Quantum computing: Osprey, Ibm’s 433 qubit chip
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A year ago the announcement of Eagle, the first quantum processor with more than 100 qubits, now the debut of Osprey, the new chip that has more than three times the qubits of its predecessor (as many as 433 quantum bits – qubits). IBM’s race towards the first universal quantum computer with over 1,000 qubits does not stop (it will be called Condor and its arrival is expected in 2023). Among the declared objectives, albeit decidedly difficult to achieve, to have a quantum system with over 4,000 qubits by 2025.
Some of the most critical problems of quantum computers have always been linked to their instability (qubits are very fragile and volatile, they quickly lose their quantum qualities due to vibrations, overheating, electromagnetic waves and other “interference”), and to the enormous amount of energy required for operation and cooling; just think that the first quantum computer made available by IBM in the cloud, in 2016, to allow anyone to experience the potential of quantum computing, is made up of a device with 5 qubits, each of which is a superconducting circuit cooled to close to temperatures at absolute zero of about 20 milliKelvin (-273 degrees C).
The design of the quantum computer architecture (often described as a “golden chandelier” done in layers – with an initial layer where the processor resides and a series of underlying layers with the control and reading components, connected by strands of microwave cables ) greatly affects the stability of qubits and their “performance”. The new Osprey has an architecture similar to that of its predecessor Eagle, being composed of just a single layer of qubits on top of several layers of control cabling; an architecture model that allows you to cram multiple qubits reducing their error rate.
To the new IBM branded system, however, an integrated filtering system has been added that helps to reduce the “noise” (which makes the qubits unstable) and improve the stability of the device. A strategy that began with Eagle and continued with Osprey, in fact, is to separate the cables and other components necessary for reading and control by modeling a multilevel cabling which, god done, helps protect the very fragile qubits from interruptions. its predecessor, the architecture model that “houses” Osprey brings a change in the cabling. The “quantum chandelier” of microwave cables used by IBM with previous quantum processors gives way to a new model that involves the use of flexible ribbon cables (such as those that connect a motherboard to a PC screen). microwaves that receive signals in and out of the refrigerator where the qubits are stored have never been very scalable. Osprey’s flexible ribbon cables adapted to cryogenic environments appear to be more effective and the electrical and thermal resistance of the cables is designed to facilitate the flow of microwave signals without conducting too much heat that could interfere with the qubits.
This architectural model allows for a greater number of connections leading to the quantum chip (and here we see the scalability) but also gives way to a new generation of control electronics that send and receive microwave signals to and from the quantum processor (the speed should therefore no longer create instability problems) It will take some time before Osprey can be used on a large scale as the quantum computer already available in the cloud (the configuration of its control electronics and the calibration of the system still require time) but from the multinational they let it be known that by the middle of next year the new chip should be available to all those who want to experience its potential.In the meantime, Big Blue is working to include error mitigation techniques within the cloud software for its quantum computers to offer, on the back-end software side, the right balance between speed and precision (today the speed affects the stability of the qubits which, in turn, affects the accuracy of the calculation results).
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