HRL Laboratories Releases spinQICK: Open-Source Tool for Quantum Spin-Qubit Control

HRL Laboratories has introduced spinQICK, an open-source extension to the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit (QICK), designed to control electrostatically confined semiconductor spin-qubits. The solution leverages cost-effective, off-the-shelf Xilinx Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to enable rapid development of experimental hardware and software for spin-qubit control.

The spinQICK package builds on the standard QICK API, developed by Fermilab, with low-level extensions tailored for spin-qubit systems. It supports methods for single-spin (Loss-DiVincenzo) qubits, including charge-stability, electrostatic tune-up, initialization, parity readout, and single-spin coherent control. It also facilitates characterization of key properties and gate operations such as T1, T2*, T2-Echo, Ramsey, All-XY, exchange calibration, and two-qubit gates. Additional features include parameter management, plotting, and demonstrations to assist users.

Compared to custom or commercial hardware systems, spinQICK’s hardware is more affordable without compromising performance, enabling standardized measurement and control methods for spin-qubits. The tool supports workforce development and quantum outreach by fostering engagement with research labs and educational institutions. HRL sponsors a clinic team at Harvey Mudd College, where ...