Optical links help superconducting quantum computers keep their cool

Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research have demonstrated that commercially available devices known as electro-optical modulators can be used to read the output of superconducting quantum computers at extremely low temperatures. Using an optical signal instead of an all-electrical approach addresses the high heat-load contribution of electrical components, which is known to reduce the overall efficiency of devices. By demonstrating that an optical system can operate at a fraction of a degree above absolute zero, the result could open a new route to scaling up quantum computers.