Automatic qubit control for large-scale quantum computers enabled by neuromorphic computing and cryogenic bio-inspired hardware

量子计算(QC)的最新重大突破是展示了具有50多个超导量子比特的量子系统，从而首次展示了量子优势。尽管在量子芯片制造和量子算法方面已经取得了重大进展，但量子比特的控制和误差校正仍然主要是用位于低温恒温器外部的笨重的经典电子设备进行的。这种方法的特点是在量子比特和控制电子设备之间存在“布线瓶颈”，使得制造真正大规模的量子计算机变得不可能。质量控制的下一个重大突破是使用位于低温恒温器内的集成低温电子设备(即现场)自动控制和纠正大量量子比特的误差。近年来，一些研究表明，机器学习(ML)可以解决或自动化复杂的数据驱动的量子问题。因此，人工智能(AI)可能成为原位量子比特控制的关键工具，但主要研究工作必须首先在AI专用的低温电子学和具有高性能和最低散热的超低功率AI解决方案上进行。尖峰神经网络(SNN)可以通过无监督学习和油藏计算实现最先进的能源效率和精度。因此，探索基于SNN的量子问题的解决方案是一种非常有前途的方法。然而，当前基于串行和数字冯·诺依曼体系结构的计算硬件与SNN的高度并行、模拟和异步的本质是根本不同的。这种严重的软件/硬件不匹配会导致性能和能效问题。这个问题可以通过完全拥抱神经形态工程学来克服，在硬件中创建模仿大脑功能的电路。这种方法应该会导致基于SNN的能效计算，适用于具有严格热约束的低温技术。在QC能够受益于基于SNN的原位人工智能之前，需要模拟突触功能的新型低温兼容纳米设备。在这个范围内，新兴的多端电阻存储器(即忆阻器)最近似乎是在硬件中模拟突触功能的最有趣的候选之一。从长远来看，我计划利用我在神经形态计算、人工智能专用新兴硬件和量子工程方面的专业知识，利用完全在低温兼容的基于忆阻器的神经形态硬件上运行的超低功率SNN解决方案来开发全自动现场控制量子比特。这项研究计划的结果将使加拿大在第一台通用量子计算机的竞争中保持领先地位。短期内，我将启动3个跨学科研究项目，旨在通过走一条结合基于忆阻器的神经形态工程和量子技术的独特研究道路，开发基于人工智能的原位量子比特控制的关键使能技术。

The latest major breakthrough in quantum computing (QC) has been the demonstration of quantum systems with more than 50 superconducting qubits allowing to demonstrate quantum supremacy for the first time. Although significant advances have been made in quantum chip fabrication and quantum algorithms, qubit control and error corrections are still performed mostly by hand with bulky classical electronics located outside the cryostat. This approach, characterized by a "wiring bottleneck" between the qubits and the control electronics, makes it impossible to fabricate truly large-scale quantum computers. One of the next major breakthroughs in QC is to automate the control and error corrections of very large numbers of qubits using integrated cryogenic electronics located inside the cryostat (i.e. in-situ). In recent years, several studies have shown that machine learning (ML) could solve or automate difficult data-driven quantum problems. Artificial intelligence (AI) could thus become a key tool for in-situ qubit control, but major research efforts have first to be conducted on AI-dedicated cryo-electronics and ultralow-power AI solutions with high-performance and minimum heat dissipation. Spiking neural networks (SNN) can achieve state-of-the-art energy efficiency and accuracy with unsupervised learning and reservoir computing. Exploring SNN-based solutions for quantum problems is thus a very promising approach. However, current computing hardware based on the serial and digital von Neumann architecture is fundamentally different from the highly paralleled, analog and asynchronous nature of SNNs. This major software/hardware mismatch induces performance and energy efficiency issues. This problem could be overcome by fully embracing neuromorphic engineering to create circuits emulating brain-like functions in hardware. This approach should lead to energy-efficient SNN-based computing suitable for cryogenic technologies with tight thermal constraints. Before QC can benefit from SNN-based in-situ AI, novel cryo-compatible nanodevices emulating synaptic functions are required. In that scope, emerging multi-terminal resistive memories (i.e. memristors) recently appeared as one of the most interesting candidates to emulate synaptic functions in hardware.  RESEARCH PROGRAM In the long term, I plan to use my expertise in neuromorphic computing, AI-dedicated emerging hardware and quantum engineering to develop fully automatic in-situ control of qubits using ultralow-power SNN solutions running entirely on cryo-compatible memristor-based neuromorphic hardware. The outcomes of this research program would allow Canada to stay ahead in the race for the first general-purpose quantum computers. In the short term, I will kickstart 3 interdisciplinary research projects aiming to develop key enabling technologies for AI-based in-situ qubit control by following a unique research path combining memristor-based neuromorphic engineering and quantum technology.