Empowering Practical Interfacing of Quantum Computing (EPIQC)

量子计算机由于其高计算能力而优于传统计算机，只有当它们具有许多量子比特时才是如此，例如，100或更多。目前该领域的领先商业参与者已经成功地使用经典控制干扰展示了具有50多个低温量子比特的处理器，这些干扰受到笨重电缆和电子设备的影响。量子比特的升级迫切需要新的解决方案。改进的途径包括大幅增加独立控制通道的数量、密度和模块化，信号带宽，所生成波形的时间和幅度分辨率，以及用于噪声中等规模量子计算(NISQC)、通用容错量子计算(UFTQC)和单光子探测器的高效多路复用的电路和互连的物理足迹。该项目将朝着提高QC控制硬件的性能，并可能使其发生革命性的变化，以及基于现代信息和通信硬件的未来集成迈出一步。这将通过将质量控制与ICT在光学、无线和Cyro-CMOS电子学方面的最新发展相结合来实现。来自QC和ICT部门的研究人员将在设备和系统层面上协作识别、探索、开发和基准这些技术。通过由NQCC主持的全国性网络，以及格拉斯哥大学(UoG)、国家量子计算中心(NQCC)、国家物理实验室(NPL)、伦敦大学学院(UCL)、斯特拉斯克莱德大学(UoS)和科学技术设施委员会(STFC)以及20多个工业界和学术界合作伙伴的支持，我们最终将实现具有超过100个量子比特的下一代量子计算机的雄心勃勃的目标。EPIQC的前12个月将致力于共同创造活动，旨在验证和进一步完善我们的工作重点。NQCC将指定一名项目经理来协调和支持联合创作活动，帮助接触到更广泛的社区，并确保活动以专业方式交付。首先，将与最终用户进行一系列一对一的对话，以验证需求并了解市场吸引力。这将有助于与主要行业参与者进行进一步的一对一讨论，并确定供应链和竞争前研究领域。这项基础工作对于成功建立和定义关于每个支柱的一系列重点小组、探索最先进的未来趋势和市场并确定竞争前挑战的顶级路线图至关重要。这些挑战将通过沙坑进一步探索，沙坑界定了每个支柱下的研究线索的细节。在2-4年，EPIQC的重点是通过三个互补的支柱调查跨学科接口和替代控制和读出架构的整合，以及验证满足用户需求的ICT-QC硬件。

Quantum computers are superior to conventional computers for their high computing power, and this is true only if they have many qubits e.g., 100s or more. The current leading commercial players in the field have successfully demonstrated processors with more than 50 cryogenic qubits using the classical control interferences which suffer from bulky cables and electronics. Novel solutions are desperately and urgently required for qubit upscaling. Avenues for improvement include dramatically increasing the number, density and modularity of independent control channels, signal bandwidth, the time and amplitude resolution of generated waveforms, and the physical footprint of circuits and interconnects for noisy intermediate-scale quantum computing (NISQC), universal fault-tolerant quantum computing (UFTQC) and efficient multiplexing of single-photon detectors. This project will be a step towards improving the performance of and potentially revolutionising QC control hardware and future integration based on modern information and communication hardware. This will be achieved by synergising QC with ICT's state-of-the-art developments in optical, wireless and cyro-CMOS electronics. The researchers from both QC and ICT sectors will collaboratively identify, explore, develop, and benchmark the technologies at both device and system levels. Through nationwide networking chaired by NQCC with support from the University of Glasgow (UoG), National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), National Physical Laboratory (NPL), University College London (UCL), University of Strathclyde (UoS), and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and more than 20 industrial and academic partners, we will eventually deliver the ambitious objectives for the next generation of quantum computers with more than 100 qubits. The first 12 months of EPIQC will be dedicated to co-creation activities aimed at validating and further refining the focus of our work. The NQCC will devote a project manager to coordinate and support the co-creation activities, helping to reach the broader community and ensuring activities are delivered professionally. In the first instance, a series of one-to-one conversations will be held with end-users to validate needs and understand the market pull. This will inform further one-to-one discussions with key industry players and the identification of supply chains and pre-competitive areas of research. This groundwork will be essential to the successful set-up and definition of a series of focus groups on each of the pillars, exploring state-of-the-art, future trends and markets and defining top-level roadmaps for pre-competitive challenges. These challenges will be further explored through sandpits defining the details of research strands under each pillar. In years 2-4 EPIQC focusses on investigations of cross-disciplinary interfacing and integration of alternative control and readout architectures through three complementary pillars, and the verification of ICT-QC hardware for user needs.