Scientists say breakthrough could shorten the time needed to map the Milky Way from millennia to less than a decade.
Category: computing – Page 12
Netherlands tightens export restrictions on microchip machines, mainly targeting ASML
The Dutch government is tightening its export restrictions on microchip-making machines, specifically deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithographic machines. A licensing requirement will apply to the export of older types of DUV machinery beginning on Saturday, a decision which primarily impacts Dutch business ASML. Foreign Trade Minister Reinett Klever cited national security concerns when announcing the measure on Friday.
According to ASML, the licensing requirement update is a technical change that mainly means that the company will apply for export licenses from the government of the Netherlands, not the United States, for two older types of DUV immersion lithography systems (1970i and 1980i). The Dutch government already implemented a licensing requirement for the newer generations of DUV machines (2000i and later) in September last year.
DUV lithography machines are the second-most advanced microchip-making machines, after extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. Dutch company ASML is the world’s only manufacturer of EUV lithography machines and is also a global leader in the production, refurbishment, and repair of DUV lithography machines. DUV machines can still be used to make highly sophisticated microchips, and some of China’s leading tech companies, like Huawei, are actively pushing the limits of the older technology.
Investigating the Individual Performances of Coupled Superconducting Transmon Qubits
The strong requirement for high-performing quantum computing led to intensive research on novel quantum platforms in the last decades. The circuital nature of Josephson-based quantum superconducting systems powerfully supports massive circuital freedom, which allowed for the implementation of a wide range of qubit designs, and an easy interface with the quantum processing unit. However, this unavoidably introduces a coupling with the environment, and thus to extra decoherence sources. Moreover, at the time of writing, control and readout protocols mainly use analogue microwave electronics, which limit the otherwise reasonable scalability in superconducting quantum circuits.
Simplified Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model simulated on trapped-ion quantum computer
The simulation of strongly interacting many-body systems is a key objective of quantum physics research, as it can help to test the predictions of physics theories and yield new valuable insight. Researchers at Quantinuum, a quantum computing company, recently simulated a simplified version of a well-known theoretical model, the so-called Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, using a trapped-ion quantum computer and a previously introduced randomized quantum algorithm.
Their simulation, outlined in a paper published on the arXiv preprint server, improves the present understanding of chaotic quantum systems that cannot be simulated using classical computers. In the future, their work could contribute to the simulation of other complex quantum systems and theoretical models.
“We were interested in the SYK model for two reasons: on one hand it is a prototypical model of strongly interacting fermions in condensed matter physics, and on the other hand it is the simplest toy model for studying quantum gravity in the lab via the holographic duality,” said Enrico Rinaldi, Lead R&D Scientist at Quantinuum and senior author of the paper.
Quantum Companies Join Forces in Italy’s New Quantum Alliance
IonQ and D-Wave, two publicly traded U.S. quantum computing companies, are joining as founding members of Q-Alliance, a new initiative in Lombardy described by organizers as the foundation of “the world’s most powerful quantum hub.”
The alliance, formalized in Como with a memorandum of understanding, is designed to accelerate quantum research and industrial applications as part of Italy’s broader digital transformation agenda, according to a news release. It is backed by the Italian government’s Interministerial Committee for Digital Transition and supported by Undersecretary of State Senator Alessio Butti.
Q-Alliance will serve as an open platform connecting universities, research institutions, and private industry. The program aims to train young researchers through scholarships and internships, promote collaboration across scientific disciplines, and position Italy as a European center for quantum development.
NVIDIA Embraces the ‘Made in USA’ Narrative, As Jensen Huang Unveils the First Blackwell Chip Wafer Produced by TSMC Arizona
NVIDIA’s CEO has revealed that TSMC has produced the first Blackwell chip wafer in America, a massive development towards the future of manufacturing in the nation.
Since the Trump administration took office, efforts to bring manufacturing back to the US have influenced almost every tech giant, with NVIDIA leading the way. The firm announced plans to invest $500 billion in American manufacturing, prompting suppliers like Foxconn and Quanta to set up manufacturing facilities in the US. In a blog post shared by Team Green, it is revealed that TSMC Arizona has begun manufacturing Blackwell on American soil, and Jensen Huang himself paid a visit to Phoenix to celebrate this massive achievement.