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- The processor has gone: 1000-qubit quantum computers will be mass-produced in Russia
The processor has gone: 1000-qubit quantum computers will be mass-produced in Russia
Russian scientists have developed a technology for creating logic elements of computers based on new physical principles with an accuracy of 0.2 angstroms (0.02 nm). The technique paves the way for further miniaturization of computing elements and the creation of a new generation of supercomputers. In particular, Russia will be able to mass—produce quantum processors with thousands of qubits — superconducting artificial atoms - with precisely specified parameters.
Ultra-precise processors based on "new physics"
Russian scientists from the Shukhov Center.Nano (a joint center of Bauman Moscow State Technical University and N.L. Dukhov VNIIA based on the Quantum Park cluster) has developed technology to create a new generation of processors. It is based on an innovative method of forming logical elements with an accuracy of 0.2 angstroms (0.02 nm).
The description of the development is published in Science Advances, one of the world's most reputable academic journals. The technology has been patented in Russia, and it is currently being patented in other countries.
As the researchers explained, the introduction of the technique will make it possible to make a breakthrough in the creation of information processing tools and lay the technological base for the mass production of new-generation computing devices. In particular, thousands of qubit quantum computers based on a superconducting platform will be able to be mass-produced in Russia and the world.
Creating quantum processor chips
— Leading modern processors accommodate tens and even hundreds of billions of transistors (nanoscale electronic switches) on a single silicon chip. At the same time, "compressing" transistors to the size of an atom, which will significantly increase their number, is a milestone that many developers are striving for," Ilya Rodionov, one of the creators of the technology, head of the Quantum Park cluster at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, told Izvestia.
According to him, two tenths of an angstrom is five times smaller than a hydrogen atom. At this scale, it's not classical microelectronic devices that work, but processors using quantum effects. Currently, only a select few are entering the English era. So, in 2025, Intel introduced its technology, which assumes an accuracy of 18 Å (angstrom). At the same time, Samsung is creating a 12 Å process, and TSMC is creating a 20 Å process.
As the scientist explained, multilayer nanostructures are at the heart of modern microelectronic devices. They consist of atomically thin layers of metals, metal oxides, and semiconductors. The thickness of such a "sandwich" is tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair.
The essence of the new technology lies in the fact that scientists have learned how to affect these layers with single ions of helium or neon. As a result, mobile defects form in the crystal lattice of the metal. They move to the boundary between the metal and the oxide and pull out the oxygen atoms. Because of this, the oxide layer becomes slightly thicker. Moreover, the neighboring structures are not damaged.
— The technology makes it possible to control the effective thickness of the dielectric layer in a controlled manner and with accuracy to the "fraction of an atom" (± 0.2 angstroms). During processing, ions of inert gases jewelry modify the crystal lattice of the material, bringing the thickness of the dielectric to the design with sub-extreme accuracy. Layer transformation is controlled using external electronics. The process is fully automated and takes a second per logical element," Ilya Rodionov clarified.
The new technique, he added, was called iDEA technology. This is an abbreviation from the English Ion beam-induced DEfects Activation, which translates as "activation of defects by focused ions". This technology has been proposed for the first time in the world. Competing developments — laser annealing, electron irradiation, and electrical processing — differ by orders of magnitude in their exposure area, require more time, and do not make it possible to process similar structures of nanometer size.
A technology platform for 1000-qubit quantum processors
Superconducting quantum computers, the scientist explained, are one of the leading technologies of quantum computing. As qubits (logic gates) These machines operate with "artificial atoms" — tiny microcircuits that behave like real ones (with a core and an electronic shell), but provide more opportunities for controlling quantum states — superposition, entanglement, and others.
At the same time, any deviation in the thickness of the dielectric (up to an atom) significantly changes the designed frequencies of the qubits, they "float away", destroying the calculations of the developers of quantum processors.
At the same time, errors caused by incorrectly set qubit frequencies create a significant obstacle to practically useful quantum computing. As a result, crosstalk occurs — energy loss or unwanted energy exchange between qubits. Moreover, as they increase on the chip, the probability of interference and errors increases exponentially. The presented technology eliminates these problems, the scientist noted.
— The process of controlling nanostructures is calculated and modeled in advance — at the level of individual molecules. After that, the specialists "tune" the manufactured qubits to the desired frequency, bringing the output of suitable quantum circuits closer to 100%. The deviation from the design frequency is no more than ± 0.35%," Nikita Smirnov, a leading developer of Quantum Park's superconducting quantum processors, described the technique.
He added that iDEA annealing allows you to change the frequency of qubits directly in multi-qubit quantum processors. The 0.35% spread across the chip is by far one of the best achievements in the world. The presented technology makes it possible to create almost identical logic elements, which opens up possibilities for designing thousand-qubit quantum processors.
Multi-qubit quantum processor in a measurement holder
According to Nikita Smirnov, this will accelerate the transition to hybrid supercomputers, high—performance systems that combine different types of computing architectures to achieve maximum efficiency.
— Previously, only nature could create identical atoms — it was beyond the limits of available technologies. We could produce at least 100 qubits at the level of a semiconductor factory, but even the slightest variation in size of ± 5 nm or the thickness of the tunnel barrier in fractions of a nanometer across the chip leads to unacceptable errors for some qubits," said Ilya Rodionov.
At the same time, he explained, a quantum processor is a single mechanism that combines dozens of complex processes. Each of them should work like clockwork. That is why the presented discovery is a path to practically useful quantum computing.
— If the method is well developed and adapted, it can be used very widely, since all modern electronics and photonics require ultra-precise nanostructures with perfect repeatability. The technique opens the way to further miniaturization of logic gates and the creation of new—generation supercomputers," commented Nikolai Klenov, Professor of the Department of Atomic Physics, Plasma Physics and Microelectronics at the Faculty of Physics of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
If the technology can be scaled and adapted for different tasks, it will become a universal basis not only for quantum computing, but also for conventional microcircuits, and in general for advanced industries, he stressed.
— The ion irradiation method is well-known. However, the developers have found new ways to use it. The non-obvious significance of the development also lies in the fact that the technology makes it possible to repair complex quantum systems, which was previously difficult or impossible. For example, you can check and configure the properties of logical elements individually. Ion irradiation removes defects and restores the necessary characteristics," said Vasily Stolyarov, Director of the Center for Advanced Methods of Mesophysics and Nanotechnology at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
As a result, the expert explained, developers do not need to waste resources in order to achieve high technological characteristics of qubits, since they can be brought to the desired condition using local irradiation methods. This reduces the cost of developing new computing systems. Moreover, even if the qubit has degraded, it can be restored and adjusted using this method.
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