Chip 100× smaller than a hair could help scale quantum computing

Researchers have developed an optical phase modulator chip nearly 100 times smaller than a human hair, which could be pivotal for scaling quantum computers to handle massive qubit counts. Unlike bulky, custom hardware traditionally used, this device is manufactured using standard CMOS semiconductor fabrication processes common in everyday electronics. The modulator operates via microwave-frequency vibrations oscillating billions of times per second, enabling precise control of laser light phase and efficient generation of new frequencies—capabilities essential for quantum computing architectures like trapped-ion and trapped-neutral-atom systems. Current frequency-shifting technologies are large, power-hungry, and impractical for scaling to the hundreds of thousands of optical channels future quantum machines will require. The new modulator addresses these issues by consuming about 80 times less microwave power than many commercial modulators, producing less heat and allowing many devices to be integrated side by side on a single chip. This breakthrough leverages CMOS fabrication’s scalability, potentially enabling mass production of thousands or millions of identical photonic devices. The