Maybell Quantum is licensing a novel cable design from MIT Lincoln Laboratory to address a critical bottleneck in the development of stable quantum computers. Achieving the cryogenic temperatures necessary to stabilize qubits and dampen thermal noise relies on dilution refrigerators, but current wiring systems within these refrigerators hinder progress. These temperatures range from 5 to 10 millikelvins, colder than the temperatures in outer space. Researchers prototyped flexible, ribbon-like cables that maintain power efficiency and high-speed data transmission while operating in these extreme conditions, and are compatible with existing manufacturing processes. “We’re planning to integrate Maybell LF CryoTrace, the ribbon wiring system transferred from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, across all thermal stages of our dilution refrigerators,” says Lasse Nielsen, strategy and operations lead at Maybell Quantum, indicating a path toward scaling quantum computing infrastructure.
Stripline Cable Design for Cryogenic Environments
Conventional coaxial cables, while functional, introduce substantial heat loads into these cryogenic environments and become increasingly impractical as qubit counts rise, creating a physical bottleneck for scaling quantum processors. Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory addressed this challenge by prototyping flexible cryogenic cables utilizing a stripline configuration, featuring conductive layers sandwiched between protective polymer films to minimize electromagnetic interference and signal loss. This design prioritizes compatibility with existing commercial circuit-board manufacturing processes, a key factor in potential widespread adoption. The resulting ribbon-like cables, dubbed LF CryoTrace, offer an advantage in ease of installation and durability compared to brittle coaxial alternatives. “The main innovation is that the laboratory’s cables can be fabricated by a traditional printed-circuit-board manufacturer. They’re cheaper to fabricate and easier to install than traditional coaxial cables,” explains John Cummings, a principal investigator in the Quantum-Enabled Computation Group at Lincoln Laboratory.
Maybell Quantum, a Colorado-based supplier of quantum hardware, recognized the potential of this technology and has licensed the design to integrate into their dilution refrigerators. The company anticipates that this new wiring system will accelerate assembly times, reducing tasks from days to hours, and reshape manufacturing norms for quantum systems, supporting the transition from prototypes to commercially viable quantum computers.
We’re planning to integrate Maybell LF CryoTrace, the ribbon wiring system transferred from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, across all thermal stages of our dilution refrigerators. Initially, the cables will be used for LF services, such as thermometry, heaters, and sensors, with feasibility studies planned for additional functions.
Lasse Nielsen, strategy and operations lead at Maybell Quantum
Maybell Quantum’s Integration of LF CryoTrace Cables
The pursuit of stable qubits demands increasingly extreme cryogenic conditions; current quantum research relies on maintaining temperatures ranging from 5 to 10 millikelvins, colder than the temperatures in outer space, to minimize thermal noise and stabilize delicate quantum states. Achieving these temperatures necessitates dilution refrigerators, complex systems where the efficiency of internal wiring is now a critical bottleneck hindering further development. Traditional coaxial cables, while functional, introduce significant heat loads and pose installation challenges as quantum systems scale up in complexity, requiring a more streamlined solution for both power delivery and high-speed data transmission. This move signals a shift towards more practical and scalable quantum infrastructure, as the ribbon-like cables promise easier installation and improved durability compared to conventional alternatives. A key advantage of the LF CryoTrace design lies in its compatibility with existing manufacturing processes. Kyle Thompson, founder and chief technology officer of Maybell Quantum, believes this technology is crucial for scaling quantum computing, stating, “If you want to scale to hundreds of chips, you need interconnects that can handle more signals more reliably.”
If you want to scale to hundreds of chips, you need interconnects that can handle more signals more reliably. That’s why the Lincoln Laboratory cables are so exciting for us – they enable true scalability.
Kyle Thompson, founder and chief technology officer of Maybell Quantum
Scalability of Quantum Systems via Improved Interconnects
Maybell Quantum is addressing a critical bottleneck in quantum computer development: the internal wiring within dilution refrigerators. These refrigerators, essential for maintaining cryogenic temperatures colder than the temperatures in outer space required to stabilize qubits and minimize thermal noise, currently rely on cabling systems that hinder scalability. The challenge stems from the increasing complexity of quantum systems; as the number of qubits grows, so too does the density of cables needed to control and read their states. Traditional coaxial cables, while functional, generate significant heat loads within the cryogenic environment and are difficult to integrate into increasingly crowded hardware. Researchers at Lincoln Laboratory prototyped an alternative, flexible, ribbon-like cables dubbed LF CryoTrace, designed to address these issues. These cables utilize a stripline configuration, offering consistency across frequencies and minimal signal loss, while also being mechanically robust. That’s why the Lincoln Laboratory cables are so exciting for us, they enable true scalability.
The main innovation is that the laboratory’s cables can be fabricated by a traditional printed-circuit-board manufacturer. They’re cheaper to fabricate and easier to install than traditional coaxial cables.
John Cummings, a principal investigator in the flexible cables project of the Lincoln Laboratory Quantum-Enabled Computation Group
