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 SQC’s atomistic modelling capability, delivers two key benefits. First, it enables the team to map the exact atomic arrangement of nuclear spins within the quantum processor non-destructively. Sensing what exists at the microscopic scale around the qubits provides insight into how they will behave. Second, the knowledge gained deepens the team’s understanding of the role nuclear spins play in the operation of silicon qubits. This allows SQC to use its globally unique atomic-precision manufacturing technology to optimise processor designs 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