A team at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has found a way to use a microwave integrated circuit (IC) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) 28-nanometer technology to develop a low-temperature-control IC module, which can potentially reduce the size of a quantum computer by 40 percent, the institute said on Wednesday.
The National Science and Technology Council announced some of the progress it has made with Academia Sinica and the Ministry of Economic Affairs since 2021 in jointly developing quantum technologies.
The more quantum bits (qubits) a quantum computer possesses, the more information it can carry and the better it can work.
Photo: CNA
Sheu Shyh-shyuan (許世玄), a division director at the ITRI’s Institute of Electro-Optics and the head of a project on the key hardware of quantum computer subsystems, said that a quantum computer is equipped with a fridge, other devices and a crowd of cables for connections, which in combination can easily take up a whole room.
One qubit requires two to three cables, so if a 100-million-qubit system is to be realized, that would mean 300 million cables, with the size of the control device and the system for cooling scaled up accordingly.
As a result, power consumption would surge considerably, Hsu said.
It is for this reason that “minimization” is a trend in quantum computing, he said.
He said that his team utilized microwave IC design and TSMC’s 28-nanometer process technology, which are national strengths, to develop low-temperature (minus-269°C) control chips and modules to make control devices smaller and place them in a low-temperature fridge.
The design could reduce the size of the system by about 40 percent, highlighting the potential for it to be commercialized, Hsu said.
The minimization of the module can also shorten the route needed for quantum signal transmission and reduce the interruption of noise, Hsu added.
The module also cuts power consumption by more than 50 percent compared with results published by major international developers, making it an advantage for developing multiple-qubit superconducting quantum computers, he said.
The technology could be transferred to domestic companies, Hsu said, adding that some have already made inquiries about possible cooperation.
Executives from Finland-based quantum computer company IQM visited Taiwan last year to discuss possible cooperation, Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) said, adding that Taiwan, despite competing globally with limited funds, has achieved substantive results in quantum technology and is likely to become one of the nations with most potential to excel at it.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
RSS