Prof. Jeremy O’Brien from PsiQuantum announced a milestone in Brisbane, where the company will install one of the largest cryogenic plants ever built for quantum computing. The plant, engineered and delivered by Linde Engineering, will maintain a stable temperature of 4 K—roughly 100 times warmer than the millikelvin environments required by matter‑based qubits—thereby enabling the Omega silicon‑photonic chip to operate at the million‑qubit scale necessary for fault‑tolerant computation. John van der Velden, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering, highlighted that the facility will support the photonic qubits’ low‑decoherence regime, a key advantage that could accelerate the deployment of utility‑scale quantum machines for climate modelling, drug discovery, clean‑energy optimisation and advanced materials design.
PsiQuantum and Linde Engineering partnership delivers largest cryogenic plant for utility‑scale quantum computer
PsiQuantum announced on 8 May 2024 a strategic collaboration with Linde Engineering to construct the largest cryogenic plant ever planned for a quantum computer. The plant will be built, tested and installed at PsiQuantum’s Brisbane facility, providing the ultra‑low temperature environment required for the Omega silicon‑photonic quantum chip to operate at the million‑qubit scale needed for fault‑tolerant computation.
The plant will sustain 4 K across the extensive array of photonic chips, exploiting the fact that silicon photonic qubits can operate at 4 K, roughly one hundred times warmer than the millikelvin temperatures demanded by superconducting or trapped‑ion devices. This advantage allows the use of established industrial cryogenic technology, reducing complexity and cost. Linde Engineering, which has installed more than 500 cryogenic systems worldwide for sectors such as semiconductors, fusion research and particle physics, will deliver the system.
Prof. Jeremy O’Brien, PsiQuantum co‑founder and CEO, described the 4 K operating point as a “fundamental scaling advantage” that accelerates progress toward a utility‑scale machine. John van der Velden, senior VP global sales and technology at Linde Engineering, highlighted the collaboration’s significance, noting that it demonstrates how combined expertise can drive technological innovation.
Silicon photonic Omega chips operate at 4 K enabling million‑qubit scale
The Omega chip, fabricated on silicon photonic substrates, is engineered to function at 4 K, enabling coherence across a network that will ultimately contain a million qubits. By achieving fault‑tolerant computation at this temperature, the platform can tackle large‑scale challenges in climate modelling, drug discovery, clean‑energy optimisation and advanced‑materials design.
Photonic qubits are largely immune to thermal excitations, allowing operation at 4 K and lightening the engineering demands of the cryogenic system. This temperature differential addresses one of the main scaling bottlenecks in quantum hardware.
Brisbane 2024 milestone positions Australia at forefront of quantum infrastructure
The Brisbane milestone positions Australia at the forefront of quantum infrastructure, supporting the country’s broader strategy to invest in next‑generation technologies. By leveraging Linde’s experience in building ultra‑low‑temperature systems for high‑tech sectors, PsiQuantum aims to deliver the world’s first utility‑scale quantum computer, potentially reshaping industries that rely on large‑scale simulation and optimisation.
Alex Mack, author of the press release, noted that the collaboration demonstrates how combined expertise can drive technological advancement.
Industrial cryogenic expertise accelerates quantum computing commercialisation
The partnership marks a decisive step toward the commercial deployment of silicon photonic quantum computing. Linde Engineering’s depth of experience—having installed more than 500 cryogenic systems worldwide and reporting 2024 sales of $33 billion—ensures that the plant will meet the stringent reliability and uptime demands of a utility‑scale quantum computer.
Because the Omega chip tolerates a comparatively warm operating point, the cryoplant can be built and deployed using proven, off‑the‑shelf cryogenic components rather than bespoke low‑temperature solutions. This reduces lead times, mitigates risk and lowers the barrier to entry for organisations seeking to adopt quantum computing for complex optimisation and simulation tasks.
In sum, the alliance demonstrates how the convergence of silicon photonic quantum computing and industrial cryogenic engineering can translate a laboratory breakthrough into a commercially viable platform, positioning PsiQuantum to deliver the world’s first utility‑scale quantum computer and potentially reshaping industries that rely on large‑scale simulation and optimisation.
Original Press Release
Source: PsiQuantum
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