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Trapped ion quantum computing

Infineon ion traps accelerate the development of quantum computers

Infineon ion traps enable scientists and start-ups to focus on their core tasks by providing a predictable, advanced and reliable platform

We help in bringing a meaningful and powerful trapped-ion quantum computer (TIQC) to life to solve the optimization problems that have been waiting for decades to be solved.
We help our academic partners to focus on what they do best: push the boundaries of science and research.
We help our startup partners to focus on what they do best: find new ways and integrate them into a successful and winning system.

Predictable, repeatable, reliable - Infineon ion traps

We know how to industrialize and combine novel materials and technologies. Infineon traps and trap designs are predictable, repeatable and reliable. We’re paving the road towards thousands of qubits by working with our partners on cryogenic control electronics and optics integration. To that end, we verify and characterize our ion trap modules in our in-house quantum laboratory.

Custom tailored Process Lines in a High-Volume Fab

At our Villach fab we are capable of working with wafer diameters from 6 to 12 inch, many different substrates, and a broad variety of process materials.

Therefore, we can meet the particular needs of trapped ion quantum processors in terms of substrate materials, metal properties, and surface conditioning, supporting our academic partners in pushing the boundaries of science and research.

What's next?

So far, Infineon ion traps with a storage capacity of 18 ions have demonstrated parallel shuttling of two ion-arrays. In order to arrive at high qubit counts of 100 or more, it’s all about scalability and further improving stability. Physics has come a long way. With each step we take in scaling, we have to solve the myriad of engineering challenges that come with it. We’re working with our academic and start-up partners on cryogenic control electronics and optics integration to pave the road towards thousands of qubits.

Find out more about quantum computing

Infineon Ion Trap Gen 3

Infineon is now into Gen.3 of their ion traps. It adds electrodes in the third dimension to increase ion confinement by a factor of ten compared to standard surface traps.

It is manufactured using Infineon's ample experience in anodic wafer bonding assuring industry leading precision. The trap has been successfully tested at the TIQI group at ETHZ and documented in this free paper.

Socket, Trap Modules (QPM)

picture-trapped-ions-quantum-socket-and-lego-v01-00.jpg

To enable fast progress, the ion trap on carrier is installed into the ion trap socket as a defined and stable element to be in turn mounted into the cryostat or vacuum chamber. Fast-paced evolution will happen on the ion trap chip, whilst the socket will only evolve slowly.

To facilitate scaling, the ion trap on carrier will evolve into a Quantum Processing Module (QPM) that integrates control electronics and optics. Some of the electronic components currently positioned on the socket PCB will integrate onto the QPM. Our socket has been successfully employed by our academic partners.

Cryo Electronics

To move to higher numbers of qubits, the integration of control electronics into the QPM is essential. This includes Digital-to-Analogue-Converters (DACs) and other components. The DACs are the most obvious: As with increasing qubit count, more of the electrodes that trap and move the ions are needed, and their voltages have to be generated close to the ion trap. Therefore, these components will have to operate at a temperature of around 10K.

Ion traps and quantum computing

What are trapped ions?

Single ions are created by local ionization of neutral atoms, for example Ca, Ba or Be. Since ions are charged, they are controllable by electric fields and can be used for fundamental research as atomic clocks, sensors or for quantum computing.

Trapped ion benefits include

Highest gate fidelities
Full connectivity between qubits
Longest coherence time
Most entangled qubits: 24*
Moderate temperature: 10K
Shuttling capability

What is trapped ion quantum computing?

In a trapped ion quantum computer (TIQC) the qubits are implemented using charged atoms in a cryogenic vacuum. The ion, for example Ca+, Ba+ or Be+, is captured with DC and RF fields and manipulated with lasers or microwaves.

The qubit is defined by the electron‘s quantum-mechanical state: the ground state is defined as a logical 1, the qubit laser or a microwave pulse elevates the electron into an excited state to implement a logical 0.

Then after the calculations or gate operations have been performed, the resulting state of the qubit has to be read. That is done by employing the readout laser to elevate the electron to a higher electron orbit from which it will immediately decay and emit one photon that can be detected. Since the readout laser is tuned to excite the ground state, detected photons indicate that the qubit was a logical 1 before the readout.

Trapped ion shuttling

Shuttling of ions provides the means to bring arbitrary combinations of qubits together for calculations. Therefore, it constitutes an important ingredient towards large-scale trapped-ion quantum processors.

Employing Infineon’s ion trap chip, scientists at the University of Innsbruck have been the first to demonstrate parallel shuttling of two ion chains.

Parallel shuttling of two ion chains

This video demonstrates an array of 2x2 ions being transported simultaneously (low speed shuttling on purpose).

Still shot of ion array shuttling

Latest News

Subsidized projects and initiatives Infineon is involved in:

ATIQ (Implementierung von Quantenalgorithmen aus Finanzwesen und Chemie auf einem Quantendemonstrator):
More information

OptoQuant:
More information

Infineon teams up with eleQtron to deliver three generations of trapped-ion quantum processor units

On June 26th Infineon and eleQtron announced their partnership to jointly develop trapped ion Quantum Processor Units (QPUs) for scalable quantum computers.

In this collaboration, Infineon will provide eleQtron with three progressively improved generations of ion traps as well as the necessary expertise to adapt them to the MAGIC concept. Additionally, Infineon will enable eleQtron to build ion trap-based quantum computers with successively increasing functionality.

Infineon and Oxford Ionics join forces to develop leading Trapped Ion Quantum Processors

On July 6th Oxford Ionics and Infineon announced a collaboration to build high-performance and fully integrated quantum processing units (QPUs).

In this partnership, Infineon contributes their advanced technology platform for customized traps that are predictable, repeatable, and reliable in order to pave the way towards the industrial production of QPUs offering hundreds of qubits within the next five years .

Want to work with us?

Browse our open positions and become part of our team! Participate in further developing the future of quantum computing.

Follow this link and type 'quantum computing' in the search field

What's next?

Find out more about quantum computing

Infineon Ion Trap Gen 3

Infineon is now into Gen.3 of their ion traps. It adds electrodes in the third dimension to increase ion confinement by a factor of ten compared to standard surface traps.