QUBIT NETWORK SECURE IDENTIFICATION

• US 20180337790A1
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Published: 11/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brink, Markus, Hertzberg, Jared B., Rosenblatt, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 10,826,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 10/00 Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 1/00 Apparatus or methods whereby a given sequence of signs, e.g. an intelligible text, is transformed into an unintelligible sequence of signs by transposing the signs or groups of signs or by replacing them by others according to a predetermined system cryptographic typewriters G09C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3278 using physically unclonable functions [PUF]
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 60/0912 of Josephson-effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 60/12 Josephson-effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 69/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one superconducting element covered by group H10N60/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/933 Spintronics or quantum computing

Abstract

A technique relates to a superconducting chip. Resonant units each include a Josephson junction. The resonant units have resonant frequencies whose differences are based on a variation in the Josephson junction. A transmission medium is coupled to the resonant units, and the transmission medium is configured to output a sequence of the resonant frequencies as an identification of the chip.

Claims

1. A superconducting chip comprising:

resonant units each including a Josephson junction, the resonant units having resonant frequencies whose differences are based on a variation in the Josephson junction; and

a transmission medium coupled to the resonant units, the transmission medium being configured to output a sequence of the resonant frequencies as an identification of the chip.

2. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein each one of the resonant units has an individual resonant frequency of the resonant frequencies.

3. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the variation in the Josephson junction is a result of uncontrollable fabrication randomness in the Josephson junction.

4. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein each one of the resonant units is configured to be uniquely identified by an individual resonant frequency of the resonant frequencies.

5. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the resonant units are superconducting qubits.

6. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the resonant units are configured to be read out by receiving a radio frequency signal.

7. The superconducting chip of claim 6, wherein readout using the radio frequency signal is configured to output the sequence of the resonant frequencies as the identification of the superconducting chip.

8. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is selected from one or more transmission lines and a microwave cavity.

9. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the resonant units include capacitive elements and inductive elements.

10. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the resonant units are designed differently to order the resonant frequencies.

11. The superconducting chip of claim 1, wherein the Josephson junction in each of the resonant units is designed identically and the sequence of the resonant frequencies constitute a physically unclonable function.

12-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A system comprising:

a superconducting chip having resonant units each including a dispersive nonlinear element, the resonant units having resonant frequencies whose differences are based on a variation in the dispersive nonlinear element, such that a sequence of the resonant frequencies is an identification of the superconducting chip; and

a transmission medium coupled to the resonant units, the transmission medium being configured to output the sequence of the resonant frequencies as the identification of the superconducting chip.