Oxford Ionics sets new world record in qubit readout

• Team demonstrates state preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelities of 99.9993%

• Results reflect a 13x reduction in SPAM errors compared to the next best approach

• Novel protocol developed at Oxford Ionics was validated at University of Oxford 

OXFORD, 10th September, 2024: Oxford Ionics, a leader in trapped-ion quantum computing, today announced it has set a new record in quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM). The results, experimentally implemented at the University of Oxford, demonstrate the highest recorded SPAM fidelities of any quantum computing platform at 99.9993%. 

In partnership with the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, Oxford Ionics has shattered the previous world record - demonstrating a 13x reduction in SPAM errors compared to the next best approach on the market. The team achieved this groundbreaking result through developing a novel protocol that can detect and discard qubits in the wrong state. This protocol was validated through experiments performed at the University of Oxford. 

Figure: Data obtained by preparing, and then measuring, each of the two qubit states, |0> (red) and |1> (blue).

Quantum computing promises to solve complex computational problems far beyond the capacity of any classical supercomputer. However, errors – whether caused during the preparation of the qubit into the desired state, during single- or two-qubit gates, or when reading out the qubit state at the end of the computation – are among the most significant obstacles to realising this power. 

Low errors in SPAM, along with two-qubit and single-qubit gates, are therefore among the three most important metrics when evaluating the precision and accuracy of a quantum computer. With these latest results, Oxford Ionics has now achieved record performance in all three. 

Combined with Oxford Ionics’ recent record-breaking single- and two-qubit gate fidelity results, this latest record indicates the company now has the highest performing and most reliable quantum platform in the industry. The new SPAM protocol developed will be applied to the next generation of Oxford Ionics’ quantum computers. 

Oxford Ionics’ quantum computers are unique owing to its patented ‘Electronic Qubit Control’ which relies on electronics, not lasers, to perform quantum gates. This approach gives the company a fundamental engineering advantage – by using electronics, Oxford Ionics can rapidly scale its quantum chips by replicating identical unit cells using the existing semiconductor manufacturing supply chain. The world records set by Oxford Ionics, in tandem with this unique approach, bring it one step closer to delivering quantum computers capable of delivering widespread commercial impact. 

Dr Chris Ballance, Oxford Ionics co-founder and CEO, commented: “Reliable and high-performing quantum computers hold the key to unlocking extraordinary solutions to critical problems. But to deliver a quantum computer capable of realising this future, the error rates across SPAM, single- and two-qubit gates are critical. Our team’s latest result means that Oxford Ionics has now demonstrated world-leading performance on all three of these fundamental metrics. This is an exciting leap forward for the quantum computing industry at large, and we’re excited to accelerate our efforts to put this technology in the hands of end-users.”