Intel unveils Horse Ridge II, its second generation quantum processor controller

  

 

 

Operating at 4 degrees above absolute zero, Intel's Quantum Processor Cryogenic Controller monitors the potential and reads the state of the qubits in real time. This will significantly increase the power of the next generation of machines.

In a quantum computer, there is the processor itself and the "conventional" electronics to manipulate the data. The main concern is that the difference between the working temperatures of these two worlds is very important: if the processor works around absolute zero (0K = -273.15°C), the normal electronics work at room temperature, i.e. around 300°C difference! A difference that implies a very bulky "translation" device, which in turn makes it difficult to increase power.

During its Labs Day, Intel presented Horse Ridge II, a quantum processor controller that can operate at a temperature close to absolute zero, exactly 4 degrees Kelvin (-269.15°C).  By being able to be integrated close to the quantum processor, the Horse Ridge II controller, a 22 nm chip, can replace the cumbersome "control and translation" of information. This simplification should enable a rapid ramp-up of future quantum processors.

Another improvement brought by Horse Ridge II is its ability to manipulate the states of several qubits simultaneously. Again, this skill should increase the power of quantum computers. Machines that operate very differently from the binary model of our current computer systems should enable us to reach new heights in computing. And shake up certain sectors such as scientific calculations or data encryption.