambient enables accurate and fast control, which is less temperature of approximately -273 degrees vulnerable to disturbances than the present-day centigrade to function properly. The Technical ’room temperature’ control. VTT will also build the Research Centre of Finland (VTT) is to build a integrated circuit, while the quantum bits will be control circuit for such a superconducting constructed using nanotechnology (a millionth of a computer that will function at very low millimetre) techniques by the other top research temperatures. Future quantum computers will be teams involved in the project, including the CEA able to crack IT encryption codes and perform nuclear energy institute in France, the Chalmers searches of enormous databases, which are University of Technology in Sweden and the IPHT currently impossible. The memory bits of a Institute in Jena, Germany. quantum computer may have several states simultaneously. This feature has enabled the few In connection with low-temperature quantum existing quantum computers, which although still technology, VTT and HUT have developed a wholly primitive may yet achieve super efficiency in the new kind of charge pump. In theory, the pump has future. a capacity up to 1,000-fold (one nanoampere) higher than that of currently used pumps (one The high efficiency of a quantum computer picoampere) without compromising accuracy. The facilitates computing far beyond the capacity of pump developed at VTT may essentially facilitate present-day equipment. For example, where the definition of the electro-technical current normal current computers perform 1,000,000 searches in (current standard), in the international SI system of an unorganised database, quantum computers will units, which in turn will facilitate the functional perform approximately 1,000 searches, thus testing of industrial current meters. In addition, the reducing the number by 1,000-fold. In the future new current standard is one of the three the most extensive and complicated computing fundamental quantities in electrical engineering, tasks can only be resolved with a quantum and it may revolutionise the electro-technical computer. foundation of the entire SI system.

The cryogenic control circuit to be constructed at The new pump and controlled control of the VTT will bring us one step closer to the speed and quantum computer are connected with the Doctoral accuracy required of a quantum computer. The dissertation of Antti Niskanen (26). The dissertation control circuits operate at just 0.02 degrees of the young VTT Research Scientist was centigrade above absolute zero (- 273.15 degrees examined at HUT on 26 November. Construction of centigrade). Thus far quantum computers have the new control circuit at VTT is a continuation of been controlled at room temperature, which has Niskanen’s work. In 2005 Niskanen will join the prevented the full use of their incredible speed. In quantum technology top research unit NEC in addition, unlike quantum computers, the memory Japan as Visiting Researcher. bits of modern computers only have two alternative states. Source: Technical Research Centre of Finland

The EU-funded project carried out by VTT and the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) involves

1 / 2

APA citation: Control circuit for future supercomputer to be produced in Finland (2004, December 8) retrieved 27 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2004-12-circuit-future-supercomputer- finland.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

2 / 2