NER: Computer Aided Design of Silicon-based Quantum Computers

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Mark Oskin University of Washington 0210373 Quantum computers seem the subject of science fiction, but their tremendous computational potential is closer than we may think. Despite significant practical difficulties, small quantum devices of 5 to 7 bits have been built in the laboratory. Silicon technologies promise even greater scalability. To use these technologies effectively, and help guide quantum device research, computer architects need to start designing and reasoning about quantum processors now. However, two major hurdles stand in the way. First, compactly describable rules that characterize silicon-based quantum computing technologies are not known. Second, there does not exist an infrastructure to design, test, and evaluate architectural alternatives. This grant addresses both of these items. First, we will formalize the design rules of a widely discussed and likely quantum device technology. Second, we have already begun to develop architectural abstractions for this technology that can be composed together to form general-purpose quantum information processors. Third, using these abstractions we will develop an automated computer aided design tool that takes a description of a quantum computing architecture and compiles it to a device library of quantum cells. Finally, we will develop a simulator that quickly estimates the cost-performance of quantum systems. These research goals, once accomplished, will serve as foundational resources for the development of quantum computer architectures. In addition, by reasoning about architectures we can begin to find the limits of current quantum device proposals. These limits can be turned into research goals, items that further quantum device research needs to overcome.