PsiQuantum is to open its first advanced R&D facility outside the US at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)’s Daresbury Laboratory.
The plan is backed by £9M of funding from the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and gives PsiQuantum access to one of Europe’s largest liquid-helium (approx. -270°C) cryogenic plants.
PsiQuantum will team up with STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory to develop the next generation of high-power cryogenic modules which will be necessary to scale photonic quantum computers to millions of qubits. PsiQuantum will work with Daresbury Laboratory experts specialized in large-scale cryogenic infrastructure to develop advanced cryogenic systems.
The partnership will deliver quantum computing subsystems with the highest cryogenic cooling power deployed to date, representing a major step towards large-scale quantum computers capable of solving commercially relevant problems.
PsiQuantum is building an error-corrected quantum computer which harnesses the quantum mechanical properties of single particles of light (photons). Like all leading quantum computing efforts, this requires cryogenic cooling but the advantage of a photonic approach is that the cooling requirements are far less demanding. PsiQuantum’s approach requires cryogenic cooling to operate extremely sensitive single-photon detectors, which are used to read the state of the photonic qubit.
Working with STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory will “increase PsiQuantum’s cryogenic capabilities 100-fold,” with single cryogenic modules capable of delivering 100W of cooling power at liquid-helium temperatures. In addition to supporting larger arrays of quantum chips, this additional cooling power will allow PsiQuantum to implement power-hungry features that are essential for scaling-up quantum computers, including chip-to-chip networking and integrated control electronics.
The collaboration between PsiQuantum, STFC and the UK National Quantum Computing Centre will accelerate PsiQuantum’s roadmap by leveraging the UK’s well-established infrastructure and skill-base.
Mark Thompson, chief technologist and co-founder at PsiQuantum, said: “We are very excited to be setting up a lab in the UK in collaboration with the STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory. The UK has a long history in quantum technologies and a talent pool of exceptional quantum engineers. The STFC team and facilities are world class, with a deep history of accomplishments in large-scale scientific infrastructure. Access to existing cryogenic infrastructure and expertise accelerates PsiQuantum’s mission to deliver a large-scale quantum computer.”
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan added: “Attracting companies like PsiQuantum to our shores to build new research facilities like this one in Daresbury will transform the way we tackle many of the challenges facing us today, from ground-breaking medicinal discoveries to tackling climate change.
“The establishment of this facility is a huge vote of confidence in the UK’s unrivalled expertise in innovation, demonstrating how the UK is spearheading crucial breakthroughs in quantum technologies.”
