An Introduction to Quantum Computing for RFIC Engineers

Quantum computing has recently emerged as a field that has the promise to significantly impact society. However, as will be made clear, the engagement of circuit designers and microwave engineers in the development of quantum computers will be necessary if quantum computing is going to live up to this potential. The point of this talk is to provide an introduction to the field of quantum computing that is accessible to RFIC engineers. The talk will begin with a description of what makes quantum computing unique and why it could be useful in the first place. After this introductory information is presented, the basic building block of a quantum computer, the qubit or quantum bit, will be described and one- and two-gate operations will be introduced. Concepts such as coherence time and gate fidelity will be described. Once it is clear what one desires out of a technology for use in a quantum processor, we will explain how a quantum processor can be implemented using superconducting Josephson junction technology. We will explain how these devices are controlled and probed using microwave technology. The state-of-the-art in quantum computing will be discussed as will the limitations of near term quantum computers. The talk will conclude with a discussion of error correction techniques and a picture of what an error corrected quantum computer might look like.