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PsiQuantum, Air Force to Build Utility-Scale Quantum Computer

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PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 24, 2022 — PsiQuantum has inked a $22.5 million contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Rome, N.Y., to formalize their partnership in quantum computing. The project enables a collaboration between PsiQuantum and AFRL on quantum photonic chips. The chips will be co-designed by PsiQuantum and AFRL and manufactured at GlobalFoundries semiconductor fab in Malta, N.Y.

The contract further advances the photonic approach to quantum computing — a strategy based on the idea of leveraging existing mature semiconductor manufacturing capabilities to accelerate the path to scale. PsiQuantum is working to build an error-corrected, utility-scale quantum computer, with the intention of unlocking breakthroughs in climate, health care, finance, energy, agriculture, transportation, communications, and beyond.

Michael Hayduk, deputy director at AFRL said, “The deep silicon photonics expertise of PsiQuantum is critical in our mission to not only accelerate the advancement and deployment of quantum information science, but in developing capabilities to meet the needs of the emerging national security landscape. The partnership with PsiQuantum supports both the U.S. Department of Defense’s and AFRL’s missions of pursuing long-term, broad-based research programs that ultimately lead to world-changing applications across multiple industries.”

In May 2021, PsiQuantum and GlobalFoundries fabricated what the collaborators claimed to be the first manufacturable single-photon detector in a silicon chip. The detector is the component used to read out the value of the qubit. PsiQuantum said it is now able to manufacture large numbers of these detectors using GlobalFoundries’ foundry, a significant step on the path to the large-scale quantum systems necessary for useful applications.

 




Published: October 2022
Glossary
quantum
The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the atomic and subatomic scales. It originates from quantum theory, a branch of physics that emerged in the early 20th century to explain phenomena observed on very small scales, where classical physics fails to provide accurate explanations. In the context of quantum theory, several key concepts are associated with the term quantum: Quantum mechanics: This is the branch of...
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. In other words, semiconductors have properties that are intermediate between metals (good conductors of electricity) and insulators (poor conductors of electricity). The conductivity of a semiconductor can be controlled and modified by factors such as temperature, impurities, or an applied electric field. The most common semiconductors are crystalline solids, and they are...
chip
1. A localized fracture at the end of a cleaved optical fiber or on a glass surface. 2. An integrated circuit.
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