Cryo chip runs qubits at -273°C using just 10 microwatts of power

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a cryogenic control chip capable of operating directly alongside quantum bits (qubits) at near absolute zero temperatures (milli-kelvin range) while consuming just 10 microwatts of power. This chip, designed using standard CMOS technology, controls spin qubits—data stored in the magnetic orientation of single electrons—and maintains qubit coherence and fidelity without measurable degradation compared to conventional room-temperature setups. The chip’s low power consumption and minimal noise interference enable scalable quantum computing systems potentially reaching millions of qubits without significant energy increases. Led by Professor David Reilly, the team demonstrated that their cryogenic chip causes negligible fidelity loss in single- and two-qubit operations and does not reduce coherence times, overcoming a major hurdle in building large-scale quantum computers. The research is driving commercial interest, with Emergence Quantum, co-founded by Reilly and Dr. Thomas Ohki, aiming to bring this technology to market. This advance supports efforts to integrate silicon qubits with