QPU: Quantum Processing Unit

A glimpse at some of the most advanced qubit processors

It is not always easy to find pictures of the silicon dies of superconducting qubit chips. This page aims to be a collection of known images available online, specifically targeted at superconducting qubits (transmons and spin qubits).

Note: this is work in progress - Last updated: July 2026

MIT, Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) Link to heading

Waveguide Quantum Electrodynamics: Optical images of the qubit tier (left) and the interposer tier (rigth) are illustrated with the qubits and the different signal lines false-colored.

Aluminum Microwave SQUID Multiplexers: Photos of the multiplexer device. (a) Photo of the whole multiplexer chip. (b) Left: Zoom-in of one channel. (c) Zoom-in of the capacitive coupling region between the resonator and feedline. (d) Zoom-in of the RF SQUID region, showing how it is coupled to the flux bias line, input coil, and resonator

ETH Zurich, Quantum Device Lab Link to heading

Pictures below are from Quantum Device Lab group.

Left: 8-qubit Quantum Processor enabling the multiplexed readout using a single detection channel. Right: Arranging 17 qubits (in yellow) in a structure as indicated in this picture enables the implementation of an error correcting surface code of distance three. The dimensions are 14.3 mm by 14.3 mm.

8-qubit Quantum Processor enabling the multiplexed readout using a single detection channel Arranging 17 qubits (in yellow) in a structure as indicated in this picture enables the implementation of an error correcting surface code of distance three. The dimensions are 14.3 mm by 14.3 mm.

QuTech / Vandersypen lab Link to heading

nature.com/articles/s41565-019-0488-9: Rapid gate-based spin read-out in silicon using an on-chip resonator (more images)

Photo by an optical microscope of the quantum chip connected to a circuit board Photo by an optical microscope of the quantum chip with the on-chip resonator and quantum dots

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