Intel has just released Tunnel Falls a 12-qubit quantum processor. On paper, if you’re at all interested in the field, the 12 qubits announced are far more modest than the chips already developed by IBM. So, what are we to make of this announcement, and should we expect a shift towards quantum technology for the processors of the future, or is this just an announcement to keep the news flowing?
This announcement is clearly a laboratory presentation, but Intel also insists that the company has made it possible to manufacture the chip. The dedicated team used Intel’s F1 plant in Hilsboro.
It’s not clear what manufacturing process was used, but that’s the whole point. Indeed, if power seems to be far behind, Intel is convinced that it holds a significant advantage over its competitors. The rookies have succeeded in producing Tunnel Falls using the “classic” methods of the semiconductor industry, whether used to manufacture various sensors or, of course, processors. To understand what’s at stake here, IBM and Google have opted for superconducting qubit technology. Intel has opted for spin qubits. Intel’s quantum chip is based on silicon wafers, just like the company’s mass-produced “normal” processors.
Under these conditions, it’s easy to understand that Intel intends to capitalize on its know-how. The company’s industrial power will be a second asset in rapidly increasing the yield of these chips.
