Making of a quantum circuit, the quantronium (The)

This film derives from the Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies DVD.
The physicist Denis Vion of the CEA's Quantronique laboratory and his team are working on a new type of processor: the quantronium . The quantronium is a quantum electronic component, i.e. a component that will use quantum effects to obtain more efficient electronic circuits. Superposing quantum states can thus multiply the computing power of future quantum computers. Denis Vion describes the manufacturing steps of the quantronium illustrated by 3D animations. Electronic lithography is used to deposit a layer of resin on the silicon substrate and etch it with an electron beam. A scanning electron microscope is used to steer this process with a computer from the drawing of the electrical circuit to be made. The exposed areas of the resin are dissolved to obtain a stencil-like mask, which will allow various materials to be deposited in the desired places. The materials used are aluminium and gold deposited as nano-thick layers in which quantum phenomena will be observed. These quantum phenomena only occur at very low temperatures, and for its first operation the processor must be cooled to near absolute zero.