The Hybrid Architecture Behind Quantum Computing | Yonatan Cohen Quantum Machines CTO

Why is controlling a quantum hardware becoming one of the biggest challenges in scaling quantum computers? In this episode, we speak with Yonatan Cohen, co-founder and CTO of Quantum Machines, a company developing advanced control systems for quantum computers. Cohen explains how quantum control sits at the interface between quantum hardware and classical computing, and why this hybrid architecture will become increasingly important as quantum processors scale. We explore how quantum computers are controlled using precise microwave signals and pulse sequences, the limitations of conventional arbitrary waveform generators, and how Quantum Machines uses FPGA-based pulse processing units to generate waveforms in real time. We also discuss why low-latency classical processing and real-time feedback are essential for calibrating quantum processors, correcting errors, and implementing increasingly complex quantum algorithms.  Cohen explains what changes when moving from small quantum processors to thousands or millions of qubits, including the challenges of data movement, power consumption, control-channel density, and latency. We also discuss quantum error correction, feed-forward operations, hybrid quantum-classical architectures, and the role of CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs in stabilizing large-scale quantum systems.  We also discuss the origins of Quantum Machines, the company's approach to quantum control, and why building scalable quantum computers requires much more than simply increasing the number of qubits. Whether you're interested in quantum computing, quantum control, quantum error correction, computer architecture, FPGA technology, or the future of fault-tolerant quantum computers, this episode provides a deep technical look at the control infrastructure required to make large-scale quantum computing possible. Follow us for more technical interviews with the world’s greatest scientists: Twitter: https://x.com/632nmPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/632nmpodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/632nm/about/ Substack: https://632nmpodcast.substack.com/ Follow our hosts! Mikhail Shalaginov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikhail-shalaginov/ Michael Dubrovsky: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dubrovsky/ Xinghui Yin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinghui-yin/ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/632nm/id1751170269 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aVH9vT5qp5UUUvQ6Uf6OR Website: https://www.632nm.com Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and Reads 02:37 - Quantum Machines and Hybrid Architecture 06:04 - Why Do Classical Computers Need Quantum Processors? 10:02 - State of the Art Controllers 20:02 - Meeting Itamar 24:01 - FPGAs for Quantum 29:29 - Repurposing FPGAs 35:22 - Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) 41:29 - What If We Had Perfect Controllers? 43:26 - Adaptive and Embedded Calibrations 47:15 - Picks and Shovels of Quantum Computing 49:14 - Progress in Different Qubits 53:25 - Keeping Up with Quantum News and Research 56:51 - Core Advantages of Quantum Machines 1:00:06 - Managing Larger Teams 1:02:12 - Discovering New Physics with Quantum Machines 1:14:31 - Reinforcement Models in Quantum 1:16:45 - Yonatan’s Intro to Quantum Computing 1:21:24 - Realtime Correction vs Post Processing 1:32:10 - Channel Numbers and Interfering Signals 1:39:38 - Connecting Multiple Modules 1:46:46 - Early Believers in Quantum Machines 1:51:05 - What Would Yonatan Do With Unlimited Resources? #quantumcomputing #quantumphysics #computerscience #fpga #coding