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Quantum scientists deliver world’s first integrated circuit at the atomic scale

75 points by cmroanirgo 4y ago

kennywinker 4y ago
Article is pretty thin on details. Couldn't find the paper on nature.com, maybe not live yet?
- potiuper 4y ago
  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04706-0 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04706-0
  - samus 4y ago
    While highly useful to simulate complex quantum systems found in nature and technology (the most promising application of quantum computing), it seems that this is not part of a general-purpose quantum computer. But maybe the techniques can be generalized.
    - adrian_b 4y ago
      The press release is complete garbage, none of the words randomly used there ("quantum", "integrated circuit" etc.) provide any kind of correct information, in that context. On the other hand the Nature article and the research results are very interesting. This has nothing to do with "quantum computers" or "integrated circuits". The device is a special-purpose analog computer, which can simulate systems described by quantum mechanics, e.g. molecules, like the traditional analog computers, a.k.a. differential analyzers, which were used before WWII to simulate any systems that can be described by a system of differential equations. However, for now, this isn't any kind of programmable computer. To simulate another molecule, you have to build another analog computer, i.e. molecule simulator, with different spacings and sizes for the semiconductor quantum dots, though in the future they might achieve some degree of reconfigurability, to maybe simulate several kinds of molecules with a single quantum simulator.
  - bradrn 4y ago
    This doesn’t seem to detail the simulation of polyacetylene molecules, though.
- 14 4y ago
  The article just kept saying look how good we are. We are the best. We are the world leader. Then provided zero details on what they were up to. This article is not worth the 2 minute read.
  - iasay 4y ago
    This is why I always read the comments first. Thank you :)
ngcc_hk 4y ago
The more striking part is that it is in Australia.
- defrost 4y ago
  The country that explained to the US that it was possible to build a nuclear weapon? The place that made the clocks that allowed laser gravitional wave detectors to work? Who'd have thought.
  - selimthegrim 4y ago
    How did laser enrichment turn into the former? What did Australia have to do with nukes in WWII?
    - defrost 4y ago
      These are very good questions: [1] https://www.uwa.edu.au/Profile/David-Blair https://www.uwa.edu.au/Profile/David-Blair [2] https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/mark-oliphant https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/mark-oliphant
      - selimthegrim 4y ago
        Not sure Blair had anything to do with Silex.
  - pedalpete 4y ago
    I am not aware of the nuclear weapon story, do you have a link? I'm also not sure it's such a great example of expertise that came out of Australia. There is also WiFi (CSIRO), seL4 (NICTA), ResMed, Cochlear, Saluda (NICTA), and many many more.
    - defrost 4y ago
      A link to a good starting point in the atomic archives is there in my reply to a peer comment. It might not be a story of Australian expertise in (then) cutting edge technology that you like, but it's a real nugget of history. His mentor was a New Zealander ... now a determinedly nuclear free country.
max_likelihood 4y ago
I think the chips were built with zero-spin silicon (ZS-Si) from Silex (SLX/SILXY): https://www.silex.com.au/silex-technology/silex-zs-si-production-for-quantum-computing https://www.silex.com.au/silex-technology/silex-zs-si-produc...
- throwoutway 4y ago
  This page shows a relationship with the university at the bottom, so you may be right
benevol 4y ago
Elon Musk's Starlink satellites will offer the new "quantum Internet" using technology similar to this.
- iamgopal 4y ago
  Context ?
  - benevol 4y ago
    You mean "Source?"? It's out of the scope of what the HN community can currently accept; it makes no sense to have another downvote party, sorry.
  - steve_musk 4y ago
    Not sure it is really related to the original post but I think this is what they are talking about: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/04/131018/why-the-quantum-internet-should-be-built-in-space/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/04/131018/why-the-q...
bitwize 4y ago
So this process will be used in Apple CPUs in... 2025, mayne?

75 points by cmroanirgo 4y ago

kennywinker 4y ago

Article is pretty thin on details. Couldn't find the paper on nature.com, maybe not live yet?

potiuper 4y ago
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04706-0 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04706-0
- samus 4y ago
  While highly useful to simulate complex quantum systems found in nature and technology (the most promising application of quantum computing), it seems that this is not part of a general-purpose quantum computer. But maybe the techniques can be generalized.
  - adrian_b 4y ago
    The press release is complete garbage, none of the words randomly used there ("quantum", "integrated circuit" etc.) provide any kind of correct information, in that context. On the other hand the Nature article and the research results are very interesting. This has nothing to do with "quantum computers" or "integrated circuits". The device is a special-purpose analog computer, which can simulate systems described by quantum mechanics, e.g. molecules, like the traditional analog computers, a.k.a. differential analyzers, which were used before WWII to simulate any systems that can be described by a system of differential equations. However, for now, this isn't any kind of programmable computer. To simulate another molecule, you have to build another analog computer, i.e. molecule simulator, with different spacings and sizes for the semiconductor quantum dots, though in the future they might achieve some degree of reconfigurability, to maybe simulate several kinds of molecules with a single quantum simulator.
- bradrn 4y ago
  This doesn’t seem to detail the simulation of polyacetylene molecules, though.
14 4y ago
The article just kept saying look how good we are. We are the best. We are the world leader. Then provided zero details on what they were up to. This article is not worth the 2 minute read.
- iasay 4y ago
  This is why I always read the comments first. Thank you :)

ngcc_hk 4y ago

The more striking part is that it is in Australia.

defrost 4y ago
The country that explained to the US that it was possible to build a nuclear weapon? The place that made the clocks that allowed laser gravitional wave detectors to work? Who'd have thought.
- selimthegrim 4y ago
  How did laser enrichment turn into the former? What did Australia have to do with nukes in WWII?
  - defrost 4y ago
    These are very good questions: [1] https://www.uwa.edu.au/Profile/David-Blair https://www.uwa.edu.au/Profile/David-Blair [2] https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/mark-oliphant https://www.atomicheritage.org/profile/mark-oliphant
    - selimthegrim 4y ago
      Not sure Blair had anything to do with Silex.
- pedalpete 4y ago
  I am not aware of the nuclear weapon story, do you have a link? I'm also not sure it's such a great example of expertise that came out of Australia. There is also WiFi (CSIRO), seL4 (NICTA), ResMed, Cochlear, Saluda (NICTA), and many many more.
  - defrost 4y ago
    A link to a good starting point in the atomic archives is there in my reply to a peer comment. It might not be a story of Australian expertise in (then) cutting edge technology that you like, but it's a real nugget of history. His mentor was a New Zealander ... now a determinedly nuclear free country.

max_likelihood 4y ago

I think the chips were built with zero-spin silicon (ZS-Si) from Silex (SLX/SILXY): https://www.silex.com.au/silex-technology/silex-zs-si-production-for-quantum-computing https://www.silex.com.au/silex-technology/silex-zs-si-produc...

throwoutway 4y ago
This page shows a relationship with the university at the bottom, so you may be right

benevol 4y ago

Elon Musk's Starlink satellites will offer the new "quantum Internet" using technology similar to this.

iamgopal 4y ago
Context ?
- benevol 4y ago
  You mean "Source?"? It's out of the scope of what the HN community can currently accept; it makes no sense to have another downvote party, sorry.
- steve_musk 4y ago
  Not sure it is really related to the original post but I think this is what they are talking about: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/04/131018/why-the-quantum-internet-should-be-built-in-space/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/01/04/131018/why-the-q...

bitwize 4y ago

So this process will be used in Apple CPUs in... 2025, mayne?