Our Research

Advancing knowledge through world-class research

The Centre will synergistically develop high-performance quantum hardware, operate it in a resource-efficient way, and integrate diverse physical platforms across solid-state, optical and atom-based devices.

Understand our research goals and methods

Overview

Got questions needing quick answers?

FAQs

How can academic research compete with industry for the development of quantum computers?

It's not a competition. Academia and industry have different, complementary roles in the quantum computing ecosystem. Academic research, even with limited funding, has free range for exploration of novel ideas, fast prototyping of new devices, and openness of communication and collaboration. It can tackle challenges that are not of immediate concern, but might be show-stoppers a decade from now. Industry has the budget, the focus, and the infrastructure to turn such ideas into a technological revolution. The construction of utility-scale quantum computers requires deep synergy between academia and industry; our Centre of Excellence is a vehicle to cement and grow such synergy.

What are the major scientific challenges that prevent us from having useful quantum computers?

The key scientific challenges that need to be addressed in thenext decade can be divide in three groups. 1) Better quantum hardware. We needto reduce the physical error rate of the quantum hardware by a few orders ofmagnitude compared to the current state of the art, in order to allow thecomputer to perform useful calculation from beginning to end, without crashing.2) Better quantum codes. Much of the effort in running a quantum computer liesin applying quantum error correction codes that clean up the errors occurringduring the operations. Existing codes demand exorbitant hardware overheads,which are not sustainable or economical in the long term. 3) Betterconnectivity. Deeply intertwined with the previous challenges, strongconnectivity between physical qubits can enable more efficient quantum codes,as well as provide a multiplicative effect on the computational power of themachine.

Addressing these three challenges with breakthrough research isthe key mission of QPI.

Would it be better to focus all research efforts on a single hardware platform, or diversify?

We are far from the stage where there exists a clear"winner" in quantum computer hardware. In fact, in the past year wehave observed big industry players, who spent a decade focussing a singleplatform, starting to diversify their technology. Academic research continuesto produce breakthrough ideas that offer new avenues for hardware development.It is a very exciting time for creative research in quantum computing.

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