PsiQuantum, the Silicon Valley start-up company first to develop a utility-scale quantum computer designed with silicon photonics, will open its first advanced research and development (R&D) center outside the United States at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Daresbury Laboratory. The partnership will allow PsiQuantum to create the advanced cryogenic technologies required to build the world’s first practical quantum computer.
PsiQuantum is known for its quantum approach based on single-photon qubits, which offer considerable advantages at the scale necessary to create a fault-tolerant, general-purpose quantum computer. The announcement comes on the heels of the UK government’s £9 million investment in PsiQuantum’s work with STFC to address the scalability issues that ‘fault-tolerant quantum computing faces.
PsiQuantum will access one of Europe’s largest cryogenic cooling facilities and its leading experts, large-scale R&D engineering facilities and workshops, future synergies with experts at STFC’s Hartree Centre, and future synergies with the UK National Quantum Computing Centre as a result of this new collaboration.
PsiQuantum’s Photonic Method provides Quantum Advantage.
These devices work at temperatures just a few degrees above absolute zero, similar to the temperature of deep space (about -270°C). However, the advantage of PsiQuantum’s photonic method is that these cooling requirements are significantly less demanding than competing technologies. Its working temperature, albeit low, is hundreds of times hotter than the milli-Kelvin temperatures required by many other quantum computing devices. As a result, the extraordinary difficulty of developing large-scale milli-Kelvin dilution refrigeration is avoided.
We are very excited to be setting up a lab in the UK in collaboration with STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory. The UK has a long history in quantum technologies and a talent pool of exceptional engineers. The STFC team and facilities are absolutely 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.
Mark Thompson, Chief Technologist and Co-Founder at PsiQuantum
PsiQuantum will collaborate with STFC scientists to develop an advanced cryogenics center, doubling its cryogenic capabilities.
PsiQuantum is a shining example of how STFC is supporting pioneering businesses in their mission to develop the technologies that have the potential to change the world we live in, transform the industry and change our lives for the better. I am really excited to welcome PsiQuantum to Daresbury Laboratory, where our cutting-edge technologies, facilities, and expertise are contributing towards what could be a critical milestone in quantum computing for the world.
Paul Vernon, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory
STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, located at Sci-Tech Daresbury in the Liverpool City Area, already houses one of Europe’s largest cryogenic cooling facilities. It creates cryomodules for large-scale research centers worldwide. PsiQuantum will collaborate with STFC scientists to develop an advanced cryogenics center, doubling its cryogenic capabilities.
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