Goldeneye (refrigerator for quantum computers)

2022: Announcement

On September 13, 2022, it became known that IBM had created a super refrigerator for quantum computers. It is 10 times smaller than existing counterparts and cools stronger than space.

The supercolor, called Goldeneye, uses a mixture of helium-3 and helium-4 to lower the temperature of the contents to millikelvin (mK), which is thousandths of a degree higher than absolute zero. Goldeneye was created to solve several problems in existing dilution refrigerators. The prototype has a working volume of 1.7 square meters. meters, which is more than three average household refrigerators, and a mass of 6.7 tons allows you to suppress vibrations that can disrupt the operation of quantum equipment. The refrigerator has a modular design that allows you to open the external vacuum chamber on the side so that specialists can easily access the equipment located inside. It is important that it occupies only one-tenth of the space compared to existing equivalent power dilution refrigerators. Thanks to this simplification, it can be served by much smaller groups of specialists.

A super cooler for quantum computers has been created. It cools harder than space

During testing, Goldeneye managed to cool to a temperature of ~ 25 mK or -273,1C, which is colder than the average temperature of space. After IBM specialists placed the quantum chip inside and cooled it, they managed to achieve a coherence time - the duration of storing information with qubits - of about 450 microseconds. Researchers say its creation has given them "important lessons in overcoming existing problems."

Шаблон:Quote 'The most important thing is that it works. After only three years from the start of the project until reaching 25 mK, we were able to perform the latest performance check: we put a chip with qubits inside, IBM said. IBM says Goldeneye probably won't be used in its current form to cool quantum computers. The super cooler will soon be moved to IBM Quantum Computation Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, for further testing to develop the next generations of cooling systems.

{{quote 'Despite its dimensions, Goldeneye is effective. To install a similar amount of quantum computing equipment, it needs less space than modern large dilution refrigerators. Placing similar equipment in modern refrigerators would require 10 times more space in the laboratory, IBM explained^[1] }}

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