“SCALABILITY IS THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE OF QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES"

Quantum technologies seem to be advancing unstoppably and at full speed. where are we really, and what are the main challenges that remain to be solved?

Fernando González-Zalba: Quantum technologies are advancing at an unprecedented rate, with significant progress being made in several areas, in particular in quantum computing. This rapid development has generated excitement in both academia and industry, as quantum computers promise to solve some of society’s most challenging problems. However, despite these rapid developments, the technology is still in its infancy and faces several critical challenges that must be addressed before quantum computing can reach its full potential. Currently, many research groups and institutions around the world are exploring different quantumcomputing architectures and methods, with promising results. Still, one of the main obstacles remains the scalability of these systems. Our goal is to scale up these technologies and develop more robust quantum computing architectures that can efficiently handle large-scale computations. Once these operational challenges are overcome, quantum computers will have the potential to revolutionize several fields.

You are now leading nanogune's quantum hardware group. what will be your immediate research priorities, and how do you see this evolving over the next five to ten years?

F.G.Z.: As head of this group, my immediate priority is to establish a state-of-the-art research infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for our work in quantum computing. Over the next year, we will focus on setting up our laboratories and equipping them with advanced low-temperature systems and high-precision electronic instrumentation necessary for the design, fabrication, and characterization of quantum hardware. Our goal is to build one of the most advanced quantum research facilities in Southern Europe, positioning nanoGUNE as a key player in the field. Looking ahead over the next five to ten years, our focus will shift toward the development of cutting-edge quantum-hardware technologies.

What are the main scientific and technical advantages of silicon-based quantum technologies?

F.G.Z.: The main advantage of using silicon for quantum technologies, and quantum computing in particular, is the scalability it promises. Silicon leverages the well-established semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure, the same infrastructure used to make the microprocessors in our cars, phones, and laptops. By taking advantage of this infrastructure, we aim to scale the technology up to a sufficient number of qubits to perform computations that are not possible today. We aim to increase the complexity of our quantum processors, moving from a small number of qubits to a large enough number that should allow us to run some of the most promising quantum algorithms.

What are the main challenges you foresee in scaling siliconbased quantum technologies?

F.G.Z.: The challenges of scaling up silicon-based quantum computing involve working very closely with semiconductor manufacturers. These large companies have the expertise to develop classical electronic circuits, and now we need to collaborate with them to enable this technology to produce silicon-based quantum processors. One of my goals is to work much more closely with the semiconductor industry to make this technology a reality.

Once we are able to build quantum computers that are more powerful than today’s supercomputers, what can we expect?

F.G.Z.: Quantum computers promise to help us solve some of the most challenging societal problems we face today. For example, in theory, quantum computers will be able to improve online security. They will also assist with online searches and searches in unordered databases. There are applications in cancer detection and DNA sequencing as well. Additionally, quantum computers excel at solving optimization problems, which can be applied to weather forecasting or financial market predictions. However, what excites me most about developing this technology is the possibility of using quantum computers to simulate nature. If we can simulate nature, we may be able to create new molecules, medicines, and materials that will improve the quality of life for people and society in general.