Paul Steinacker, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Wee Han Lim, Tuomo Tanttu, MengKe Feng, Andreas Nick, Santiago Serrano, Marco Candido, Jesus D. Cifuentes, Fay E. Hudson, Kok Wai Chan, Stefan Kubicek, Julien Jussot, Yann Canvel, Sofie Beyne, Yosuke Shimura, Roger Loo, Clement Godfrin, Bart Raes, Sylvain Baudot, et al (7) Fabrication of quantum processors in advanced 300 mm wafer-scale complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) foundries provides a unique scaling pathway towards commercially viable quantum computing with potentially millions of qubits on a single chip. Here, we show precise qubit operation of a silicon two-qubit device made in a 300 mm semiconductor processing line. The key metrics including single- and two-qubit control fidelities exceed 99% and state preparation and measurement fidelity exceeds 99.9%, as evidenced by gate set tomography (GST). We report coherence and lifetimes up to $T_\mathrm{2}^{\mathrm{*}} = 30.4$ $\mu$s, $T_\mathrm{2}^{\mathrm{Hahn}} = 803$ $\mu$s, and $T_1 = 6.3$ s. Crucially, the dominant operational errors originate from residual nuclear spin carrying isotopes, solvable with further isotopic purification, rather than charge noise arising from the dielectric environment. Our results answer the longstanding question whether the favourable properties including high-fidelity operation and long coherence times can be preserved when transitioning from a tailored academic to an industrial semiconductor fabrication technology.
Arjen Vaartjes, Martin Nurizzo, Lin Htoo Zaw, Benjamin Wilhelm, Xi Yu, Danielle Holmes, Daniel Schwienbacher, Anders Kringhøj, Mark R. van Blankenstein, Alexander M. Jakob, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Riley J. Murray, Robin Blume-Kohout, Namit Anand, Andrew S. Dzurak, David N. Jamieson, Valerio Scarani, Andrea Morello Spin precession is a textbook example of dynamics of a quantum system that exactly mimics its classical counterpart. Here we challenge this view by certifying the quantumness of exotic states of a nuclear spin through its uniform precession. The key to this result is measuring the positivity, instead of the expectation value, of the $x$-projection of the precessing spin, and using a spin > 1/2 qudit, that is not restricted to semi-classical spin coherent states. The experiment is performed on a single spin-7/2 $^{123}$Sb nucleus, implanted in a silicon nanoelectronic device, amenable to high-fidelity preparation, control, and projective single-shot readout. Using Schrödinger cat states and other bespoke states of the nucleus, we violate the classical bound by 19 standard deviations, proving that no classical probability distribution can explain the statistic of this spin precession, and highlighting our ability to prepare quantum resource states with high fidelity in a single atomic-scale qudit.
Samuel K. Bartee, Will Gilbert, Kun Zuo, Kushal Das, Tuomo Tanttu, Chih Hwan Yang, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Sebastian J. Pauka, Rocky Y. Su, Wee Han Lim, Santiago Serrano, Christopher C. Escott, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Arne Laucht, Andrew S. Dzurak, David J. Reilly A key virtue of spin qubits is their sub-micron footprint, enabling a single silicon chip to host the millions of qubits required to execute useful quantum algorithms with error correction. With each physical qubit needing multiple control lines however, a fundamental barrier to scale is the extreme density of connections that bridge quantum devices to their external control and readout hardware. A promising solution is to co-locate the control system proximal to the qubit platform at milli-kelvin temperatures, wired-up via miniaturized interconnects. Even so, heat and crosstalk from closely integrated control have potential to degrade qubit performance, particularly for two-qubit entangling gates based on exchange coupling that are sensitive to electrical noise. Here, we benchmark silicon MOS-style electron spin qubits controlled via heterogeneously-integrated cryo-CMOS circuits with a low enough power density to enable scale-up. Demonstrating that cryo-CMOS can efficiently enable universal logic operations for spin qubits, we go on to show that mill-kelvin control has little impact on the performance of single- and two-qubit gates. Given the complexity of our milli-kelvin CMOS platform, with some 100-thousand transistors, these results open the prospect of scalable control based on the tight packaging of spin qubits with a chiplet style control architecture.
Paul Steinacker, Tuomo Tanttu, Wee Han Lim, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, MengKe Feng, Santiago Serrano, Ensar Vahapoglu, Rocky Y. Su, Jonathan Y. Huang, Cameron Jones, Kohei M. Itoh, Fay E. Hudson, Christopher C. Escott, Andrea Morello, Andre Saraiva, Chih Hwan Yang, Andrew S. Dzurak, Arne Laucht Superior computational power promised by quantum computers utilises the fundamental quantum mechanical principle of entanglement. However, achieving entanglement and verifying that the generated state does not follow the principle of local causality has proven difficult for spin qubits in gate-defined quantum dots, as it requires simultaneously high concurrence values and readout fidelities to break the classical bound imposed by Bell's inequality. Here we employ heralded initialization and calibration via gate set tomography (GST), to reduce all relevant errors and push the fidelities of the full 2-qubit gate set above 99 %, including state preparation and measurement (SPAM). We demonstrate a 97.17 % Bell state fidelity without correcting for readout errors and violate Bell's inequality with a Bell signal of S = 2.731 close to the theoretical maximum of $2\sqrt{2}$. Our measurements exceed the classical limit even at elevated temperatures of 1.1 K or entanglement lifetimes of 100 $\mu s$.
Xi Yu, Benjamin Wilhelm, Danielle Holmes, Arjen Vaartjes, Daniel Schwienbacher, Martin Nurizzo, Anders Kringhøj, Mark R. van Blankenstein, Alexander M. Jakob, Pragati Gupta, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Riley J. Murray, Robin Blume-Kohout, Thaddeus D. Ladd, Andrew S. Dzurak, Barry C. Sanders, David N. Jamieson, Andrea Morello High-dimensional quantum systems are a valuable resource for quantum information processing. They can be used to encode error-correctable logical qubits, for instance in continuous-variable states of oscillators such as microwave cavities or the motional modes of trapped ions. Powerful encodings include 'Schrödinger cat' states, superpositions of widely displaced coherent states, which also embody the challenge of quantum effects at the large scale. Alternatively, recent proposals suggest encoding logical qubits in high-spin atomic nuclei, which can host hardware-efficient versions of continuous-variable codes on a finite-dimensional system. Here we demonstrate the creation and manipulation of Schrödinger cat states using the spin-7/2 nucleus of a single antimony ($^{123}$Sb) atom, embedded and operated within a silicon nanoelectronic device. We use a coherent multi-frequency control scheme to produce spin rotations that preserve the SU(2) symmetry of the qudit, and constitute logical Pauli operations for logical qubits encoded in the Schrödinger cat states. The Wigner function of the cat states exhibits parity oscillations with a contrast up to 0.982(5), and state fidelities up to 0.913(2). These results demonstrate high-fidelity preparation of nonclassical resource states and logical control in a single atomic-scale object, opening up applications in quantum information processing and quantum error correction within a scalable, manufacturable semiconductor platform.
Ingvild Hansen, Amanda E. Seedhouse, Santiago Serrano, Andreas Nickl, MengKe Feng, Jonathan Y. Huang, Tuomo Tanttu, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Wee Han Lim, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Andre Saraiva, Arne Laucht, Andrew S. Dzurak, Chih Hwan Yang Coherently dressed spins have shown promising results as building blocks for future quantum computers owing to their resilience to environmental noise and their compatibility with global control fields. This mode of operation allows for more amenable qubit architecture requirements and simplifies signal routing on the chip. However, multi-qubit operations, such as qubit addressability and two-qubit gates, are yet to be demonstrated to establish global control in combination with dressed qubits as a viable path to universal quantum computing. Here we demonstrate simultaneous on-resonance driving of degenerate qubits using a global field while retaining addressability for qubits with equal Larmor frequencies. Furthermore, we implement SWAP oscillations during on-resonance driving, constituting the demonstration of driven two-qubit gates. Significantly, our findings highlight the fragility of entangling gates between superposition states and how dressing can increase the noise robustness. These results represent a crucial milestone towards global control operation with dressed qubits. It also opens a door to interesting spin physics on degenerate spins.
Holly G. Stemp, Serwan Asaad, Mark R. van Blankenstein, Arjen Vaartjes, Mark A. I. Johnson, Mateusz T. Mądzik, Amber J. A. Heskes, Hannes R. Firgau, Rocky Y. Su, Chih Hwan Yang, Arne Laucht, Corey I. Ostrove, Kenneth M. Rudinger, Kevin Young, Robin Blume-Kohout, Fay E. Hudson, Andrew S. Dzurak, Kohei M. Itoh, Alexander M. Jakob, Brett C. Johnson, et al (2) Scalable quantum processors require high-fidelity universal quantum logic operations in a manufacturable physical platform. Donors in silicon provide atomic size, excellent quantum coherence and compatibility with standard semiconductor processing, but no entanglement between donor-bound electron spins has been demonstrated to date. Here we present the experimental demonstration and tomography of universal 1- and 2-qubit gates in a system of two weakly exchange-coupled electrons, bound to single phosphorus donors introduced in silicon by ion implantation. We surprisingly observe that the exchange interaction has no effect on the qubit coherence. We quantify the fidelity of the quantum operations using gate set tomography (GST), and we use the universal gate set to create entangled Bell states of the electrons spins, with fidelity ~ 93%, and concurrence 0.91 +/- 0.08. These results form the necessary basis for scaling up donor-based quantum computers.
Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Amanda E. Seedhouse, Santiago Serrano, Tuomo Tanttu, Will Gilbert, Jonathan Yue Huang, Fay Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Arne Laucht, Wee Han Lim, Chih Hwan Yang, Andre Saraiva, Andrew S. Dzurak Recently, several groups have demonstrated two-qubit gate fidelities in semiconductor spin qubit systems above 99%. Achieving this regime of fault-tolerant compatible high fidelities is nontrivial and requires exquisite stability and precise control over the different qubit parameters over an extended period of time. This can be done by efficiently calibrating qubit control parameters against different sources of micro- and macroscopic noise. Here, we present several single- and two-qubit parameter feedback protocols, optimised for and implemented in state-of-the-art fast FPGA hardware. Furthermore, we use wavelet-based analysis on the collected feedback data to gain insight into the different sources of noise in the system. Scalable feedback is an outstanding challenge and the presented implementation and analysis gives insight into the benefits and drawbacks of qubit parameter feedback, as feedback related overhead increases. This work demonstrates a pathway towards robust qubit parameter feedback and systematic noise analysis, crucial for mitigation strategies towards systematic high-fidelity qubit operation compatible with quantum error correction protocols.
Amanda E. Seedhouse, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Santiago Serrano, Tuomo Tanttu, Will Gilbert, Jonathan Yue Huang, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Arne Laucht, Wee Han Lim, Chih Hwan Yang, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andre Saraiva In quantum computing, characterising the full noise profile of qubits can aid the efforts towards increasing coherence times and fidelities by creating error mitigating techniques specific to the type of noise in the system, or by completely removing the sources of noise. Spin qubits in MOS quantum dots are exposed to noise originated from the complex glassy behaviour of two-level fluctuators, leading to non-trivial correlations between qubit properties both in space and time. With recent engineering progress, large amounts of data are being collected in typical spin qubit device experiments, and it is beneficiary to explore data analysis options inspired from fields of research that are experienced in managing large data sets, examples include astrophysics, finance and climate science. Here, we propose and demonstrate wavelet-based analysis techniques to decompose signals into both frequency and time components to gain a deeper insight into the sources of noise in our systems. We apply the analysis to a long feedback experiment performed on a state-of-the-art two-qubit system in a pair of SiMOS quantum dots. The observed correlations serve to identify common microscopic causes of noise, as well as to elucidate pathways for multi-qubit operation with a more scalable feedback system.
Jesus D. Cifuentes, Tuomo Tanttu, Paul Steinacker, Santiago Serrano, Ingvild Hansen, James P. Slack-Smith, Will Gilbert, Jonathan Y. Huang, Ensar Vahapoglu, Ross C. C. Leon, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Kohei Itoh, Nikolay Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael Thewalt, Arne Laucht, Chih Hwan Yang, Christopher C. Escott, Fay E. Hudson, Wee Han Lim, et al (3) Quantum processors based on integrated nanoscale silicon spin qubits are a promising platform for highly scalable quantum computation. Current CMOS spin qubit processors consist of dense gate arrays to define the quantum dots, making them susceptible to crosstalk from capacitive coupling between a dot and its neighbouring gates. Small but sizeable spin-orbit interactions can transfer this electrostatic crosstalk to the spin g-factors, creating a dependence of the Larmor frequency on the electric field created by gate electrodes positioned even tens of nanometers apart. By studying the Stark shift from tens of spin qubits measured in nine different CMOS devices, we developed a theoretical frawework that explains how electric fields couple to the spin of the electrons in increasingly complex arrays, including those electric fluctuations that limit qubit dephasing times $T_2^*$. The results will aid in the design of robust strategies to scale CMOS quantum technology.
In a full-scale quantum computer with a fault-tolerant architecture, having scalable, long-range interaction between qubits is expected to be a highly valuable resource. One promising method of achieving this is through the light-matter interaction between spins in semiconductors and photons in superconducting cavities. This paper examines the theory of both transverse and longitudinal spin-photon coupling and their applications in the silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiMOS) platform. We propose a method of coupling which uses the intrinsic spin-orbit interaction arising from orbital degeneracies in SiMOS qubits. Using theoretical analysis and experimental data, we show that the strong coupling regime is achievable in the transverse scheme. We also evaluate the feasibility of a longitudinal coupling driven by an AC modulation on the qubit. These coupling methods eschew the requirement for an external micromagnet, enhancing prospects for scalability and integration into a large-scale quantum computer.
Donor spins in silicon-28 ($^{28}$Si) are among the most performant qubits in the solid state, offering record coherence times and gate fidelities above 99%. Donor spin qubits can be fabricated using the semiconductor-industry compatible method of deterministic ion implantation. Here we show that the precision of this fabrication method can be boosted by implanting molecule ions instead of single atoms. The bystander ions, co-implanted with the dopant of interest, carry additional kinetic energy and thus increase the detection confidence of deterministic donor implantation employing single ion detectors to signal the induced electron-hole pairs. This allows the placement uncertainty of donor qubits to be minimised without compromising on detection confidence. We investigate the suitability of phosphorus difluoride (PF$_2^+$) molecule ions to produce high quality P donor qubits. Since $^{19}$F nuclei have a spin of $I = 1/2$, it is imperative to ensure that they do not hyperfine couple to P donor electrons as they would cause decoherence by adding magnetic noise. Using secondary ion mass spectrometry, we confirm that F diffuses away from the active region of qubit devices while the P donors remain close to their original location during a donor activation anneal. PF$_2$-implanted qubit devices were then fabricated and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements were performed on the P donor electron. A pure dephasing time of $T_2^* = 20.5 \pm 0.5$ $\mu$s and a coherence time of $T_2^{Hahn} = 424 \pm 5$ $\mu$s were extracted for the P donor electron-values comparable to those found in previous P-implanted qubit devices. Closer investigation of the P donor ESR spectrum revealed that no $^{19}$F nuclear spins were found in the vicinity of the P donor. Molecule ions therefore show great promise for producing high-precision deterministically-implanted arrays of long-lived donor spin qubits.
Jonathan Y. Huang, Rocky Y. Su, Wee Han Lim, MengKe Feng, Barnaby van Straaten, Brandon Severin, Will Gilbert, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Tuomo Tanttu, Santiago Serrano, Jesus D. Cifuentes, Ingvild Hansen, Amanda E. Seedhouse, Ensar Vahapoglu, Nikolay V. Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael L. W. Thewalt, Fay E. Hudson, Christopher C. Escott, Natalia Ares, et al (6) The encoding of qubits in semiconductor spin carriers has been recognised as a promising approach to a commercial quantum computer that can be lithographically produced and integrated at scale. However, the operation of the large number of qubits required for advantageous quantum applications will produce a thermal load exceeding the available cooling power of cryostats at millikelvin temperatures. As the scale-up accelerates, it becomes imperative to establish fault-tolerant operation above 1 kelvin, where the cooling power is orders of magnitude higher. Here, we tune up and operate spin qubits in silicon above 1 kelvin, with fidelities in the range required for fault-tolerant operation at such temperatures. We design an algorithmic initialisation protocol to prepare a pure two-qubit state even when the thermal energy is substantially above the qubit energies, and incorporate radio-frequency readout to achieve fidelities up to 99.34 per cent for both readout and initialisation. Importantly, we demonstrate a single-qubit Clifford gate fidelity of 99.85 per cent, and a two-qubit gate fidelity of 98.92 per cent. These advances overcome the fundamental limitation that the thermal energy must be well below the qubit energies for high-fidelity operation to be possible, surmounting a major obstacle in the pathway to scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computation.
R. Y. Su, J. Y. Huang, N. Dumoulin. Stuyck, M. K. Feng, W. Gilbert, T. J. Evans, W. H. Lim, F. E. Hudson, K. W. Chan, W. Huang, Kohei M. Itoh, R. Harper, S. D. Bartlett, C. H. Yang, A. Laucht, A. Saraiva, T. Tanttu, A. S. Dzurak To push gate performance to levels beyond the thresholds for quantum error correction, it is important to characterize the error sources occurring on quantum gates. However, the characterization of non-Markovian error poses a challenge to current quantum process tomography techniques. Fast Bayesian Tomography (FBT) is a self-consistent gate set tomography protocol that can be bootstrapped from earlier characterization knowledge and be updated in real-time with arbitrary gate sequences. Here we demonstrate how FBT allows for the characterization of key non-Markovian error processes. We introduce two experimental protocols for FBT to diagnose the non-Markovian behavior of two-qubit systems on silicon quantum dots. To increase the efficiency and scalability of the experiment-analysis loop, we develop an online FBT software stack. To reduce experiment cost and analysis time, we also introduce a native readout method and warm boot strategy. Our results demonstrate that FBT is a useful tool for probing non-Markovian errors that can be detrimental to the ultimate realization of fault-tolerant operation on quantum computing.
Santiago Serrano, MengKe Feng, Wee Han Lim, Amanda E. Seedhouse, Tuomo Tanttu, Will Gilbert, Christopher C. Escott, Nikolay V. Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael L. W. Thewalt, Fay E. Hudson, Andre Saraiva, Andrew S. Dzurak, Arne Laucht High fidelity qubit readout is critical in order to obtain the thresholds needed to implement quantum error correction protocols and achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing. Large-scale silicon qubit devices will have densely-packed arrays of quantum dots with multiple charge sensors that are, on average, farther away from the quantum dots, entailing a reduction in readout fidelities. Here, we present a readout technique that enhances the readout fidelity in a linear SiMOS 4-dot array by amplifying correlations between a pair of single-electron transistors, known as a twin SET. By recording and subsequently correlating the twin SET traces as we modulate the dot detuning across a charge transition, we demonstrate a reduction in the charge readout infidelity by over one order of magnitude compared to traditional readout methods. We also study the spin-to-charge conversion errors introduced by the modulation technique, and conclude that faster modulation frequencies avoid relaxation-induced errors without introducing significant spin flip errors, favouring the use of the technique at short integration times. This method not only allows for faster and higher fidelity qubit measurements, but it also enhances the signal corresponding to charge transitions that take place farther away from the sensors, enabling a way to circumvent the reduction in readout fidelities in large arrays of qubits.
Irene Fernández de Fuentes, Tim Botzem, Mark A. I. Johnson, Arjen Vaartjes, Serwan Asaad, Vincent Mourik, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Brett C. Johnson, Alexander M. Jakob, Jeffrey C. McCallum, David N. Jamieson, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andrea Morello Efficient scaling and flexible control are key aspects of useful quantum computing hardware. Spins in semiconductors combine quantum information processing with electrons, holes or nuclei, control with electric or magnetic fields, and scalable coupling via exchange or dipole interaction. However, accessing large Hilbert space dimensions has remained challenging, due to the short-distance nature of the interactions. Here, we present an atom-based semiconductor platform where a 16-dimensional Hilbert space is built by the combined electron-nuclear states of a single antimony donor in silicon. We demonstrate the ability to navigate this large Hilbert space using both electric and magnetic fields, with gate fidelity exceeding 99.8% on the nuclear spin, and unveil fine details of the system Hamiltonian and its susceptibility to control and noise fields. These results establish high-spin donors as a rich platform for practical quantum information and to explore quantum foundations.
Jesús D. Cifuentes, Tuomo Tanttu, Will Gilbert, Jonathan Y. Huang, Ensar Vahapoglu, Ross C. C. Leon, Santiago Serrano, Dennis Otter, Daniel Dunmore, Philip Y. Mai, Frédéric Schlattner, MengKe Feng, Kohei Itoh, Nikolay Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael Thewalt, Arne Laucht, Chih Hwan Yang, Christopher C. Escott, Wee Han Lim, et al (4) Spins of electrons in CMOS quantum dots combine exquisite quantum properties and scalable fabrication. In the age of quantum technology, however, the metrics that crowned Si/SiO2 as the microelectronics standard need to be reassessed with respect to their impact upon qubit performance. We chart the spin qubit variability due to the unavoidable atomic-scale roughness of the Si/SiO$_2$ interface, compiling experiments in 12 devices, and developing theoretical tools to analyse these results. Atomistic tight binding and path integral Monte Carlo methods are adapted for describing fluctuations in devices with millions of atoms by directly analysing their wavefunctions and electron paths instead of their energy spectra. We correlate the effect of roughness with the variability in qubit position, deformation, valley splitting, valley phase, spin-orbit coupling and exchange coupling. These variabilities are found to be bounded and lie within the tolerances for scalable architectures for quantum computing as long as robust control methods are incorporated.
Tuomo Tanttu, Wee Han Lim, Jonathan Y. Huang, Nard Dumoulin Stuyck, Will Gilbert, Rocky Y. Su, MengKe Feng, Jesus D. Cifuentes, Amanda E. Seedhouse, Stefan K. Seritan, Corey I. Ostrove, Kenneth M. Rudinger, Ross C. C. Leon, Wister Huang, Christopher C. Escott, Kohei M. Itoh, Nikolay V. Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael L. W. Thewalt, Fay E. Hudson, et al (7) Achieving high-fidelity entangling operations between qubits consistently is essential for the performance of multi-qubit systems and is a crucial factor in achieving fault-tolerant quantum processors. Solid-state platforms are particularly exposed to errors due to materials-induced variability between qubits, which leads to performance inconsistencies. Here we study the errors in a spin qubit processor, tying them to their physical origins. We leverage this knowledge to demonstrate consistent and repeatable operation with above 99% fidelity of two-qubit gates in the technologically important silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiMOS) quantum dot platform. We undertake a detailed study of these operations by analysing the physical errors and fidelities in multiple devices through numerous trials and extended periods to ensure that we capture the variation and the most common error types. Physical error sources include the slow nuclear and electrical noise on single qubits and contextual noise. The identification of the noise sources can be used to maintain performance within tolerance as well as inform future device fabrication. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of qubit design, feedback systems, and robust gates on implementing scalable, high-fidelity control strategies. These results are achieved by using three different characterization methods, we measure entangling gate fidelities ranging from 96.8% to 99.8%. Our analysis tools identify the causes of qubit degradation and offer ways understand their physical mechanisms. These results highlight both the capabilities and challenges for the scaling up of silicon spin-based qubits into full-scale quantum processors.
Zeheng Wang, MengKe Feng, Santiago Serrano, William Gilbert, Ross C. C. Leon, Tuomo Tanttu, Philip Mai, Dylan Liang, Jonathan Y. Huang, Yue Su, Wee Han Lim, Fay E. Hudson, Christopher C. Escott, Andrea Morello, Chih Hwan Yang, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andre Saraiva, Arne Laucht The small size and excellent integrability of silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiMOS) quantum dot spin qubits make them an attractive system for mass-manufacturable, scaled-up quantum processors. Furthermore, classical control electronics can be integrated on-chip, in-between the qubits, if an architecture with sparse arrays of qubits is chosen. In such an architecture qubits are either transported across the chip via shuttling, or coupled via mediating quantum systems over short-to-intermediate distances. This paper investigates the charge and spin characteristics of an elongated quantum dot -- a so-called jellybean quantum dot -- for the prospects of acting as a qubit-qubit coupler. Charge transport, charge sensing and magneto-spectroscopy measurements are performed on a SiMOS quantum dot device at mK temperature, and compared to Hartree-Fock multi-electron simulations. At low electron occupancies where disorder effects and strong electron-electron interaction dominate over the electrostatic confinement potential, the data reveals the formation of three coupled dots, akin to a tunable, artificial molecule. One dot is formed centrally under the gate and two are formed at the edges. At high electron occupancies, these dots merge into one large dot with well-defined spin states, verifying that jellybean dots have the potential to be used as qubit couplers in future quantum computing architectures.
MengKe Feng, Jun Yoneda, Wister Huang, Yue Su, Tuomo Tanttu, Chih Hwan Yang, Jesus D. Cifuentes, Kok Wai Chan, William Gilbert, Ross C. C. Leon, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Arne Laucht, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andre Saraiva One of the key pathways towards scalability of spin-based quantum computing systems lies in achieving long-range interactions between electrons and increasing their inter-connectivity. Coherent spin transport is one of the most promising strategies to achieve this architectural advantage. Experimental results have previously demonstrated high fidelity transportation of spin qubits between two quantum dots in silicon and identified possible sources of error. In this theoretical study, we investigate these errors and analyze the impact of tunnel coupling, magnetic field and spin-orbit effects on the spin transfer process. The interplay between these effects gives rise to double dot configurations that include regimes of enhanced decoherence that should be avoided for quantum information processing. These conclusions permit us to extrapolate previous experimental conclusions and rationalize the future design of large scale quantum processors.
Rostyslav Savytskyy, Tim Botzem, Irene Fernandez de Fuentes, Benjamin Joecker, Jarryd J. Pla, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Alexander M. Jakob, Brett C. Johnson, David N. Jamieson, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andrea Morello The spins of atoms and atom-like systems are among the most coherent objects in which to store quantum information. However, the need to address them using oscillating magnetic fields hinders their integration with quantum electronic devices. Here we circumvent this hurdle by operating a single-atom `flip-flop' qubit in silicon, where quantum information is encoded in the electron-nuclear states of a phosphorus donor. The qubit is controlled using local electric fields at microwave frequencies, produced within a metal-oxide-semiconductor device. The electrical drive is mediated by the modulation of the electron-nuclear hyperfine coupling, a method that can be extended to many other atomic and molecular systems. These results pave the way to the construction of solid-state quantum processors where dense arrays of atoms can be controlled using only local electric fields.
Will Gilbert, Tuomo Tanttu, Wee Han Lim, MengKe Feng, Jonathan Y. Huang, Jesus D. Cifuentes, Santiago Serrano, Philip Y. Mai, Ross C. C. Leon, Christopher C. Escott, Kohei M. Itoh, Nikolay V. Abrosimov, Hans-Joachim Pohl, Michael L. W. Thewalt, Fay E. Hudson, Andrea Morello, Arne Laucht, Chih Hwan Yang, Andre Saraiva, Andrew S. Dzurak Once called a "classically non-describable two-valuedness" by Pauli , the electron spin is a natural resource for long-lived quantum information since it is mostly impervious to electric fluctuations and can be replicated in large arrays using silicon quantum dots, which offer high-fidelity control. Paradoxically, one of the most convenient control strategies is the integration of nanoscale magnets to artificially enhance the coupling between spins and electric field, which in turn hampers the spin's noise immunity and adds architectural complexity. Here we demonstrate a technique that enables a \emphswitchable interaction between spins and orbital motion of electrons in silicon quantum dots, without the presence of a micromagnet. The naturally weak effects of the relativistic spin-orbit interaction in silicon are enhanced by more than three orders of magnitude by controlling the energy quantisation of electrons in the nanostructure, enhancing the orbital motion. Fast electrical control is demonstrated in multiple devices and electronic configurations, highlighting the utility of the technique. Using the electrical drive we achieve coherence time $T_{2,{\rm Hahn}}\approx50 \mu$s, fast single-qubit gates with ${T_{\pi/2}=3}$ ns and gate fidelities of 99.93 % probed by randomised benchmarking. The higher gate speeds and better compatibility with CMOS manufacturing enabled by on-demand electric control improve the prospects for realising scalable silicon quantum processors.
Fault-tolerant quantum computing requires initializing the quantum register in a well-defined fiducial state. In solid-state systems, this is typically achieved through thermalization to a cold reservoir, such that the initialization fidelity is fundamentally limited by temperature. Here, we present a method of preparing a fiducial quantum state with a confidence beyond the thermal limit. It is based on real time monitoring of the qubit through a negative-result measurement -- the equivalent of a `Maxwell's demon' that triggers the experiment only upon the appearance of a qubit in the lowest-energy state. We experimentally apply it to initialize an electron spin qubit in silicon, achieving a ground-state initialization fidelity of 98.9(4)%, corresponding to a 20$\times$ reduction in initialization error compared to the unmonitored system. A fidelity approaching 99.9% could be achieved with realistic improvements in the bandwidth of the amplifier chain or by slowing down the rate of electron tunneling from the reservoir. We use a nuclear spin ancilla, measured in quantum nondemolition mode, to prove the value of the electron initialization fidelity far beyond the intrinsic fidelity of the electron readout. However, the method itself does not require an ancilla for its execution, saving the need for additional resources. The quantitative analysis of the initialization fidelity reveals that a simple picture of spin-dependent electron tunneling does not correctly describe the data. Our digital `Maxwell's demon' can be applied to a wide range of quantum systems, with minimal demands on control and detection hardware.
Quantum computing based on spins in the solid state allows for densely-packed arrays of quantum bits. While high-fidelity operation of single qubits has been demonstrated with individual control pulses, the operation of large-scale quantum processors requires a shift in paradigm towards global control solutions. Here we report the experimental implementation of a new type of qubit protocol - the SMART (Sinusoidally Modulated, Always Rotating and Tailored) protocol. As with a dressed qubit, we resonantly drive a two-level system with a continuous microwave field, but here we add a tailored modulation to the dressing field to achieve increased robustness to detuning noise and microwave amplitude fluctuations. We implement this new protocol to control a single spin confined in a silicon quantum dot and confirm the optimal modulation conditions predicted from theory. Universal control of a single qubit is demonstrated using modulated Stark shift control via the local gate electrodes. We measure an extended coherence time of $2$ ms and an average Clifford gate fidelity $>99$ $\%$ despite the relatively long qubit gate times ($>15$ $\unicode[serif]{x03BC}$s, $20$ times longer than a conventional square pulse gate), constituting a significant improvement over a conventional spin qubit and a dressed qubit. This work shows that future scalable spin qubit arrays could be operated using global microwave control and local gate addressability, while maintaining robustness to relevant experimental inhomogeneities.
T. J. Evans, W. Huang, J. Yoneda, R. Harper, T. Tanttu, K. W. Chan, F. E. Hudson, K. M. Itoh, A. Saraiva, C. H. Yang, A. S. Dzurak, S. D. Bartlett Benchmarking and characterising quantum states and logic gates is essential in the development of devices for quantum computing. We introduce a Bayesian approach to self-consistent process tomography, called fast Bayesian tomography (FBT), and experimentally demonstrate its performance in characterising a two-qubit gate set on a silicon-based spin qubit device. FBT is built on an adaptive self-consistent linearisation that is robust to model approximation errors. Our method offers several advantages over other self-consistent tomographic methods. Most notably, FBT can leverage prior information from randomised benchmarking (or other characterisation measurements), and can be performed in real time, providing continuously updated estimates of full process matrices while data is acquired.
Mateusz T. Mądzik, Serwan Asaad, Akram Youssry, Benjamin Joecker, Kenneth M. Rudinger, Erik Nielsen, Kevin C. Young, Timothy J. Proctor, Andrew D. Baczewski, Arne Laucht, Vivien Schmitt, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Alexander M. Jakob, Brett C. Johnson, David N. Jamieson, Andrew S. Dzurak, Christopher Ferrie, Robin Blume-Kohout, Andrea Morello Nuclear spins were among the first physical platforms to be considered for quantum information processing, because of their exceptional quantum coherence and atomic-scale footprint. However, their full potential for quantum computing has not yet been realized, due to the lack of methods to link nuclear qubits within a scalable device combined with multi-qubit operations with sufficient fidelity to sustain fault-tolerant quantum computation. Here we demonstrate universal quantum logic operations using a pair of ion-implanted 31P donor nuclei in a silicon nanoelectronic device. A nuclear two-qubit controlled-Z gate is obtained by imparting a geometric phase to a shared electron spin, and used to prepare entangled Bell states with fidelities up to 94.2(2.7)%. The quantum operations are precisely characterised using gate set tomography (GST), yielding one-qubit average gate fidelities up to 99.95(2)%, two-qubit average gate fidelity of 99.37(11)% and two-qubit preparation/measurement fidelities of 98.95(4)%. These three metrics indicate that nuclear spins in silicon are approaching the performance demanded in fault-tolerant quantum processors. We then demonstrate entanglement between the two nuclei and the shared electron by producing a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger three-qubit state with 92.5(1.0)% fidelity. Since electron spin qubits in semiconductors can be further coupled to other electrons or physically shuttled across different locations, these results establish a viable route for scalable quantum information processing using donor nuclear and electron spins.
Recent studies of silicon spin qubits at temperatures above 1 K are encouraging demonstrations that the cooling requirements for solid-state quantum computing can be considerably relaxed. However, qubit readout mechanisms that rely on charge sensing with a single-island single-electron transistor (SISET) quickly lose sensitivity due to thermal broadening of the electron distribution in the reservoirs. Here we exploit the tunneling between two quantised states in a double-island SET (DISET) to demonstrate a charge sensor with an improvement in signal-to-noise by an order of magnitude compared to a standard SISET, and a single-shot charge readout fidelity above 99 % up to 8 K at a bandwidth > 100 kHz. These improvements are consistent with our theoretical modelling of the temperature-dependent current transport for both types of SETs. With minor additional hardware overheads, these sensors can be integrated into existing qubit architectures for high fidelity charge readout at few-kelvin temperatures.
J. Yoneda, W. Huang, M. Feng, C. H. Yang, K. W. Chan, T. Tanttu, W. Gilbert, R. C. C. Leon, F. E. Hudson, K. M. Itoh, A. Morello, S. D. Bartlett, A. Laucht, A. Saraiva, A. S. Dzurak A fault-tolerant quantum processor may be configured using stationary qubits interacting only with their nearest neighbours, but at the cost of significant overheads in physical qubits per logical qubit. Such overheads could be reduced by coherently transporting qubits across the chip, allowing connectivity beyond immediate neighbours. Here we demonstrate high-fidelity coherent transport of an electron spin qubit between quantum dots in isotopically-enriched silicon. We observe qubit precession in the inter-site tunnelling regime and assess the impact of qubit transport using Ramsey interferometry and quantum state tomography techniques. We report a polarization transfer fidelity of 99.97% and an average coherent transfer fidelity of 99.4%. Our results provide key elements for high-fidelity, on-chip quantum information distribution, as long envisaged, reinforcing the scaling prospects of silicon-based spin qubits.
Silicon nanoelectronic devices can host single-qubit quantum logic operations with fidelity better than 99.9%. For the spins of an electron bound to a single donor atom, introduced in the silicon by ion implantation, the quantum information can be stored for nearly 1 second. However, manufacturing a scalable quantum processor with this method is considered challenging, because of the exponential sensitivity of the exchange interaction that mediates the coupling between the qubits. Here we demonstrate the conditional, coherent control of an electron spin qubit in an exchange-coupled pair of $^{31}$P donors implanted in silicon. The coupling strength, $J = 32.06 \pm 0.06$ MHz, is measured spectroscopically with unprecedented precision. Since the coupling is weaker than the electron-nuclear hyperfine coupling $A \approx 90$ MHz which detunes the two electrons, a native two-qubit Controlled-Rotation gate can be obtained via a simple electron spin resonance pulse. This scheme is insensitive to the precise value of $J$, which makes it suitable for the scale-up of donor-based quantum computers in silicon that exploit the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor fabrication protocols commonly used in the classical electronics industry.
Kok Wai Chan, Harshad Sahasrabudhe, Wister Huang, Yu Wang, Henry C. Yang, Menno Veldhorst, Jason C. C. Hwang, Fahd A. Mohiyaddin, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Andre Saraiva, Andrea Morello, Arne Laucht, Rajib Rahman, Andrew S. Dzurak Quantum gates between spin qubits can be implemented leveraging the natural Heisenberg exchange interaction between two electrons in contact with each other. This interaction is controllable by electrically tailoring the overlap between electronic wavefunctions in quantum dot systems, as long as they occupy neighbouring dots. An alternative route is the exploration of superexchange - the coupling between remote spins mediated by a third idle electron that bridges the distance between quantum dots. We experimentally demonstrate direct exchange coupling and provide evidence for second neighbour mediated superexchange in a linear array of three single-electron spin qubits in silicon, inferred from the electron spin resonance frequency spectra. We confirm theoretically through atomistic modeling that the device geometry only allows for sizeable direct exchange coupling for neighbouring dots, while next nearest neighbour coupling cannot stem from the vanishingly small tail of the electronic wavefunction of the remote dots, and is only possible if mediated.
Amanda Seedhouse, Tuomo Tanttu, Ross C. C. Leon, Ruichen Zhao, Kuan Yen Tan, Bas Hensen, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Jun Yoneda, Chih Hwan Yang, Andrea Morello, Arne Laucht, Susan N. Coppersmith, Andre Saraiva, Andrew S. Dzurak Quantum computation relies on accurate measurements of qubits not only for reading the output of the calculation, but also to perform error correction. Most proposed scalable silicon architectures utilize Pauli blockade of triplet states for spin-to-charge conversion. In recent experiments, there have been instances when instead of conventional triplet blockade readout, Pauli blockade is sustained only between parallel spin configurations, with $|T_0\rangle$ relaxing quickly to the singlet state and leaving $|T_+\rangle$ and $|T_-\rangle$ states blockaded -- which we call \textitparity readout. Both types of blockade can be used for readout in quantum computing, but it is crucial to maximize the fidelity and understand in which regime the system operates. We devise and perform an experiment in which the crossover between parity and singlet-triplet readout can be identified by investigating the underlying physics of the $|T_0\rangle$ relaxation rate. This rate is tunable over four orders of magnitude by controlling the Zeeman energy difference between the dots induced by spin-orbit coupling, which in turn depends on the direction of the applied magnetic field. We suggest a theoretical model incorporating charge noise and relaxation effects that explains quantitatively our results. Investigating the model both analytically and numerically, we identify strategies to obtain on-demand either singlet-triplet or parity readout consistently across large arrays of dots. We also discuss how parity readout can be used to perform full two-qubit state tomography and its impact on quantum error detection schemes in large-scale silicon quantum computers.
Máté Jenei, Ruichen Zhao, Kuan Y. Tan, Tuomo Tanttu, Kok W. Chan, Yuxin Sun, Vasilii Sevriuk, Fay Hudson, Alessandro Rossi, Andrew Dzurak, Mikko Möttönen Schemes aimed at transferring individual electrons in semiconductor devices and detecting possible transfer errors have increasing importance for metrological applications. We study the coupling of a superconducting Josephson-junction-based charge detector to an electron island defined by field-effect in silicon. The flexibility of our device allows one to tune the coupling using the detector as an additional gate electrode. We study the reliability of the electron sensor in different device configurations and the suitability of various operation modes for error detection in electron pumping experiments. As a result, we obtain a charge detection bandwidth of 5.87 kHz with unity signal to noise ratio at 300 mK bath temperature.
Mateusz T. Mądzik, Thaddeus D. Ladd, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, Alexander M. Jakob, Brett C. Johnson, David N. Jamieson, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, Arne Laucht, Andrea Morello The quantum coherence and gate fidelity of electron spin qubits in semiconductors is often limited by noise arising from coupling to a bath of nuclear spins. Isotopic enrichment of spin-zero nuclei such as $^{28}$Si has led to spectacular improvements of the dephasing time $T_2^*$ which, surprisingly, can extend two orders of magnitude beyond theoretical expectations. Using a single-atom $^{31}$P qubit in enriched $^{28}$Si, we show that the abnormally long $T_2^*$ is due to the controllable freezing of the dynamics of the residual $^{29}$Si nuclei close to the donor. Our conclusions are supported by a nearly parameter-free modeling of the $^{29}$Si nuclear spin dynamics, which reveals the degree of back-action provided by the electron spin as it interacts with the nuclear bath. This study clarifies the limits of ergodic assumptions in analyzing many-body spin-problems under conditions of strong, frequent measurement, and provides novel strategies for maximizing coherence and gate fidelity of spin qubits in semiconductors.
Serwan Asaad, Vincent Mourik, Benjamin Joecker, Mark A. I. Johnson, Andrew D. Baczewski, Hannes R. Firgau, Mateusz T. Mądzik, Vivien Schmitt, Jarryd J. Pla, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M.Itoh, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, Arne Laucht, Andrea Morello Nuclear spins are highly coherent quantum objects. In large ensembles, their control and detection via magnetic resonance is widely exploited, e.g. in chemistry, medicine, materials science and mining. Nuclear spins also featured in early ideas and demonstrations of quantum information processing. Scaling up these ideas requires controlling individual nuclei, which can be detected when coupled to an electron. However, the need to address the nuclei via oscillating magnetic fields complicates their integration in multi-spin nanoscale devices, because the field cannot be localized or screened. Control via electric fields would resolve this problem, but previous methods relied upon transducing electric signals into magnetic fields via the electron-nuclear hyperfine interaction, which severely affects the nuclear coherence. Here we demonstrate the coherent quantum control of a single antimony (spin-7/2) nucleus, using localized electric fields produced within a silicon nanoelectronic device. The method exploits an idea first proposed in 1961 but never realized experimentally with a single nucleus. Our results are quantitatively supported by a microscopic theoretical model that reveals how the purely electrical modulation of the nuclear electric quadrupole interaction, in the presence of lattice strain, results in coherent nuclear spin transitions. The spin dephasing time, 0.1 seconds, surpasses by orders of magnitude those obtained via methods that require a coupled electron spin for electrical drive. These results show that high-spin quadrupolar nuclei could be deployed as chaotic models, strain sensors and hybrid spin-mechanical quantum systems using all-electrical controls. Integrating electrically controllable nuclei with quantum dots could pave the way to scalable nuclear- and electron-spin-based quantum computers in silicon that operate without the need for oscillating magnetic fields.
Bas Hensen, Wister Wei Huang, Chih-Hwan Yang, Kok Wai Chan, Jun Yoneda, Tuomo Tanttu, Fay E. Hudson, Arne Laucht, Kohei M. Itoh, Thaddeus D. Ladd, Andrea Morello, Andrew S. Dzurak Single nuclear spins in the solid state have long been envisaged as a platform for quantum computing, due to their long coherence times and excellent controllability. Measurements can be performed via localised electrons, for example those in single atom dopants or crystal defects. However, establishing long-range interactions between multiple dopants or defects is challenging. Conversely, in lithographically-defined quantum dots, tuneable interdot electron tunnelling allows direct coupling of electron spin-based qubits in neighbouring dots. Moreover, compatibility with semiconductor fabrication techniques provides a compelling route to scaling to large numbers of qubits. Unfortunately, hyperfine interactions are typically too weak to address single nuclei. Here we show that for electrons in silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor quantum dots the hyperfine interaction is sufficient to initialise, read-out and control single silicon-29 nuclear spins, yielding a combination of the long coherence times of nuclear spins with the flexibility and scalability of quantum dot systems. We demonstrate high-fidelity projective readout and control of the nuclear spin qubit, as well as entanglement between the nuclear and electron spins. Crucially, we find that both the nuclear spin and electron spin retain their coherence while moving the electron between quantum dots, paving the way to long range nuclear-nuclear entanglement via electron shuttling. Our results establish nuclear spins in quantum dots as a powerful new resource for quantum processing.
C. H. Yang, R. C. C. Leon, J. C. C. Hwang, A. Saraiva, T. Tanttu, W. Huang, J. Camirand Lemyre, K. W. Chan, K. Y. Tan, F. E. Hudson, K. M. Itoh, A. Morello, M. Pioro-Ladrière, A. Laucht, A. S. Dzurak Quantum computers are expected to outperform conventional computers for a range of important problems, from molecular simulation to search algorithms, once they can be scaled up to large numbers of quantum bits (qubits), typically millions. For most solid-state qubit technologies, e.g. those using superconducting circuits or semiconductor spins, scaling poses a significant challenge as every additional qubit increases the heat generated, while the cooling power of dilution refrigerators is severely limited at their operating temperature below 100 mK. Here we demonstrate operation of a scalable silicon quantum processor unit cell, comprising two qubits confined to quantum dots (QDs) at $\sim$1.5 Kelvin. We achieve this by isolating the QDs from the electron reservoir, initialising and reading the qubits solely via tunnelling of electrons between the two QDs. We coherently control the qubits using electrically-driven spin resonance (EDSR) in isotopically enriched silicon $^{28}$Si, attaining single-qubit gate fidelities of 98.6% and coherence time $T_2^*$ = 2$\mu$s during `hot' operation, comparable to those of spin qubits in natural silicon at millikelvin temperatures. Furthermore, we show that the unit cell can be operated at magnetic fields as low as 0.1 T, corresponding to a qubit control frequency of 3.5 GHz, where the qubit energy is well below the thermal energy. The unit cell constitutes the core building block of a full-scale silicon quantum computer, and satisfies layout constraints required by error correction architectures. Our work indicates that a spin-based quantum computer could be operated at elevated temperatures in a simple pumped $^4$He system, offering orders of magnitude higher cooling power than dilution refrigerators, potentially enabling classical control electronics to be integrated with the qubit array.
A. West, B. Hensen, A. Jouan, T. Tanttu, C.H. Yang, A. Rossi, M.F. Gonzalez-Zalba, F.E. Hudson, A. Morello, D.J. Reilly, A.S. Dzurak Electron spins in silicon quantum dots provide a promising route towards realising the large number of coupled qubits required for a useful quantum processor. At present, the requisite single-shot spin qubit measurements are performed using on-chip charge sensors, capacitively coupled to the quantum dots. However, as the number of qubits is increased, this approach becomes impractical due to the footprint and complexity of the charge sensors, combined with the required proximity to the quantum dots. Alternatively, the spin state can be measured directly by detecting the complex impedance of spin-dependent electron tunnelling between quantum dots. This can be achieved using radio-frequency reflectometry on a single gate electrode defining the quantum dot itself, significantly reducing gate count and architectural complexity, but thus far it has not been possible to achieve single-shot spin readout using this technique. Here, we detect single electron tunnelling in a double quantum dot and demonstrate that gate-based sensing can be used to read out the electron spin state in a single shot, with an average readout fidelity of 73%. The result demonstrates a key step towards the readout of many spin qubits in parallel, using a compact gate design that will be needed for a large-scale semiconductor quantum processor.
C. H. Yang, K. W. Chan, R. Harper, W. Huang, T. Evans, J. C. C. Hwang, B. Hensen, A. Laucht, T. Tanttu, F. E. Hudson, S. T. Flammia, K. M. Itoh, A. Morello, S. D. Bartlett, A. S. Dzurak The performance requirements for fault-tolerant quantum computing are very stringent. Qubits must be manipulated, coupled, and measured with error rates well below 1%. For semiconductor implementations, silicon quantum dot spin qubits have demonstrated average single-qubit Clifford gate error rates that approach this threshold, notably with error rates of 0.14% in isotopically enriched $^{28}$Si/SiGe devices. This gate performance, together with high-fidelity two-qubit gates and measurements, is only known to meet the threshold for fault-tolerant quantum computing in some architectures when assuming that the noise is incoherent, and still lower error rates are needed to reduce overhead. Here we experimentally show that pulse engineering techniques, widely used in magnetic resonance, improve average Clifford gate error rates for silicon quantum dot spin qubits to 0.043%,a factor of 3 improvement on previous best results for silicon quantum dot devices. By including tomographically complete measurements in randomised benchmarking, we infer a higher-order feature of the noise called the unitarity, which measures the coherence of noise. This in turn allows us to theoretically predict that average gate error rates as low as 0.026% may be achievable with further pulse improvements. These fidelities are ultimately limited by Markovian noise, which we attribute to charge noise emanating from the silicon device structure itself, or the environment.
W. Huang, C. H. Yang, K. W. Chan, T. Tanttu, B. Hensen, R. C. C. Leon, M. A. Fogarty, J. C. C. Hwang, F. E. Hudson, K. M. Itoh, A. Morello, A. Laucht, A. S. Dzurak Universal quantum computation will require qubit technology based on a scalable platform, together with quantum error correction protocols that place strict limits on the maximum infidelities for one- and two-qubit gate operations. While a variety of qubit systems have shown high fidelities at the one-qubit level, superconductor technologies have been the only solid-state qubits manufactured via standard lithographic techniques which have demonstrated two-qubit fidelities near the fault-tolerant threshold. Silicon-based quantum dot qubits are also amenable to large-scale manufacture and can achieve high single-qubit gate fidelities (exceeding 99.9%) using isotopically enriched silicon. However, while two-qubit gates have been demonstrated in silicon, it has not yet been possible to rigorously assess their fidelities using randomized benchmarking, since this requires sequences of significant numbers of qubit operations ($\gtrsim 20$) to be completed with non-vanishing fidelity. Here, for qubits encoded on the electron spin states of gate-defined quantum dots, we demonstrate Bell state tomography with fidelities ranging from 80% to 89%, and two-qubit randomized benchmarking with an average Clifford gate fidelity of 94.7% and average Controlled-ROT (CROT) fidelity of 98.0%. These fidelities are found to be limited by the relatively slow gate times employed here compared with the decoherence times $T_2^*$ of the qubits. Silicon qubit designs employing fast gate operations based on high Rabi frequencies, together with advanced pulsing techniques, should therefore enable significantly higher fidelities in the near future.
K. W. Chan, W. Huang, C. H. Yang, J. C. C. Hwang, B. Hensen, T. Tanttu, F. E. Hudson, K. M. Itoh, A. Laucht, A. Morello, A. S. Dzurak Preserving coherence long enough to perform meaningful calculations is one of the major challenges on the pathway to large scale quantum computer implementations. Noise coupled from the environment is the main contributing factor to decoherence but can be mitigated via engineering design and control solutions. However, this is only possible after acquiring a thorough understanding of the dominant noise sources and their spectrum. In this paper, we employ a silicon quantum dot spin qubit as a metrological device to study the noise environment experienced by the qubit. We compare the sensitivity of this qubit to electrical noise with that of an implanted phosphorus donor in silicon qubit in the same environment and measurement set-up. Our results show that, as expected, a quantum dot spin qubit is more sensitive to electrical noise than a donor spin qubit due to the larger Stark shift, and the noise spectroscopy data shows pronounced charge noise contributions at intermediate frequencies (2-20 kHz).
M.A. Fogarty, K.W. Chan, B. Hensen, W. Huang, T. Tanttu, C.H. Yang, A. Laucht, M. Veldhorst, F.E. Hudson, K.M. Itoh, D. Culcer, A. Morello, A.S. Dzurak Silicon quantum dot spin qubits provide a promising platform for large-scale quantum computation because of their compatibility with conventional CMOS manufacturing and the long coherence times accessible using $^{28}$Si enriched material. A scalable error-corrected quantum processor, however, will require control of many qubits in parallel, while performing error detection across the constituent qubits. Spin resonance techniques are a convenient path to parallel two-axis control, while Pauli spin blockade can be used to realize local parity measurements for error detection. Despite this, silicon qubit implementations have so far focused on either single-spin resonance control, or control and measurement via voltage-pulse detuning in the two-spin singlet-triplet basis, but not both simultaneously. Here, we demonstrate an integrated device platform incorporating a silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor double quantum dot that is capable of single-spin addressing and control via electron spin resonance, combined with high-fidelity spin readout in the singlet-triplet basis.
J. T. Muhonen, J. P. Dehollain, A. Laucht, S. Simmons, R. Kalra, F. E. Hudson, D. N. Jamieson, J. C. McCallum, K. M. Itoh, A. S. Dzurak, A. Morello The understanding of weak measurements and interaction-free measurements has greatly expanded the conceptual and experimental toolbox to explore the quantum world. Here we demonstrate single-shot variable-strength weak measurements of the electron and the nuclear spin states of a single $^{31}$P donor in silicon. We first show how the partial collapse of the nuclear spin due to measurement can be used to coherently rotate the spin to a desired pure state. We explicitly demonstrate that phase coherence is preserved throughout multiple sequential single-shot weak measurements, and that the partial state collapse can be reversed. Second, we use the relation between measurement strength and perturbation of the nuclear state as a physical meter to extract the tunneling rates between the $^{31}$P donor and a nearby electron reservoir from data, conditioned on observing no tunneling events. Our experiments open avenues to measurement-based state preparation, steering and feedback protocols for spin systems in the solid state, and highlight the fundamental connection between information gain and state modification in quantum mechanics.
S. Freer, S. Simmons, A. Laucht, J.T. Muhonen, J.P. Dehollain, R. Kalra, F.A. Mohiyaddin, F. Hudson, K.M. Itoh, J.C. McCallum, D.N. Jamieson, A.S. Dzurak, A. Morello Long coherence times and fast gate operations are desirable but often conflicting requirements for physical qubits. This conflict can be resolved by resorting to fast qubits for operations, and by storing their state in a `quantum memory' while idle. The $^{31}$P donor in silicon comes naturally equipped with a fast qubit (the electron spin) and a long-lived qubit (the $^{31}$P nuclear spin), coexisting in a bound state at cryogenic temperatures. Here, we demonstrate storage and retrieval of quantum information from a single donor electron spin to its host phosphorus nucleus in isotopically-enriched $^{28}$Si. The fidelity of the memory process is characterised via both state and process tomography. We report an overall process fidelity of $F_p =$81${\pm}$7%, a memory fidelity ($F_m$) of over 90%, and memory storage times up to 80 ms. These values are limited by a transient shift of the electron spin resonance frequency following high-power radiofrequency pulses.
Arne Laucht, Stephanie Simmons, Rachpon Kalra, Guilherme Tosi, Juan P. Dehollain, Juha T. Muhonen, Solomon Freer, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, David N. Jamieson, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andrea Morello We investigate the dynamics of a strongly-driven, microwave-dressed, donor-bound electron spin qubit in silicon. A resonant oscillating magnetic field $B_1$ is used to dress the electron spin and create a new quantum system with a level splitting proportional to $B_1$. The dressed two-level system can then be driven by modulating the detuning $\Delta\nu$ between the microwave source frequency $\nu_{\rm MW}$ and the electron spin transition frequency $\nu_e$ at the frequency of the level splitting. The resulting dressed qubit Rabi frequency $\Omega_{R\rho}$ is defined by the modulation amplitude, which can be made comparable to the level splitting using frequency modulation on the microwave source. This allows us to investigate the regime where the rotating wave approximation breaks down, without requiring microwave power levels that would be incompatible with a cryogenic environment. We observe clear deviations from normal Rabi oscillations and can numerically simulate the time evolution of the states in excellent agreement with the experimental data.
Arne Laucht, Rachpon Kalra, Stephanie Simmons, Juan P. Dehollain, Juha T. Muhonen, Fahd A. Mohiyaddin, Solomon Freer, Fay E. Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, David N. Jamieson, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, A. Morello Coherent dressing of a quantum two-level system provides access to a new quantum system with improved properties - a different and easily tuneable level splitting, faster control, and longer coherence times. In our work we investigate the properties of the dressed, donor-bound electron spin in silicon, and probe its potential for the use as quantum bit in scalable architectures. The two dressed spin-polariton levels constitute a quantum bit that can be coherently driven with an oscillating magnetic field, an oscillating electric field, by frequency modulating the driving field, or by a simple detuning pulse. We measure coherence times of $T_{2\rho}^*=2.4$ ms and $T_{2\rho}^{\rm Hahn}=9$ ms, one order of magnitude longer than those of the undressed qubit. Furthermore, the use of the dressed states enables coherent coupling of the solid-state spins to electric fields and mechanical oscillations.
Juan P. Dehollain, Stephanie Simmons, Juha T. Muhonen, Rachpon Kalra, Arne Laucht, Fay Hudson, Kohei M. Itoh, David N. Jamieson, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andrea Morello Bell's theorem sets a boundary between the classical and quantum realms, by providing a strict proof of the existence of entangled quantum states with no classical counterpart. An experimental violation of Bell's inequality demands simultaneously high fidelities in the preparation, manipulation and measurement of multipartite quantum entangled states. For this reason the Bell signal has been tagged as a single-number benchmark for the performance of quantum computing devices. Here we demonstrate deterministic, on-demand generation of two-qubit entangled states of the electron and the nuclear spin of a single phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon nanoelectronic device. By sequentially reading the electron and the nucleus, we show that these entangled states violate the Bell/CHSH inequality with a Bell signal of 2.50(10). An even higher value of 2.70(9) is obtained by mapping the parity of the two-qubit state onto the nuclear spin, which allows for high-fidelity quantum non-demolition measurement (QND) of the parity. Furthermore, we complement the Bell inequality entanglement witness with full two-qubit state tomography exploiting QND measurement, which reveals that our prepared states match the target maximally entangled Bell states with $>$96\% fidelity. These experiments demonstrate complete control of the two-qubit Hilbert space of a phosphorus atom, and show that this system is able to maintain its simultaneously high initialization, manipulation and measurement fidelities past the single-qubit regime.
Arne Laucht, Juha T. Muhonen, Fahd A. Mohiyaddin, Rachpon Kalra, Juan P. Dehollain, Solomon Freer, Fay E. Hudson, Menno Veldhorst, Rajib Rahman, Gerhard Klimeck, Kohei M. Itoh, David N. Jamieson, Jeffrey C. McCallum, Andrew S. Dzurak, Andrea Morello Large-scale quantum computers must be built upon quantum bits that are both highly coherent and locally controllable. We demonstrate the quantum control of the electron and the nuclear spin of a single 31P atom in silicon, using a continuous microwave magnetic field together with nanoscale electrostatic gates. The qubits are tuned into resonance with the microwave field by a local change in electric field, which induces a Stark shift of the qubit energies. This method, known as A-gate control, preserves the excellent coherence times and gate fidelities of isolated spins, and can be extended to arbitrarily many qubits without requiring multiple microwave sources.
M. Veldhorst, C.H. Yang, J.C.C. Hwang, W. Huang, J.P. Dehollain, J.T. Muhonen, S. Simmons, A. Laucht, F.E. Hudson, K.M. Itoh, A. Morello, A.S. Dzurak Quantum computation requires qubits that can be coupled and realized in a scalable manner, together with universal and high-fidelity one- and two-qubit logic gates \citeDiVincenzo2000, Loss1998. Strong effort across several fields have led to an impressive array of qubit realizations, including trapped ions \citeBrown2011, superconducting circuits \citeBarends2014, single photons\citeKok2007, single defects or atoms in diamond \citeWaldherr2014, Dolde2014 and silicon \citeMuhonen2014, and semiconductor quantum dots \citeVeldhorst2014, all with single qubit fidelities exceeding the stringent thresholds required for fault-tolerant quantum computing \citeFowler2012. Despite this, high-fidelity two-qubit gates in the solid-state that can be manufactured using standard lithographic techniques have so far been limited to superconducting qubits \citeBarends2014, as semiconductor systems have suffered from difficulties in coupling qubits and dephasing \citeNowack2011, Brunner2011, Shulman2012. Here, we show that these issues can be eliminated altogether using single spins in isotopically enriched silicon\citeItoh2014 by demonstrating single- and two-qubit operations in a quantum dot system using the exchange interaction, as envisaged in the original Loss-DiVincenzo proposal \citeLoss1998. We realize CNOT gates via either controlled rotation (CROT) or controlled phase (CZ) operations combined with single-qubit operations. Direct gate-voltage control provides single-qubit addressability, together with a switchable exchange interaction that is employed in the two-qubit CZ gate. The speed of the two-qubit CZ operations is controlled electrically via the detuning energy and we find that over 100 two-qubit gates can be performed within a two-qubit coherence time of 8 \textmu s, thereby satisfying the criteria required for scalable quantum computation.
J. T. Muhonen, A. Laucht, S. Simmons, J. P. Dehollain, R. Kalra, F. E. Hudson, S. Freer, K. M. Itoh, D. N. Jamieson, J. C. McCallum, A. S. Dzurak, A. Morello Building upon the demonstration of coherent control and single-shot readout of the electron and nuclear spins of individual 31-P atoms in silicon, we present here a systematic experimental estimate of quantum gate fidelities using randomized benchmarking of 1-qubit gates in the Clifford group. We apply this analysis to the electron and the ionized 31-P nucleus of a single P donor in isotopically purified 28-Si. We find average gate fidelities of 99.95 % for the electron, and 99.99 % for the nuclear spin. These values are above certain error correction thresholds, and demonstrate the potential of donor-based quantum computing in silicon. By studying the influence of the shape and power of the control pulses, we find evidence that the present limitation to the gate fidelity is mostly related to the external hardware, and not the intrinsic behaviour of the qubit.
The spin of an electron or a nucleus in a semiconductor [1] naturally implements the unit of quantum information -- the qubit -- while providing a technological link to the established electronics industry [2]. The solid-state environment, however, may provide deleterious interactions between the qubit and the nuclear spins of surrounding atoms [3], or charge and spin fluctuators in defects, oxides and interfaces [4]. For group IV materials such as silicon, enrichment of the spin-zero 28-Si isotope drastically reduces spin-bath decoherence [5]. Experiments on bulk spin ensembles in 28-Si crystals have indeed demonstrated extraordinary coherence times [6-8]. However, it remained unclear whether these would persist at the single-spin level, in gated nanostructures near amorphous interfaces. Here we present the coherent operation of individual 31-P electron and nuclear spin qubits in a top-gated nanostructure, fabricated on an isotopically engineered 28-Si substrate. We report new benchmarks for coherence time (> 30 seconds) and control fidelity (> 99.99%) of any single qubit in solid state, and perform a detailed noise spectroscopy [9] to demonstrate that -- contrary to widespread belief -- the coherence is not limited by the proximity to an interface. Our results represent a fundamental advance in control and understanding of spin qubits in nanostructures.
The main limitation to the high-fidelity quantum control of spins in semiconductors is the presence of strongly fluctuating fields arising from the nuclear spin bath of the host material. We demonstrate here a substantial improvement in single-qubit gate fidelities for an electron spin qubit bound to a $^{31}$P atom in natural silicon, by applying adiabatic inversion instead of narrow-band pulses. We achieve an inversion fidelity of 97%, and we observe signatures in the spin resonance spectra and the spin coherence time that are consistent with the presence of an additional exchange-coupled donor. This work highlights the effectiveness of adiabatic inversion techniques for spin control in fluctuating environments.