HRL Laboratories has demonstrated an 18-qubit silicon-spin quantum processing unit that runs itself. In a Nature paper published July 29, 2026, the Malibu-based research lab described a self-contained processor that replaces rooms of room-temperature control instruments with a custom cryogenic CMOS chip operating at 4 Kelvin inside the cryostat.
Cryogenic Control Instead Of Racks Of Room-Temperature Electronics
The unit integrates a 54-quantum-dot array — configurable for up to 18 exchange-only qubits — fabricated on 200 mm isotopically enriched silicon-germanium wafers. HRL reports average single-qubit gate errors of 1.7×10⁻⁴ and CNOT entangling gate errors of 3.5×10⁻³, with the best reproducible two-qubit errors reaching 9×10⁻⁴ — an order-of-magnitude reduction over prior exchange-only silicon-spin demonstrations.
Quantum Error Detection With Zero Room-Temperature Latency
Crucially, the system ran quantum error detection and repetition codes with zero room-temperature latency, addressing the thermal and wiring bottleneck that has choked past scaling attempts. By pushing the control loop below 4 K, HRL eliminates the coaxial spaghetti that today ties every qubit to warm electronics.
The IBM Anderon Angle
The demonstration lands one week after IBM's announced acquisition of HRL from Boeing and General Motors. IBM plans to route HRL's silicon-spin technology through its Anderon quantum wafer foundry in Albany, giving the company a second qubit modality alongside its superconducting roadmap.
Reporting based on coverage from Nature, Quantum Computing Report and Tech Times.