A team of physicists from ETH Zurich, led by Yven Chu, introduced a quantum chip where the working memory is based on mechanical resonators instead of electromagnetic elements.
The system’s architecture resembles a conventional computer, where the processor (CPU) is separate from the random-access memory (RAM). In this case, a superconducting qubit serves as the CPU, while mechanical resonators act as the RAM.
Data is recorded as microscopic vibrations, similar to the trembling of a guitar string. Each vibration pattern corresponds to a separate memory cell. According to Chu, this separation of computation and storage makes the system more efficient and flexible.
Mechanical memory offers several advantages over electromagnetic memory:
- mechanical resonators are significantly smaller than their electromagnetic counterparts;
- a chip measuring just 7.5 by 2.5 mm supports complex computations;
- quantum states in the form of vibrations are preserved longer, reducing the risk of data loss.
The scientists have already tested the development on complex tasks. The chip successfully executed the quantum Fourier transform algorithm and period finding. These operations are crucial for the functioning of future fully-fledged quantum systems.
The experiment demonstrated that vibration-based architecture is suitable for creating programmable quantum computers. Researchers now plan to test how the technology performs when scaling the system.
Earlier, in May, scientists from ETH Zurich developed a method for creating mathematically perfect randomness.
In June, the German research center Fraunhofer IPMS introduced Q-Dice, a system for generating random numbers based on quantum vacuum fluctuations.
