HRL Laboratories has launched spinQICK, an open-source extension to the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit (QICK). This solution is specifically designed to control electrostatically confined semiconductor spin-qubits. It aims to provide a method for utilizing Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) hardware with its firmware and software for spin-qubit control.
The spinQICK package builds on the standard QICK API, an open-source toolkit developed by Fermilab, incorporating additional low-level extensions tailored for spin-qubit systems. The solution supports low-cost, off-the-shelf Xilinx Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) FPGAs for developing application-specific experimental hardware and software for spin-qubit control. It accommodates single-spin (Loss-DiVincenzo) qubits, enabling methods for charge-stability and electrostatic tune-up, initialization and parity readout, single-spin coherent control and characterization (e.g., T1, T2*, T2-Echo, Ramsey, All-XY, exchange calibration), and two-qubit gates. The package also includes features for parameter management, plotting, and demonstrations.
This open-source release is intended to facilitate the adoption of standardized measurement and control methods for electrostatically confined spin-qubits. The initiative supports workforce development and quantum outreach by encouraging engagement with research labs and educational institutions entering the field of semiconductor quantum computing. HRL Laboratories has collaborated with a clinic team at Harvey Mudd College, which integrated spinQICK with custom analog control hardware. Gustavo Cancelo, leader of QICK development at Fermilab, commented on the system’s ability to extend across national labs, academia, and industry.
Read the full announcement here and access the spinQICK GitHub repository here.
July 16, 2025
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