Michael Portnoy

Qubits store information within quantum computers, but in order for them to function properly, they need to rest on a substrate made from very specific elements. The elements used and in which combination in the substrate affect the qubit which rests above it. If made correctly, substrates can greatly increase qubit efficiency and conductivity. The process of synthesizing qubit substrates is currently inefficient, which can be fixed by automating it. The goal of this project is to use an Arduino, an open source chip, to allow the computer to communicate with the valve controller of the synthesis (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) machine. The valve controller allows one to manipulate the production of qubit substrates; however, it is currently done manually by pressing buttons many times over. An automation device would allow one to operate the valve controller from a desktop computer by simply entering values through a keyboard. To accomplish this goal, an Arduino will mediate the communication. The complete product will consist of a voltage multiplier to ensure the valve controller has sufficient power. Also, a digital-to-analog converter will be necessary since the computer operates in digital, while the controller uses analog. The two are very different modes of data storage and will have to be converted to achieve a smooth communication. Once finished, the operator of the substrate synthesis machine will be able to set the open angle of a valve simply by entering values into a computer. This will allow molecular beam epitaxy operators to re-create substrates they made in the past with much more accuracy, since a machine is much more precise than a human. Precision is extremely important at the atomic scale, and since the substrates are built up atom by atom, there is no room for error. Therefore, this project will allow for the synthesis of much more efficient and precise substrates.