A 97-nanosecond gate could help scale up superconducting qubits

Researchers have demonstrated a 97-nanosecond CZ gate using an energy-level engineering technique, potentially overcoming limitations in superconducting quantum computing. The work, led by Wan-Peng Gao and colleagues at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, uses the Autler-Townes effect to manipulate qubits without inducing decoherence, a common problem with existing frequency-tuning methods. This approach achieves 99.40(9)% fidelity, with error analysis indicating static decoherence as the primary source of errors, and facilitates fast, high-quality all-microwave gate operations applicable across various quantum platforms. A 97-nanosecond CZ gate operation was experimentally demonstrated using a novel energy-level engineering technique, potentially accelerating the development of scalable superconducting quantum computers. This speed was achieved by manipulating qubits with the Autler-Townes effect, a physics principle that alters energy levels without disturbing the quantum information stored within them. The approach avoids the decoherence typically induced by frequency-tuning methods commonly used in quantum computing,…