Insider Brief
- Fernando Gonzalez Zalba has received an ERC Consolidator Grant to advance research on semiconductor quantum dots for ultra-low-power qubit control and readout electronics.
- The QuDos project aims to integrate quantum processors and classical electronics on a single silicon platform to address power-dissipation challenges in utility-scale quantum computers.
- The work will be conducted under a collaboration between CIC nanoGUNE and Quantum Motion, supported by Horizon Europe funding.
PRESS RELEASE — Quantum Motion, a leading developer of quantum computers using industry standard CMOS transistor technology, is proud to announce that Fernando Gonzalez Zalba, Ikerbasque Research Professor at CIC nanoGUNE and Principal Engineer at Quantum Motion, has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant. The grant will fund project QuDos, an innovative research initiative focused on using semiconductor quantum dots as the basis for building ultra-low-power microwave qubit control and readout electronics for quantum computers. The research could be applicable to classical electronics used in all quantum computing modalities, not limited to silicon qubits.
“One of the biggest challenges in enabling a utility-scale quantum computing system is managing power dissipation produced by the classical electronics needed for control and qubit readout. It’s a problem that every quantum computing modality will need to address if aiming to build an integrated quantum computing system,” said Gonzalez Zalba. “I am very excited our application was selected, so we can advance our idea of using semiconductor quantum dots to tackle this challenge and develop an integrated package that will deliver the benefit of quantum processors and classical electronics on a single piece of silicon.”
The ERC is the premier European funding organisation for frontier research. It funds creative researchers to run projects within the EU. Gonzalez Zalba’s grant is one of 349 Consolidator Grants awarded (out of 3,100+ applications) and is funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. The research will be run within the framework of the research collaboration agreement between CIC nanoGUNE and Quantum Motion at nanoGUNE’s new Quantum Hardware laboratories in San Sebastián, Spain.
“This is an incredible accomplishment for Fernando and a mark of his exceptional scientific excellence and visionary leadership,” said James Palles-Dimmock, CEO of Quantum Motion. “This ERC Consolidator Grant project reflects the level of deep, technical industrial research we’re undertaking at Quantum Motion. We welcome the opportunity to support Fernando’s research and advance how a silicon-based, integrated architecture can achieve fault tolerance and utility at scale using traditional CMOS transistor technology.”
“The opening one year ago of a new research group on quantum hardware led by Fernando Gonzalez Zalba at nanoGUNE, who joined through the Ikerbasque programme, together with the construction of new dedicated laboratories in our recently completed Quantum Tower and the collaboration agreement with Quantum Motion, has been a key step in consolidating our quantum nanoscience research pillar. We are now proud of this new achievement, which will further strengthen the research project we are jointly building with Quantum Motion,” said Jose M. Pitarke, nanoGUNE’s Director General.
