MRI: Development of PARAGON: Control Instrument for Post NISQ Quantum Computing

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This project will design and implement PARAGON, an instrument of control systems for superconducting circuit-based quantum computers. Using an ultra-low latency, scalable network of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) accelerators, PARAGON will support real-time measurement, error correction, and control of 100s of qubits. The project will also develop the necessary systems, programming and debugging support for realizing and evaluating new quantum hardware and algorithms with PARAGON. PARAGON will substantially advance the Nation’s research capabilities in quantum computing, enabling operational tests of error-corrected algorithms and accelerating the arrival of fault-tolerant quantum computing.Toward cost-effective scalability, PARAGON employs a balanced, fat tree to organize the large number of building blocks and to distribute data, clock, and time (trigger). The leaves of the tree feature Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) for quantum control and the internal nodes of the tree Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) for integration. PARAGON will empower two broad research communities that tackle quantum computing from different fronts. It will allow Physicists to investigate the theory and realization of better qubits, and experiment with sophisticated error correction and fault tolerance methods on real qubits, at a previously impossible scale. It will allow Computer Scientists to experiment with novel architectures and programming schemes for quantum control. Most importantly, it will serve as the meeting place for both communities, fostering cross-pollination and catalyzing collaboration. Through its open design and open-source software, PARAGON will empower the broad community of academic and industrial researchers in superconducting quantum computing to experiment in previously impossible ways. While PARAGON will be implemented for quantum computers based on superconducting circuits, its design can be adapted for those based on other technologies, which also face similar challenges in their control systems. It will provide critical know-how to the budding industry of quantum control systems so that the latter can further lower the cost for wider, commercial availability. The instrument will advance research agendas in multiple disciplines, creating opportunities in cross pollination between applied physics, computer science and engineering. It will create new opportunities to engage both graduate and undergraduate students, especially underrepresented minorities and women, providing unique training for multidisciplinary research. Source materials produced by the project can be found at https://github.com/yale-paragon. The repositories will be actively maintained by the project team during the award period. During the lifetime of PARAGON, the repositories will transition into community-based development and maintenance with the project team being one of the contributors. The project team will ensure the repositories are available at least five years after the lifetime of the physical testbed of PARAGON.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.