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.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS