Peer-reviewedCC BYNature
A digitally controlled silicon quantum processing unit
- 1HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA, USA
- 2The Boeing Company, El Segundo, CA, USA
Abstract
Commercially-relevant quantum computers will require large numbers of high-performing qubits that can be manufactured, integrated, and controlled at scale. Silicon exchange-only (EO) qubits are a strong candidate modality due to their control-signal simplicity and compatibility with advanced semiconductor manufacturing, but questions remain around the achievability of sufficiently low noise and a scalable control and wiring solution. Here we introduce a quantum processing unit composed of a custom-designed cryogenic CMOS controller, a novel high-density superconducting ribbon cable, and a low-noise EO qubit device. The quantum chip features a three-rail array of 54 exchange-coupled quantum dots, configurable to host up to 18 EO qubits. We integrate and use these components to demonstrate qubit performance for both single-qubit and entangling operations that advances the EO state of the art by an order of magnitude. We further validate this system by implementing a distance-5 repetition code and a distance-2 quantum error detecting code then make detailed comparisons with simulations. Our approach facilitates a utility-scale quantum computer with manageable operational and capital requirements. All authors contributed equally to this work.
Related
- Modular and Looping Quantum Photonic Processing Unit for Quantum Computing
- Hybrid Laser–Etching Fabrication of High-Density Antireflective Microstructures on DLC-Coated Silicon Using Burst-Mode Bessel Beam Processing
- Simulation Study of Coupling Effects Between a Hall Thruster and a Power Processing Unit
- Design and synthesis of laser inscribed flexible Bragg gratings containing silicon oxynitride-doped silicon thin film for authentication applications with the insights from X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Quantum Mechanical Calculations
- Real-Time FPGA-Based Multi-Parameter Feedback Stabilization of a Silicon Double Quantum Dot
BibTeX
@article{collaborators2026digitally,
title = {{A digitally controlled silicon quantum processing unit}},
author = {Members of the HRL Quantum Team and Collaborators and Michael Abraham and Edwin Acuna and Tower S. Adams and Moonmoon Akmal and Matthew R. Alfaro and I. Alvarado and Jacob Amontree and Carter Andrews and Reed W. Andrews and Michael Antcliffe and Andre R. Aséncio and Ryan M. Avila Batres and Cynthia D. Baringer and David W. Barnes and Katherine M. Beech and Russell G. Blakey and Zachery T. Bloom and Aaron J. Bluestone and Jacob Blumoff and Matthew Borselli and Koel A. Bose and Brydon Boyd and Jacob T. Boyer and T. Brecht and Christopher C. Brough and Rex A. Brown and Steven L. Brown and Tyler A. Cain and John B. Carpenter and Stephen Carr and Faustin W. Carter and Mitchell Casanova and Jacob L. Chambers and M.D. Chambers and Khamsorn L. Chanthavong and James M. Chappell and Rhian Chavez and Kevin C. Chen and Peter S. Chen and Maxwell D. Choi and Krishna Choudhary and Matthew N. H. Chow and Justin E. Christensen and Aaron M. Chronister and Andrew M. Clapper and Abigail A. Coker and Michael D. Cornelius and Albert E. Cosand and Ian Thomas Hunt Counts and E. T. Croke and Gregory M. Crosswhite and Adam Dally and Erik S. Daniel and Tuan A. Dao and Dominic Daprano and Tiffany Davis and Neha Deshpande and Rachel S. Dey and D. Scott Diamond},
journal = {Nature},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41586-026-10754-7},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10754-7},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A digitally controlled silicon quantum processing unit
AU - Members of the HRL Quantum Team and Collaborators
AU - Michael Abraham
AU - Edwin Acuna
AU - Tower S. Adams
AU - Moonmoon Akmal
AU - Matthew R. Alfaro
AU - I. Alvarado
AU - Jacob Amontree
AU - Carter Andrews
AU - Reed W. Andrews
AU - Michael Antcliffe
AU - Andre R. Aséncio
AU - Ryan M. Avila Batres
AU - Cynthia D. Baringer
AU - David W. Barnes
AU - Katherine M. Beech
AU - Russell G. Blakey
AU - Zachery T. Bloom
AU - Aaron J. Bluestone
AU - Jacob Blumoff
AU - Matthew Borselli
AU - Koel A. Bose
AU - Brydon Boyd
AU - Jacob T. Boyer
AU - T. Brecht
AU - Christopher C. Brough
AU - Rex A. Brown
AU - Steven L. Brown
AU - Tyler A. Cain
AU - John B. Carpenter
AU - Stephen Carr
AU - Faustin W. Carter
AU - Mitchell Casanova
AU - Jacob L. Chambers
AU - M.D. Chambers
AU - Khamsorn L. Chanthavong
AU - James M. Chappell
AU - Rhian Chavez
AU - Kevin C. Chen
AU - Peter S. Chen
AU - Maxwell D. Choi
AU - Krishna Choudhary
AU - Matthew N. H. Chow
AU - Justin E. Christensen
AU - Aaron M. Chronister
AU - Andrew M. Clapper
AU - Abigail A. Coker
AU - Michael D. Cornelius
AU - Albert E. Cosand
AU - Ian Thomas Hunt Counts
AU - E. T. Croke
AU - Gregory M. Crosswhite
AU - Adam Dally
AU - Erik S. Daniel
AU - Tuan A. Dao
AU - Dominic Daprano
AU - Tiffany Davis
AU - Neha Deshpande
AU - Rachel S. Dey
AU - D. Scott Diamond
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/29
JO - Nature
DO - 10.1038/s41586-026-10754-7
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10754-7
AB - Commercially-relevant quantum computers will require large numbers of high-performing qubits that can be manufactured, integrated, and controlled at scale. Silicon exchange-only (EO) qubits are a strong candidate modality due to their control-signal simplicity and compatibility with advanced semiconductor manufacturing, but questions remain around the achievability of sufficiently low noise and a scalable control and wiring solution. Here we introduce a quantum processing unit composed of a custom-designed cryogenic CMOS controller, a novel high-density superconducting ribbon cable, and a low-noise EO qubit device. The quantum chip features a three-rail array of 54 exchange-coupled quantum dots, configurable to host up to 18 EO qubits. We integrate and use these components to demonstrate qubit performance for both single-qubit and entangling operations that advances the EO state of the art by an order of magnitude. We further validate this system by implementing a distance-5 repetition code and a distance-2 quantum error detecting code then make detailed comparisons with simulations. Our approach facilitates a utility-scale quantum computer with manageable operational and capital requirements. All authors contributed equally to this work.
SN - 0028-0836
SN - 1476-4687
ER -