ZQCS Quantum Control System

• Modular system with flexible combination of qubit control and readout channels
• Powerful real-time processing architecture optimized for quantum error correction
• Up to 1092 channels per 19'' rack
• Market-leading signal-to-noise ratio with first Nyquist zone direct RF signal generation
• Scales seamlessly from single shelf/chassis to multi‑shelf
• Comprehensive control software interface at pulse, gate, and workflow level

Scalable quantum control begins with an architecture trusted to operate flawlessly at unprecedented system sizes, and continues with serviceability, low operating cost, and seamless infrastructure compatibility.

The ZQCS delivers this by embedding specialized quantum control technology in a framework proven in telecom and big‑physics experiments. Its synchronization scheme is optimized for large-scale quantum program execution, maintaining a wall clock to always play the right pulse at the right time. A high-density design allows for over 1000 channels per 19 inch rack, and the system is tested for operation in water-cooled enclosure to optimally manage heat dissipation, thermal fluctuations, and workplace health & safety.

Developing decoders to stabilize the quantum processing unit requires a tight integration of quantum and classical computing resources. For fastest progress, quantum R&D needs full flexibility in how these resources are combined. The ZQCS provides real-time compute power with the freedom to use it without bounds. Each shelf hosts a programmable FPGA with direct access to up to 364 channels. Multiple shelves are freely connected in a full-mesh network. A RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) interface serves as a high-bandwidth, low-latency link to classical computing CPU/GPU resources.

The roadmap to fault-tolerant quantum computing depends on boosting quantum fidelities reliably on large chips. With an analog design led by a deep insight into control error and decoherence mechanisms, the ZQCS enables your push for quantum fidelities beyond 5 nines without limits imposed by the control. 

The ZQCS achieves this with an analog front end based on direct-RF technology in the first Nyquist zone. It offers the optimal balance of signal properties most relevant to qubit control: the highest SNR on the market, low spurs, stable amplitude and phase, low latency.

The upper layers of the quantum stack bears far too many uncertainties that can slow down or even block quantum computing scale-up: performance ceilings, fragile tune-up workflows, and unreliable interfaces. Zurich Instruments’ scalable software architecture keeps these risks in check.

LabOne Q lets users design complex experiments at the right abstraction: pulse, gate, or workflow. An optimized compiler and runtime map them to hardware with minimal overhead. Proven automation support keeps performance consistent from single chips to large systems.

The ZQCS is composed of one or multiple SHL14 System Shelves with 14 module slots each. Up to 13 of these slots are available for analog I/O modules. Those come in 3 variants with different counts of MW control, MW readout, and LF control channels:

• MWM2102 Microwave Module: 21× MW control, 2× MW readout I/O
• MWM1404 Microwave Module: 14× MW control, 4× MW readout I/O
• LFM2800 Low-Frequency Module: 28× LF control

By free combination of those modules, you can realize your desired channel counts with fine granularity.

In addition, each SHL14 System Shelf holds one TDM14 Timing and Decoding Module. The TDM14 provides synchronization and data communication for all analog I/O modules within a shelf, as well as inter-shelf communication in a flexible network topology. Through its programmable FPGA, it serves as a decoder resource in quantum error correction applications.