SQC Uses Entanglement to Precisely Map Exact Location of Nuclear Spins in a Silicon Chip

9 February 2023 – Australian quantum computing company, Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC), today announced it has used entanglement to precisely map the exact location of individual nuclear spins in a silicon chip: a significant achievement in the field of quantum sensing.

“This result is an important milestone in being able to engineer and understand the impact of the local atomic environment of our qubits, as we continue our progress towards delivering a functional quantum processor at scale,” said SQC Founder and CEO, Michelle Simmons. “Our team has used entanglement, an inherent property of quantum computers, to map out where the nuclear spins are positioned in the silicon lattice with atomic precision.”

This novel technique, combined with their atomistic modelling capability, delivers two key benefits. Firstly, to map out the exact atomic arrangement of nuclear spins within the quantum processor in a non-destructive manner. Being able to sense exactly what exists at the microscopic scale in the location of your qubits provides a great insight into how the qubits will behave. Secondly, the unique knowledge gained deepens the understanding of the role that nuclear spins have on the operation of qubits in silicon. This knowledge allows the team to use their globally unique atomic precision manufacturing technology to optimise the design of their processors for maximum quality and efficiency as they scale.

“Our work highlights why it is essential to understand and control a quantum computer’s environment at the atomic-scale,” says SQC's Dr Ludwik Kranz, lead author of the paper. “By understanding how the nuclear spins in the local environment affect the entangling gates, we can more efficiently design and optimise the next generation of devices tailored for real-world use cases.”

A detailed research paper has been published in Advanced Materials, which can be accessed here:

‍Atom-based magnetic field sensors - Advanced Materials Volume 35, Issue 6