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The BMFTR-funded SPINNING project has successfully demonstrated that hybrid-integrable, scalable, and near-room-temperature solid-state quantum components represent a robust and energy-efficient alternative to established quantum computing hardware platforms. The developed spin qubits in diamond outperform comparable commercially available superconducting systems in terms of longer operation times and lower error rates. Photonic coupling over distances of more than 20 meters promises to serve as a foundation for more powerful distributed quantum computers.
At the conclusion of the three-year joint project, the SPINNING consortium (“Diamond Spin-Photon-Based Quantum Computer”) showcased a distributed, scalable universal quantum computer based on diamond spin qubits, offering significant advantages over other quantum computing technologies. A team of 28 national experts from academia and industry, led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF, worked on a solid-state quantum computer characterized by a novel, interconnected, and hybrid design.
The project partners are leading companies and research institutions in the pre-competitive development of quantum computer hardware, firmware, and software. They presented the project results at the final meeting held on June 23 at the Technical University of Munich. The Federal Ministry for Research, Technology, and Space (formerly the Federal Ministry of Education and Research) supported SPINNING with €16.1 million in funding.
High-quality photonic coupling
Within the SPINNING project, quantum registers were implemented using photonic coupling via optical microresonators, surpassing all common systems and expectations in benchmark analyses. The researchers created qubit registers using color centers in diamond and surrounding nuclear spins, which were photonic-coupled via microresonators across multiple registers and distances greater than 20 meters.
“This innovative technology makes it possible to bridge distances of several meters between quantum registers. The spin-photon-based quantum computer concept has great potential for technology transfer—not only due to its high scalability but also because of its strong connectivity, which allows flexible integration with conventional computers,” explains Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Quay, coordinator of the SPINNING consortium and director of the Fraunhofer IAF.
Major advances in the development of spin-photon-based quantum computers
The SPINNING team succeeded, for the first time, in demonstrating the entanglement of two registers, each with six qubits, over a 20-meter distance while achieving a high average fidelity of over 0.9 (in terms of state similarity). Additionally, the project yielded significant improvements in the core hardware, software, and supporting infrastructure for the spin-photon-based quantum computer.
Key advancements were made in the base material processing and the realization of diamond color centers for qubit generation, along with enhancements in photonic resonator technology. Germanium and tin vacancy defects—capable of serving as qubits themselves—were successfully demonstrated in supporting components such as detectors and sources. Diamond materials with a controlled nuclear spin environment were also produced. Furthermore, high Q-factors were achieved in diamond microresonators where color centers were precisely placed.
The consortium also developed the necessary electronics for operating the quantum computer and demonstrated initial applications in the field of artificial intelligence.
Surpassing the state of the art
A direct comparison between SPINNING’s results and the performance metrics of superconducting Josephson junction (SJJ) quantum computers—into which significantly more resources have been invested globally—reveals the immense potential of this technology:
The spin-photon-based quantum computer developed in SPINNING, currently featuring 12 qubits, achieved single-qubit gate error rates below 0.5%, matching those of high-profile SJJ-based models like Eagle (127 qubits) and Heron (154 qubits), both available via IBM’s commercial quantum cloud.
In terms of coherence time, the spin-photon-based quantum computer exceeded SJJ models (which achieve >50 μs) by a wide margin, with coherence durations over 10 milliseconds—despite entanglement occurring over 20 meters rather than mere millimeters. This allows for longer computation sequences and, therefore, the solving of more complex problems.
About the SPINNING project
SPINNING was funded by the former Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF (now BMFTR) with the funding measure Quantum Computer Demonstration Setups within the framework program of the Federal Government Quantum Technologies — from Fundamentals to Market. Fraunhofer IAF leads the SPINNING consortium of six universities, two non-profit research institutions, five industrial companies (SMEs and spin-offs) and 14 associated partners.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF (Coordinator)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB
- Research Center Jülich GmbH
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
- University of Constance
- University of Heidelberg
- Technical University of Munich
- University of Ulm
- Diamond Materials GmbH, Freiburg im Breisgau
- NVision Imaging Technologies GmbH, Ulm
- Qinu GmbH, Karlsruhe
- University of Stuttgart
- Quantum Brilliance GmbH, Stuttgart
- Swabian Instruments GmbH, Stuttgart
- 14 associated partners from science and industry
https://www.spinning-quantencomputing.de/en.html
https://www.iaf.fraunhofer.de/en/media-library/press-releases/SPINNING-project-c...
The SPINNING consortium is developing a quantum computer that will be characterized by lower cooling ...
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The SPINNING consortium is developing a quantum computer that will be characterized by lower cooling ...
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