Quantum computers use the principles of quantum mechanics to perform computations. In a conventional computer, the information is encoded in bits that can carry either the value “0” or the value “1”. In contrast, quantum bits in a quantum computer can be in so-called “superposition states” that are combinations of “0” and “1”. Moreover, an effect called “quantum entanglement” allows quantum bits to be in highly correlated states that have no analogue in a classical computer. Using these effects, quantum computers can in principle solve certain tasks more efficiently than any classical computer – an effect called “quantum advantage”. One such task is quantum simulation, where on aims to predict the dynamics of a large, complex quantum system.
Since quantum-mechanical states are very fragile, quantum bits need to be highly protected from noise generated by their environment. Therefore, quantum computers typically require strong cooling or operation in vacuum. A notable exception are solid-state colour centres, for example the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre in diamond, which can operate even at room temperature. This in principle allows one to build compact, robust, and easy-to-operate quantum computers with significantly reduced operation cost. Solid-state colour-centre quantum computers with a few qubits have already been demonstrated, but scaling these devices up to hundreds of qubits is challenging.
The SPINUS project tackles this challenge by developing new, modular designs for solid-state quantum computers and quantum simulators. The goal is to demonstrate a quantum computer with more than 10 fully programmable qubits at ambient temperatures and low error rates. In parallel, quantum simulators with more than 50 quantum units will be developed, thus entering the regime of "quantum advantage”. Moreover, SPINUS will identify pathways to scale-up solid-state quantum computers to over 100 qubits and quantum simulators to over 1000 quantum units within two years post-project. To reach these goals, SPINUS partners will develop innovative solutions for a variety of tasks, e.g.:
Improved material synthesis methods for diamond and silicon carbide.
Electrical readout methods that can surpass and replace the currently used optical readout.
A comprehensive software stack to control the quantum hardware, implement quantum gates, characterize the quantum devices, and assess the potential for quantum advantage.
