Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced Ocelot, a new quantum computing chip that aims to significantly reduce the costs associated with quantum error correction. According to AWS, Ocelot could lower these costs by up to 90% compared to existing methods. This development comes from the AWS Center for Quantum Computing at the California Institute of Technology.
Ocelot’s architecture incorporates error correction from the start and utilizes ‘cat qubits’. These qubits are named after Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment and help minimize errors, thereby reducing the resources needed for quantum error correction. The researchers have successfully integrated cat qubit technology with other quantum error correction components onto a scalable microchip using techniques from the microelectronics industry.
Oskar Painter, AWS Director of Quantum Hardware, stated, “With the recent advancements in quantum research, it is no longer a matter of if, but when practical, fault-tolerant quantum computers will be available for real-world applications. Ocelot is an important step on that journey.” Painter also noted that chips based on Ocelot’s architecture could potentially cost just one-fifth of current approaches due to fewer resources needed for error correction.
The findings by AWS researchers have been published in a peer-reviewed paper in Nature. A more technical article about Ocelot is available on the Amazon Science website.
Quantum computers face challenges due to their sensitivity to environmental noise such as vibrations and electromagnetic interference. These factors can disrupt qubits and lead to errors in computations. To address this issue, quantum computers use special encodings across multiple qubits—logical qubits—to protect information from environmental interference and correct errors as they occur.
AWS developed Ocelot with built-in error correction capabilities. “We looked at how others were approaching quantum error correction and decided to take a different path,” said Painter. He emphasized that choosing the right building block for scaling is crucial for developing practical quantum computers.
While still a prototype, AWS plans to continue investing in refining its approach to quantum computing. “We’re just getting started and we believe we have several more stages of scaling to go through,” said Painter.
AWS offers Amazon Braket, a fully-managed service allowing users to explore quantum computing today with various third-party hardware and software tools.
Ocelot features two silicon microchips stacked together with superconducting materials forming the quantum circuit elements. It comprises 14 core components including five data qubits known as cat qubits which store quantum states necessary for computation using oscillators made from superconducting Tantalum material processed by AWS scientists.
