UK company Riverlane is partnering with Canadian firms Infleqtion and Nüvü Camēras to develop imaging systems to measure the states of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers. The project, funded by Innovate UK and the National Research Council of Canada, aims to improve the readout of qubit status, a crucial step towards scaling quantum computers. Riverlane’s CEO, Steve Brierley, emphasised the importance of collaboration in reaching the ‘TeraQuop’ goal, a threshold where quantum computers can perform a trillion reliable operations. The project will focus on the neutral atom qubits used in Infleqtion’s quantum computing platform.
Quantum Computing Collaboration for Qubit Imaging Systems
A new project has been launched to develop imaging systems that can measure the states of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers. This project is a collaboration between UK and Canadian companies, including quantum computing firms Riverlane and Infleqtion, and imaging systems specialist Nüvü Camēras. The aim is to enhance the scalability of quantum computers, which is currently limited by the number and quality of qubits, as well as the optical and electronic systems required to perform operations with qubits and read out the results.
The CEO and Founder of Riverlane, Steve Brierley, emphasised the importance of reaching a scale where quantum computers can perform roughly a trillion reliable quantum operations, a threshold referred to as the ‘TeraQuop’. Current quantum computers are only capable of a few hundred error-free operations. This project is expected to bring us closer to the TeraQuop goal, but collaboration is essential for the continued growth of quantum computing.
The project, named Scalable Qubit Array Detection for Rydberg Quantum Computers, will focus on the development of systems to improve the readout of the status of the qubits. This collaborative development will help Nüvü Camēras to develop cameras for the next generation of quantum computers, Riverlane to equip its quantum control systems with advanced readout capabilities, and Infleqtion to validate the necessary hardware control layer.
Focus on Neutral Atom Qubits
The project will specifically focus on neutral atom qubits, which are used in Infleqtion’s quantum computing platform. Accurate knowledge of the state of these atoms is crucial for the quantum computer to perform its operations. This requires high detection sensitivity, accurate measurements, and low latency to enable real-time image processing and faster operations.
Marie-Eve Ducharme, President and Co-Founder at Nüvü Camēras, highlighted the transformative potential of their technology in accelerating quantum computing advancements. She also expressed gratitude for the contribution of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC-IRAP) to enable this work.
Dr Timothy Ballance, President of Infleqtion UK, emphasised the promise of neutral atom quantum computing for practical quantum computing due to the scalability of atomic qubits compared to alternative methodologies. He also stressed the need for collaboration with hardware providers and integrators across the quantum stack to ensure that the sub-systems are interoperable.
The project is funded jointly by Innovate UK and the NRC-IRAP through the Canada-UK Commercialising Quantum Technology Programme. Innovate UK is investing £4.2 million in 11 projects to strengthen collaborative research and development through Canada-UK partnerships.
The HNü 240 camera will be used in the project to ‘see’ the qubits. This camera is expected to play a crucial role in the development of the imaging systems for measuring qubit states.
Riverlane is a quantum computing company with a mission to make quantum computing useful sooner. It is building the Quantum Error Correction Stack to control all qubit types and correct the data errors that prevent the current generation of quantum computers from achieving useful scale.
Nüvü Camēras is a company specialising in ultra-sensitive imaging solutions. It designs and manufactures cameras and controllers for diverse markets such as space & defense, industrial quality control, physics and life sciences.
Infleqtion UK is a subsidiary of the commercial brand Infleqtion. It conducts advanced research and development in inertial sensing and advanced timing for navigation within GNSS-denied environments, radiofrequency sensors for communications and defense applications, memory modules for secure quantum networks, and quantum information platforms for computation and simulation.
Steve Brierley, CEO and Founder at Riverlane, said: “We need to reach the scale where quantum computers can perform roughly a trillion reliable quantum operations – a threshold we call the ‘TeraQuop’. Today’s quantum computers are only capable of a few hundred error-free operations. This project pushes us closer to this TeraQuop goal, but we cannot do this alone – and this is why collaboration with leaders like Infleqtion and Nüvü Camēras is vital, enabling the continued, long-term growth of quantum computing.”
Marie-Eve Ducharme, President and Co-Founder at Nüvü Camēras, said: “We’ve been pioneering projects in the space sector for over a decade, but demand for our unique imaging capabilities is exploding in the quantum physics field. This project marks a new milestone for Nüvü Camēras and showcases the transformative potential of our technology in accelerating quantum computing advancements. We are grateful for the contribution of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC-IRAP) to enable this work.”
Dr Timothy Ballance, President of Infleqtion UK, said, “Neutral atom quantum computing holds great promise for practical quantum computing through the scalability of atomic qubits compared to alternative methodologies. To truly unlock this scalability, we will need to work hand-in-hand with hardware providers and integrators across the quantum stack to ensure that the sub-systems are interoperable. We are thrilled to collaborate with Riverlane and Nüvü Camēras on this exciting project which will advance high-speed detection of large arrays of atomic qubits.”
Summary
Leading UK and Canadian companies are collaborating on a project to develop imaging systems that can measure the states of qubits, a crucial capability for scaling quantum computers. The project focuses on neutral atom qubits and aims to improve the readout of qubit status, which requires high detection sensitivity, accurate measurements, and low latency for real-time image processing and faster operations.
- UK-based Riverlane is partnering with Canadian companies Infleqtion and Nüvü Camēras to develop imaging systems that can measure the states of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.
- The project, named Scalable Qubit Array Detection for Rydberg Quantum Computers, aims to improve the readout of qubit status, a crucial step towards scaling quantum computers.
- The collaboration will help Nüvü Camēras develop cameras for next-generation quantum computers, Riverlane to enhance its quantum control systems with advanced readout capabilities, and Infleqtion to validate the necessary hardware control layer.
- The project focuses on neutral atom qubits used in Infleqtion’s quantum computing platform. Accurate knowledge of these atoms’ state is vital for the quantum computer to perform its operations.
- The project is jointly funded by Innovate UK and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC-IRAP) through the Canada-UK Commercialising Quantum Technology Programme. Innovate UK is investing £4.2 million in 11 projects to strengthen collaborative research and development through Canada-UK partnerships.
- Key individuals involved in the project include Steve Brierley, CEO and Founder at Riverlane, Marie-Eve Ducharme, President and Co-Founder at Nüvü Camēras, and Dr Timothy Ballance, President of Infleqtion UK.