IonQ has demonstrated a quantum link that connects two different types of qubits at more than 1,000 entanglement events per second. The achievement could help engineers build larger quantum computers by allowing separate systems to exchange quantum information more efficiently.

The demonstration links a trapped-ion qubit with a silicon-vacancy (SiV) qubit inside a solid-state memory. A photonic interconnect carries the quantum connection between them using light. IonQ says the result exceeds the previous record for trapped-ion systems by more than four times.

The breakthrough tackles a major quantum computing challenge by connecting different hardware systems without creating communication bottlenecks.

Trapped ions offer excellent qubit coherence, allowing them to preserve quantum information for extended periods. Silicon-vacancy centers in diamond, meanwhile, interact efficiently with light, making them promising candidates for quantum memories.

IonQ’s approach combines these strengths through a photonic link. The trapped-ion system handles quantum information, while the solid-state memory provides an interface suited to optical communication.

Entanglement connects quantum systems through shared quantum states, enabling operations that classical communication cannot reproduce. Quantum networks rely on this property to coordinate separate processors and potentially distribute computational workloads across multiple machines.

IonQ’s demonstration uses real hardware to test the complete connection between the two qubit types. The results appear in a technical paper detailing the system’s performance.

The speed of an interconnect matters because larger quantum computers may need to coordinate many separate processing units. Slow connections could limit how quickly those units perform joint operations, even when individual qubits work well.

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