IMB-CNM developments in quantum technologies highlighted in CSIC Investiga magazine

The recently published issue 10 of CSIC Investiga magazine delves into advances in quantum physics with the subtitle "research into the inner workings of matter that heralds a new technological revolution." Among the contents, three contributions from the IMB-CNM focus on the crucial role of microelectronics in the development of qubits and quantum devices.

The article Light chips to boost quantum technology, written by Natalia Bermejo Gijón-Bonales, explores how integrated photonic circuits enable new architectures for processing quantum information. Tracing quantum dots with microelectronic technology, written by Sabela Rey Cao, explores advances in semiconductor manufacturing for new approaches based on quantum dots. In addition, an interview with researcher Gemma Rius delves into the manufacture of superconducting chips for quantum applications. Taken together, these works reflect the diversity and strength with which the IMB-CNM contributes to the CSIC's quantum strategy.

The first paragraphs of each report are reproduced below.

Light chips to boost quantum technology

We take for granted that electricity carries information, and rightly so: it is at the heart of most of the devices we use every day. But it is not the only way. There are "messengers" everywhere, photons, which are the smallest units of light. They are very present in some devices we use in our daily lives: routers are powered by electricity, but what allows us to use the internet at high speeds is the installation of fiber optics; inside that glass cable, light travels as if through a hall of mirrors, propagating information at a speed beyond the reach of electricity. 

Other examples would be radars or lasers, which use different ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum to measure or illuminate, respectively. Photonics, then, is about manipulating light (or photons) with the aim of using it, either to take measurements or to transmit information. "Photonics is a tool, not a field of knowledge in itself. It is so cross-cutting that you find it everywhere," adds Carlos Domínguez, CSIC research professor at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM) and head of the center's integrated photonics platform (SiN Photonics Platform).

With the contribution of: Carlos Domínguez, Joaquín Faneca, Jad Sabek and Jorge Barreto.

Tracing quantum dots with microelectronic technology

You don't need to have a quantum computer at home for this technology to change our lives. It is a development that could redefine how we approach the most complex problems in science. Quantum technology is one of the fastest-growing fields of research due to its potential to revolutionize society. Through phenomena such as quantum superposition, it will enable the development of devices with capabilities that are still unimaginable, surpassing those of conventional technology. This paradigm shift involves rethinking the methodologies used to design and manufacture devices. Many current systems do not have the capacity to make them of this type. One line of research proposes an efficient solution: developing semiconductor-based quantum technology.

Thus, the manufacturing methods standardized for decades by the microelectronics industry—which produces chips—could be applied to the creation of quantum devices. Thus, the manufacturing methods standardized for decades by the microelectronics industry—which produces chips—could be applied to the creation of quantum devices. The Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM), a center affiliated with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has a research group dedicated to this.

With the contribution of: Joan Bausells, Francesc Pérez-Murano, Marta Fernández-Regúlez, Esteve Amat and Jordi Llobet.

Gemma Rius: "Superconducting qubits are very versatile, both in terms of manufacturing and potential uses"

There are different approaches to manufacturing qubits, the basic unit of quantum computing: based on superconducting materials, semiconductors, photonic materials, or trapped ions, among others. Superconducting qubits are manufactured on microelectronic platforms and are the closest to practical applications in the short term.

Superconductors are materials that, when cooled below a critical temperature, conduct electricity without resistance, allowing a current to flow indefinitely in a closed circuit without energy loss.