Topic: Research News

Researchers used 7,000 GPUs to simulate a tiny quantum chip. This helps them predict how it will behave before manufacturing begins.

Creating detailed computer models of quantum chips is important for scientists. It allows them to catch potential issues early and confirm that designs will work as expected. A team at Berkeley Lab did just this by simulating a tiny quantum chip using nearly 7,000 GPUs. This was done to support the development of next-generation quantum hardware.

The team used an exascale modeling tool called ARTEMIS to simulate and refine the quantum chip. The chip was developed through a collaboration between Irfan Siddiqi's Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, and Berkeley Lab's Advanced Quantum Testbed (AQT).

To carry out this work, the team relied on the Perlmutter supercomputer. They used almost all 7,168 NVIDIA GPUs to model a multilayer chip measuring just 10 millimeters across and 0.3 millimeters thick, with features as small as one micron.

This level of precision sets their work apart. Many simulations simplify chips as

Implications

Researchers used 7,000 GPUs to simulate a tiny quantum chip. This helps them predict how it will behave before manufacturing begins.