Engineering the quantum-classical interface of solid-state qubits

Abstract Spanning a range of hardware platforms, the building-blocks of quantum processors are today sufficiently advanced to begin work on scaling-up these systems into complex quantum machines. A key subsystem of all quantum machinery is the interface between the isolated qubits that encode quantum information and the classical control and readout technology needed to operate them. As few-qubit devices are combined to construct larger, fault-tolerant quantum systems in the near future, the quantum-classical interface will pose new challenges that increasingly require approaches from the engineering disciplines in combination with continued fundamental advances in physics, materials and mathematics. This review describes the subsystems comprising the quantum-classical interface from the viewpoint of an engineer, experimental physicist or student wanting to enter the field of solid-state quantum information technology. The fundamental signalling operations of readout and control are reviewed for a variety of qubit platforms, including spin systems, superconducting implementations and future devices based on topological degrees-of-freedom. New engineering opportunities for technology development at the boundary between qubits and their control hardware are identified, transversing electronics to cryogenics.