Progress Towards Quantum Annealer v2.0 I: Hardware

We report on Google Quantum A.I. Lab’s progress in building a quantum annealer. Our annealer architecture is constructed from CPW-based flux qubits, integrated with airbridge crossovers and flip chip technology. With individual components such as qubits and tunable couplers fully characterized, we demonstrate efficient implementation of small-sized graphs consisting of multiple qubits. We investigate the dependence of system performance on various aspects such as graph topology, annealing trajectories, etc. In particular, we report on a small scale demonstration of how reduced dissipation and optimized annealing schedules can improve annealer performance.