Universal Quantum launches iQPU trapped-ion chip with 400 mm² compute area

Universal Quantum, based in Haywards Heath, UK, and Hamburg, Germany, launched the iQPU on November 3, an integrated quantum processing unit for trapped-ion computers universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗. The chip combines a trapped-ion compute surface with an active area of more than 400 mm², built-in low-noise control electronics and UQConnect interfaces for linking chips together universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗thequantuminsider.comThe Quantum Insiderthequantuminsider.comOpen source ↗.

iQPU design: QCCD architecture on a 200 mm line

The iQPU uses a Quantum Charge-Coupled Device (QCCD) architecture, which moves ions across the chip to create flexible, long-range connections between qubits universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗. Universal Quantum describes the compute surface as the largest trapped-ion surface in the world; that is the company's own claim universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗. The chip is fabricated on a commercial 200 mm semiconductor foundry line with industry-standard tools, which the company sees as the route to volume manufacturing universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗quantumcomputingreport.comQuantum Computing Reportquantumcomputingreport.comOpen source ↗.

Putting control electronics on the chip addresses a known bottleneck: large trapped-ion systems need many control lines, and wiring them from outside grows hard as qubit counts rise thequantuminsider.comThe Quantum Insiderthequantuminsider.comOpen source ↗. The UQConnect interconnect is meant to let separate processors exchange quantum information and work as one larger machine universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗.

"A scalable quantum computer cannot be assembled by adding complexity one qubit at a time," said Mike Newman, VP of Engineering universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗.

Where the chip goes first

The iQPU will be integrated into two scalable quantum computers that Universal Quantum is building for the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under contracts worth €67 million; DLR plans to use them to explore space mission planning, climate modelling and materials design universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗. The company spun out of the University of Sussex in 2018 and raised a Series A round in October that it puts at more than $100 million universalquantum.comUniversal Quantum press releaseuniversalquantum.comUniversal Quantum launched the iQPU on November 3; The chip has an active compute area of more than 400 mm²Open source ↗thequantuminsider.comThe Quantum Insiderthequantuminsider.comOpen source ↗. The release does not give qubit counts or gate fidelities for the new chip.