Frequently Asked Questions


You might check out the definitions first.

Why can’t I search for qubits? Why aren’t there different views?

There are filter and search capabilities, they just don’t work on a mobile browser at this time. Here are a few other views that may be useful.

Why do we need a qubit zoo?

Qubits improve based on the knowledge gained from previous qubit proposals and realizations. And qubits need to get better to make useful quantum computers. A qubit’s performance is characterized by the task they are to perform, typically fault-tolerant quantum computation, and these parameters include the error rates of the relevant gates (IDLE, single qubit gates, two-qubit gates), along with the speed of these gates. But their utility may also be determined by other considerations: how easy is it to control them?, how many wires or laser beams does each qubit need?. In other words, what is the classical control and architectural overhead needed for these qubits? All these issues flow into the holistic problem of building a functioning quantum computer.

As we better understand what limits qubit peformance–such as what environmental and material paramters cause decoherence–we can sometimes use that knowledge to radically advance the performance of qubits. Further, many ideas that were introduced in the early days and excitement of quantum computing–and have since been forgotten –may be applicable again now that we have working qubits and know what does and doesn’t work. Developments can also be applied across technologies to advance qubits; so it pays to understand qubits in all their forms when designing new ones. Hybrid qubits are possible too. At the physical level, advances in materials, control, and fabrication approaches can often be shared.

What can be submitted to the qubit zoo?

The qubit zoo attempts to collect all the qubits we know about. ``Qubits” is broadly defined in the sense that we include proposals for new qubit gate approaches as inherent to what a qubit is. So, for example, although there may already be an entry on the transmon qubit, there could be another entry that uses transforms in a new way, either by proposing a new two-qubit gate proposal, or a new way to combine transmons to realize a new type of qubit.

Why isn’t qubit x, y, z in the zoo?

Because you haven’t submitted it yet.

There’s a mistake in qubit x, how do I get it fixed?

Option 1: Use our contact form and include the qubit ID number. Tell us how to fix it. Option 2: Submit the qubit again that does a better job than what’s in the zoo now. If it is better, we will replace it.

I just put a paper on the arxiv about my new qubit idea, can I submit it to the zoo?

That’s a good question. On the one hand, yes, absolutely. Submit your qubit to New and it will be up to the Zooqeeper to let it into the Zoo. If it is let in to the Zoo, please resumit your qubit later with the official reference once the paper has been published.