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What limits scaling quantum processors beyond a few hundred qubits?
Asked on Oct 24, 2025
Answer
Scaling quantum processors beyond a few hundred qubits is primarily limited by challenges in maintaining qubit coherence, error rates, and connectivity. As the number of qubits increases, the complexity of error correction, qubit control, and inter-qubit communication also grows, making it difficult to preserve quantum states and execute reliable quantum operations.
Example Concept: Quantum processors face scaling limitations due to decoherence, which is the loss of quantum information over time, and gate fidelity, which refers to the precision of quantum operations. As systems grow, the need for robust quantum error correction becomes critical, requiring additional qubits and resources to protect logical qubits. Moreover, maintaining high connectivity between qubits without introducing excessive noise is a significant engineering challenge, impacting the overall scalability of quantum architectures.
Additional Comment:
- Decoherence times must be significantly longer than the time required to perform quantum operations to ensure reliable computation.
- Quantum error correction codes, such as the surface code, are essential for scaling but require a large overhead in terms of physical qubits.
- Improving qubit connectivity and reducing crosstalk between qubits are crucial for efficient quantum circuit execution.
- Advancements in materials science and fabrication techniques are needed to enhance qubit coherence and gate fidelity.
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