Keysight Introduces QuantumPro Delivering Integrated EDA Workflow for Qubit Design

Insider Brief

• Keysight Technologies, Inc. introduces a tool and workflow tailored for seamless creation of quantum computers based on superconducting qubits.
• The tool lowers hardware engineer knowledge barrier for simulating superconducting qubits with automated quantum parameter extraction and cross-checking using multiple methods.
• It models the electromagnetic behavior of superconductors and manages the design of complex quantum amplifiers with robust nonlinear circuit environment.

PRESS RELEASE – Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) introduces QuantumPro, the electronic design automation (EDA) industry’s first integrated electromagnetic (EM) design and simulation tool and workflow tailored for seamless creation of quantum computers based on superconducting qubits. The QuantumPro solution consolidates five essential functionalities encompassing schematic design, layout creation, electromagnetic (EM) analysis, nonlinear circuit simulation, and quantum parameter extraction into the Advanced Design System (ADS) 2024 platform.

Mainstream microwave engineers have been limited in their capability to address quantum design. Superconducting qubit development has typically required lengthy and expensive design cycles, along with the difficulty of navigating multiple point tools.

QuantumPro unites the domains of quantum and microwave engineering by intelligently translating traditional microwave outputs into easily adjustable quantum parameters within the ADS platform. QuantumPro empowers engineers to effortlessly fine-tune their quantum circuits and accelerate time-to-market for their chips and systems.

Key features of the QuantumPro design and simulation solution include:

• Accelerates development of quantum chips using a cost-effective electromagnetic simulation approach based on the method of moments (MOM). The nonlinear circuit solver delivers extensive analysis of the power-dependent performance quantum chips.
• Instead of solving for the electric field in the full volume, MOM solves only for the currents on the metal surface, significantly cutting the computational cost. Enables seamless tuning of qubits and resonators through co-simulation and parametric analysis.
• Simplifies the design of quantum amplifiers, the critical blocks on the output chains of quantum systems that improve readout fidelity, using a nonlinear circuit design environment (harmonic balance and X-parameters). Harmonic balance solver handles amplifier design from just a few Josephson junctions up to thousands, delivering detailed analysis of the amplifier’s performance, including gain profile, gain ripples, mixing products, quantum efficiency, and gain compression. ADS supports examination of how the amplifier performs when cascaded with other blocks such as circulators, allowing for a thorough investigation of its overall functionality.
• Incorporates a library of quantum layout components in ADS encompassing numerous frequently used quantum designs such as transmons and co-planar waveguide (CPW) meanderline resonators. Facilitates the creation of quantum chips from within the ADS layout environment with each geometrical feature of the chip being represented as a parameterized object that can be easily adjusted and optimized. The CPW components within the library have built-in airbridges that play a crucial role in preventing the propagation of the CPW common mode.

Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, founded in 2019, is an early QuantumPro adopter planning to offer cloud access to its quantum computers. The company develops fast-to-market, application-specific analog quantum computers by co-designing chips and algorithms to bypass the qubit fragility barrier. Qilimanjaro leverages recent technological developments in quantum computing based on superconducting qubits to create an analog quantum processor that unlocks quantum advantage for customers. To deliver its full potential, the analog quantum chips are combined with long-coherence superconducting flux qubits, pure quantum interactions, and dense qubit connectivity, increasing computing power. Qilimanjaro’s quantum approach avoids the high error-correction requirements of gate-based systems.

Albert Solana, Chief Business Officer, Qilimanjaro, said: “We have been looking for a qubit EDA solution that leverages established principles for microwave engineers. We selected Keysight QuantumPro because it provides a complete workflow from design entry through layout, analysis, and extraction. The tool is easy to use and gives us everything we need to develop our forthcoming chips.”

Chris Mueth, Senior Director of Emerging Markets, Keysight EDA, said: “QuantumPro is the EDA industry’s first electromagnetic design environment that delivers a complete workflow for superconducting qubit development. The tool provides high precision through its 3D EM simulators that span both finite element method (FEM) for frequency domain and eigenmode, and MOM for frequency domain analysis. Automated quantum parameter extraction from frequency domain and eigenmode solutions allows easy optimization with built-in Python scripting. QuantumPro also elevates EM workflow for kinetic inductance modeling.”