Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF
The ARCTIC (“Advanced Research on Cryogenic Technologies for Innovative Computing”) project aims to establish a complete and comprehensive European supply chain for cryogenic photonics, microelectronics, and, in general, cryo-microsystems for the emerging quantum computing industry and different cryo-enabled ICT applications.
ARCTIC is a joint effort of 36 top European RTOs, industrial fabrication facilities, and leading application partners, sharing the vision to take a joint EU step towards the era of cryogenic microsystems for classical as well as quantum applications. It aims to close the gap between qubit research and interfacing control technology, highly needed for scaling-up quantum systems.
The main goal of ARCTIC is to develop scalable cryogenic ICT microsystems and control technology for quantum processors. The technologies developed will have applications in many fields from sensing to communication. This will lead to fruitful cross-fertilization that will strengthen the forming of a European ecosystem on cryogenic microsystems for classical and quantum applications. ARCTIC will advance semiconductor technologies and materials, and tailor these for quantum technology requirements and cryogenic applications.
Characterization of peripheral devices for cryogenic quantum processors
Device characterization is as crucial as it is time-consuming, especially when it comes to cryogenic measurements and characterization with long cool-down and warm-up times. Fraunhofer IAF takes an essential role in ARCTIC by providing characterization capabilities of peripheral devices for cryogenic quantum processors on commercially sized wafers with an automated cryogenic full-wafer prober. Alongside its extensive knowledge in characterization methodologies for semiconductor device for R&D purposes up to industrial tests of 200 mm and 300 mm wafers, Fraunhofer IAF is one of the very few European providers of such low temperatures test set-up below 2K. This profound knowledge about cryogenic device characterization and statistical variability of key technologies will be integral to ARCTIC and help accelerate the industrial testing of cryogenic technologies necessary to scale up quantum computing.
