Keysight Technologies has entered a five-year Master Research Collaboration Agreement with key Singaporean quantum research entities. The partnership targets advancements in qubit design, measurement, and control to push quantum computing forward.
Collaboration Framework
The agreement unites Keysight with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore). These institutions form Singapore’s core quantum research network, focusing on practical hurdles in quantum processor development.
This multi-year commitment emphasizes joint projects in qubit fabrication characterization and cryogenic testing environments. Keysight contributes its measurement hardware expertise, enabling precise evaluations under extreme conditions near absolute zero.
The initiative aligns with Singapore’s National Quantum Strategy, which coordinates efforts across government labs, universities, and industry. Recent moves, such as the National Quantum Computing Hub, underscore the nation’s push to integrate quantum with high-performance computing and AI.
Technical Challenges Addressed
Quantum computing demands scalable systems, yet qubits suffer from short coherence times, error accumulation, and complex control needs. Scaling beyond dozens of qubits introduces issues like signal routing congestion and cooling limitations in dilution refrigerators.
Interconnectivity poses another barrier, as wiring more qubits demands low-latency control without fidelity loss. Modular architectures offer potential solutions, but demand refined electronic design tools for validation.
This partnership tackles these through targeted R&D. Efforts include testing novel processor chips with flexible gate layouts, where traditional rigid designs limit adaptability.
Keysight’s Quantum Tools
Keysight’s Quantum Control System (QCS) anchors the technical integration. This PXI-based platform delivers direct digital conversion for microwave, baseband, and digital signals, spanning DC to 16 GHz with 2 GHz real-time bandwidth.
QCS supports configurations from 1-2 qubits up to 1000-qubit systems, featuring APIs and GUIs for custom pulse sequences and synchronization. Phase noise below -130 dBc/Hz ensures stable qubit manipulation, reducing calibration needs compared to analog systems.
Complementing QCS, QuantumPro provides an end-to-end EDA workflow within Keysight’s Advanced Design System. It handles schematic design, EM simulation via finite element and method-of-moments solvers, and automated parameter extraction for superconducting qubits.
QuantumPro incorporates kinetic inductance modeling and Python scripting for optimization, drawing from Keysight’s RF/microwave heritage. Researchers will leverage these for simulating large-scale architectures during the collaboration.
Singapore’s Quantum Ecosystem
Singapore positions itself as an Asia-Pacific quantum hub through sustained investments. The National Quantum Office oversees strategies, including $24.5 million for hybrid quantum-classical initiatives targeting biology, finance, and logistics.
CQT at NUS pioneers trapped-ion and superconducting qubit research, while A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing advances simulations. NTU contributes materials science for qubit fabrication.
Partnerships like Quantinuum’s R&D center further this ecosystem, fostering middleware and applications. Keysight’s involvement extends talent development, training engineers in quantum hardware.
Expected Outcomes
Joint efforts aim to refine qubit control algorithms on flexible architectures, enhancing scalability. Cryogenic measurement upgrades will characterize fabrication variances, informing process improvements.
Keysight engineers collaborate directly with academic teams, accelerating simulations via QuantumPro. This supports modular chip designs, addressing wiring and control bottlenecks.
Broader impacts include industry-academia knowledge transfer. Singapore gains reinforced leadership, while Keysight refines tools against real-world quantum challenges.
Dr. Eric T. Holland, General Manager of Keysight Quantum Engineering Solutions, noted the agreement’s significance. He highlighted Singapore’s technology leadership and the need for sustained partnerships to mature quantum computing through innovative risks.
Strategic Implications
This alliance exemplifies global quantum progress via public-private models. It counters scalability barriers, vital for fault-tolerant systems requiring millions of qubits.
For enterprise applications, reliable qubit control enables simulations unattainable classically, from drug discovery to optimization. Singapore’s focus on hybrid systems accelerates practical deployment.
Keysight’s hardware-software stack positions it centrally in quantum R&D. Success here could standardize tools for broader adoption, benefiting global research networks.
The five-year horizon allows iterative advancements, from prototype testing to scaled demonstrations. Outcomes may influence standards in quantum EDA and control.
About Keysight Technologies
At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product life cycle. We’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com.
