This system makes it possible for every processor in a quantum network to talk directly to one another, greatly improving scalability and efficiency.
A new way of processor communication
The MIT team created a device that connects two quantum processors using a superconducting waveguide — a special type of wire that carries photons, which are tiny particles of light used to transmit quantum information.
Each processor contains four qubits, which are the fundamental units of quantum computing.
Some of these qubits are designed to send and receive photons along the waveguide, while others store data.
By using microwave pulses, the researchers energize a qubit so it releases a photon.
Through careful control of these pulses, they can direct the photon along the waveguide in a chosen direction, where it can be caught and absorbed by a second processor.