T-joint connector for quantum computing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12361306-B2
Application number	US-202117476646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2021
Priority date	Sep 16, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A T-joint connector can be useful for connecting one or more flex circuit boards to quantum hardware including one or more qubits. The T-joint connector can include one or more flex circuit boards. Each of the one or more flex circuit boards can include one or more signal lines and one or more spring interconnects including a superconducting material. The one or more spring interconnects can be coupled to the one or more signal lines. The one or more spring interconnects can be configured to couple the one or more signal lines to one or more signal pads disposed on a mounting circuit board associated with the quantum hardware. The superconducting material can be superconducting at a temperature less than about 3 kelvin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A T-joint connector for connecting one or more flex circuit boards to quantum hardware comprising one or more qubits, each of the one or more flex circuit boards comprising a plurality of signal lines, the T-joint connector comprising:
a plurality of spring interconnects each comprising a superconducting material, wherein each spring interconnect of the plurality of spring interconnects is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of signal lines;
wherein each spring interconnect of the plurality of spring interconnects is configured to couple the respective one of the plurality of signal lines to a respective one of a plurality of signal pads disposed on a mounting circuit board associated with the quantum hardware;
wherein the superconducting material is superconducting at a temperature less than about 3 kelvin.

2. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein one or more signal lines of the plurality of signal lines are superconducting signal lines.

3. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein one or more spring interconnects of the plurality of spring interconnects comprise one or more spring elements, the one or more spring elements comprising a superconducting coating.

4. The T-joint connector of claim 3 , wherein the one or more spring elements comprise a non-superconducting material.

5. The T-joint connector of claim 3 , wherein the one or more spring elements comprise beryllium copper.

6. The T-joint connector of claim 3 , wherein the superconducting coating comprises tin.

7. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein a first flex circuit board of the one or more flex circuit boards comprises a first plurality of spring interconnects spaced across a surface of the first flex circuit board in a first direction.

8. The T-joint connector of claim 7 , wherein a second flex circuit board of the one or more flex circuit boards is disposed parallel to the first flex circuit board and spaced apart from the first flex circuit board in a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signal pads comprises a two-dimensional array of signal pads.

10. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the T-joint connector comprises at least one shim configured to space a first flex circuit board apart from a second flex circuit board.

11. The T-joint connector of claim 10 , comprising one or more tabs extending from the at least one shim, the one or more tabs configured to space the plurality of spring interconnects and align the plurality of spring interconnects to the plurality of signal pads.

12. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein an isolation plate is configured to electrically isolate a first flex circuit board of the one or more flex circuit boards from a second flex circuit board of the one or more flex circuit boards.

13. The T-joint connector of claim 12 , wherein the isolation plate comprises superconducting material.

14. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , further comprising a connector shell configured to encase at least a portion of the one or more flex circuit boards, wherein the connector shell is further configured to align the one or more flex circuit boards to the mounting circuit board.

15. The T-joint connector of claim 14 , wherein the connector shell comprises:
a first connector plate; and
a second connector plate;
wherein the first connector plate is disposed parallel to the second connector plate and spaced apart from the second connector plate;
wherein one or more flex circuit boards are disposed between the first connector plate and the second connector plate.

16. The T-joint connector of claim 15 , wherein one or more shims are configured to separate the one or more flex circuit boards from at least one of the first connector plate and the second connector plate.

17. The T-joint connector of claim 15 , comprising one or more through holes extending through the first connector plate, at least a portion of the one or more flex circuit boards, and the second connector plate, wherein the one or more through holes are configured to receive a rod assembly to secure the first connector plate to the second connector plate.

18. The T-joint connector of claim 1 , wherein the flex circuit boards further comprise:
a first ground layer;
a first dielectric layer formed on a surface of the first ground layer;
a second ground layer; and
a second dielectric layer formed on a surface of the second ground layer;
wherein the one or more signal lines are disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

19. A method of operating a quantum computing system, comprising:
transmitting a control pulse to one or more signal lines, the one or more signal lines disposed in one or more flex circuit boards;
transmitting, by the one or more signal lines, the control pulse through the one or more flex circuit boards to a T-joint connector;
transmitting the control pulse through the T-joint connector to a quantum board comprising quantum hardware; and
applying, by the quantum hardware, the control pulse to implement at least one quantum operation based at least in part on the control pulse;
wherein the T-joint connector comprises:
a plurality of spring interconnects each comprising a superconducting material, wherein each spring interconnect of the plurality of spring interconnects is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of signal lines;
wherein each spring interconnect of the plurality of spring interconnects is configured to couple the respective one of the plurality of signal lines to a respective one of a plurality of signal pads disposed on a mounting circuit board associated with the quantum hardware;
wherein the superconducting material is superconducting at a temperature less than about 3 kelvin.

20. A quantum computing system, comprising:
one or more classical processors;
quantum hardware comprising one or more qubits;
a chamber mount configured to support the quantum hardware;
a vacuum chamber configured to receive the chamber mount and dispose the quantum hardware in a vacuum, the vacuum chamber forming a cooling gradient from an end of the vacuum chamber to the quantum hardware;
a plurality of flex circuit boards each comprising a respective plurality of signal lines, each of the plurality of flex circuit boards configured to transmit signals by the respective plurality of signal lines through the vacuum chamber; and
a T-joint connector configured to couple the plurality of flex circuit boards to the quantum hardware, the T-joint connector comprising a plurality of spring interconnects comprising a superconducting material, each spring interconnect of the plurality of spring interconnects coupled to a respective signal line of the respective pluralities of signal lines;
wherein each spring interconnect of the plurality of spring interconnects is configured to couple a respective one of the plurality of signal lines to a respective one of a plurality of signal pads disposed on a mounting circuit board associated with the quantum hardware;
wherein the superconducting material is superconducting at a temperature less than about 3 kelvin.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Martinis John
• Buckley Bob Benjamin
• Huang Xiaojun Trent

Classifications

• H10N60/20

  Permanent superconducting devices · CPC title

• G06F15/16

  Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs {(coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B)} · CPC title

• H05K7/20372

  Cryogenic cooling; Nitrogen liquid cooling · CPC title

• H01R12/77

  for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures · CPC title

• H01R9/03

  Connectors arranged to contact a plurality of the conductors of a multiconductor cable {, e.g. tapping connections} · CPC title