Computing major IBM has unveiled its first modular cryogenic quantum fridge, which can be joined to create a single cooled environment that can handle hundreds of quantum chips. The cryogenic system, capable of cooling below 15 milliKelvin, is an important milestone as IBM works to release its large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029.
Quantum computers are regarded as the next frontier of computing, promising large-scale computations in a fraction of the time needed by the fastest supercomputers today. Unlike silicon-based computers that use binary bits, which can store only 0 or 1, quantum computers use quantum bits, which can store multiple values between 0 and 1 and carry out computations in parallel, exponentially increasing their computing power.
Quantum bits, or qubits, usually work at extremely low temperatures, near absolute zero. Achieving this is a challenge but one that researchers have perfected using multi-stage devices called dilution refrigerators. The qubits operate inside chambers where temperatures are ultra-low, but the complex architecture of refrigeration and computing infrastructure make it difficult to build large-scale quantum computers.
How IBM is solving this problem
IBM has made a major design change to its existing cryogenic systems by moving to a rectangular form factor. The change is meant to enable denser integration of readout and control wiring and simplify coupling between adjacent cells, giving more room for quantum processors.
