Archer Materials Ltd (ASX:AXE, OTC:ARRXF) has achieved on-chip electronic transport in qubit components at room temperature, as part of its 12CQ quantum computing qubit processor chip technology development.
The integration of the qubit material in an electronically controllable conducting circuit is a technological milestone which is necessary for the operation of the 12CQ chip.
Archer is one of the few players in the world developing qubit processor technology, and the only player in the space to be ASX-listed.
Room-temperature electronic transport
The room-temperature on-chip electronic transport in Archer’s qubit material supports the potential for practical solutions to quantum-enabled mobile devices.
During the year, the company has made considerable progress in the design and development of the 12CQ chip, including:
- Detection of quantum information in the 12CQ material on-chip and at room temperature using mobile phone compatible technology, announced in February.
- Fabrication of nanodevices that will allow probing of quantum behaviour in the 12CQ qubit material, representing the first step towards the readout of quantum states from few and single qubits, in June.
- Undertaking state-of-the-art 3D electrostatic finite element modelling in conjunction with in-house software development to simulate quantum electronic device architectures.
Archer has now advanced its 12CQ quantum chip development by nanofabricating devices containing electric circuits that integrate microscopic quantities of its carbon-based qubit material.
The devices were fabricated on a silicon wafer using foundry-compatible lithography processes.
Archer used the devices to demonstrate that a controlled electric current can be passed through the qubit material at room temperature.
Commenting on the 12CQ chip development, Archer CEO Dr Mohammad Choucair said: “For the potential use of Archer’s qubit material in practical quantum processor chip devices, it is significant to demonstrate on-chip electronic transport in the qubit material at room temperature.
“The achievement is a significant step in Archer’s 12CQ chip development and paves the way for progress in our efforts aimed at qubit readout in chip-based devices.”
About the technology
Archer’s innovation in its 12CQ chip development is aimed at nanofabricating devices integrating its unique qubit material, including the use of practical, modern-day electronic circuits.
The qubit material is the core component of the 12CQ chip. A fundamental requirement for the operation of the chip is to integrate the qubit in an electrically controllable conducting circuit.
The scientific breakthrough made in 2016 to realise Archer’s 12CQ qubit material was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications, which reports the advantages, technological trade-offs, and the technological barriers that have been overcome towards realising practical quantum computing, over several other qubit proposals.