Chapter 383: Overtaking on a curve is not impossible
"I don't really have a good solution for the lithography machine. This is not a problem that can be solved by one person, but requires a large number of high-end talents."
Xu You also understands the difficulties of high-precision lithography machines.
Compared with the design, the manufacturing of lithography machines is a bigger problem.
It can be said that even if we have the drawings of a high-precision lithography machine in front of us, it will be difficult for us to complete the manufacturing of the lithography machine.
The photolithography machine requires very high manufacturing precision, but Xu You has no experience in high-precision preparation.
To complete such a task, a lot of money needs to be invested and a large number of relevant technical R&D personnel are needed.
"I understand this, too. We have provided financial support to Modu Microelectronics and are also researching related technologies. However, at this rate, it will take at least a few years for the 7nm chip technology to mature."
Being able to achieve such a breakthrough in just a few years is actually not a slow pace.
However, compared with Luo Wenkun's goal, this progress still cannot satisfy Luo Wenkun.
At this time, Xu You came up with another idea.
"In fact, there is a direction that may lead to overtaking others. I wonder if you want to give it a try."
Luo Wenkun asked back, "You are referring to the quantum chip, right?"
"Yes, it is a quantum chip. Quantum chips have obvious advantages in computing speed, and do not require extremely high-precision lithography machines to complete the preparation work."
"But don't quantum chips need to operate at very low temperatures? If you want to make the phone reach such a low temperature, it will definitely take up a lot of space, right?"
Luo Wenkun also had some understanding of quantum chips and immediately raised his own questions.
"To be precise, it is a superconducting quantum chip that needs to operate in a low-temperature environment. In addition to superconducting quantum chips, there is another type of quantum chip - the optical quantum chip. This chip does not involve superconductors and does not require low-temperature conditions to operate."
After hearing what Xu You said, Luo Wenkun also became interested.
"So, there is really hope in this direction?"
"There is hope. It's just that light quanta are more difficult to program, so we also choose the direction of superconducting quanta in our research on quantum computers."
"So...is there any hope?"
Luo Wenkun's mood fluctuated with Xu You's words.
Xu You smiled and said, "Okay, I won't beat around the bush. The technology of photonic quantum chips is definitely not mature yet, but many of my previous research results are closely related to photonic quantum chips. As long as there is enough support, I am fully confident that I can complete the research on photonic quantum chips within a year."
"I see. Let's start the project right away."
After receiving Xu You's affirmative answer, Luo Wenkun chose to trust Xu You without hesitation and start this new project.
If only we could develop a practical photonic quantum chip.
From then on, the world's chip landscape will undergo a huge reversal.
Not only does it solve the problem of the neck being stuck, but we will even gain the advantage.
After discussion among the management, Fulun Technology unanimously agreed to carry out this project.
After all, the temptation of "overtaking on a curve" is too great. Even if this research sounds a bit unrealistic, it is totally worth a try.
Luo Wenkun had already made preparations. If other senior executives disagreed, Luo Wenkun would exercise his more than half of voting rights to support the research.
Luo Wenkun knew that if Fulun Technology did not support this research, Xu You might support his research work through other channels.
In this way, once the research is successful, it will not be so easy for Fulon Technology to use this technology again.
In order to facilitate Xu You's research work, Luo Wenkun used his connections to open a "Photonic Core Valley" laboratory on the campus of Jijing University.
This kind of operation is unprecedented.
But with the reputation of Fulun Technology and the significance of this project.
The laboratory was successfully opened .
Except Xu You and the R&D members of Fulun Technology.
Some students from Jijing University also entered this laboratory to do internship work.
Being able to allow these students from the school to participate in the research of such cutting-edge projects is one of the original intentions of the school to open this laboratory.
After the establishment of the "Photonic Core Valley" laboratory.
Xu You officially started planning for this project.
Photonic quantum chips are not completely superior to traditional chips.
Like traditional chips, photonic quantum chips also use silicon as the base.
However, there are fundamental differences between the two chips in terms of information carriers.
Traditional chips use electrons as information carriers, while photonic quantum chips use photons as information carriers.
Compared with electrons, photons have many unique advantages of their own.
Photons have multiple multiplexed dimensions such as wavelength, amplitude, and phase, with greater bandwidth and communication capacity and higher spectrum utilization.
In addition, the two are also different in terms of transmission methods.
The electrical signals of traditional microelectronic chips are transmitted in wires.
The optical signals in silicon-based photonic chips are transmitted in waveguides.
"First, we need to identify the problems on the photonic quantum chip manufacturing platform." Xu You thought.
On this issue, Xu You is not at a loss as to where to start. Instead, he has very rich experience.
In fact, when Xu You first started doing scientific research, he was studying the problem of light quanta.
At that time, Xu You was just a laboratory intern, studying Zhao Weijia's research topic.
Later, by chance, he helped Zhao Weijia solve some key problems.
After that, Xu You's first officially published paper was also about photons.
However, because he was more interested , Xu You finally chose the direction of condensed matter physics.
The research experience of these photonic quantum projects has been of great help to Xu You’s current research on photonic quantum chips.
When it comes to choosing a photonic quantum chip manufacturing platform, Xu You already has several candidate options.
After many experiments, the project team finally selected a lithium-containing compound as the manufacturing platform for photonic quantum chips.
This lithium-containing compound has excellent electro-optical properties, a wide transparent window, a high refractive index, and high stability.
This makes it an extremely advantageous material platform for building integrated photonic devices.
After determining the manufacturing platform of the photonic quantum chip.
Xu You and his team began designing photonic quantum chips.
Because of their different structures, photonic quantum chips do not require as strict processing techniques as traditional chips.
