PsiQuantum, GlobalFoundries Bet Big On Quantum Computing

(SDX.Central) PsiQuantum aims to build the first million-plus qubit quantum computer–unlike other quantum computing startups focused on commercializing small-scale systems,
“We haven’t gone and built a small system of 100 qubits and hooked it up to the internet in the way that many of our competitors have done,” Peter Shadbolt, chief strategy officer at PsiQuantum, said. “We’ve invested all of our time and money into an architecture and into the manufacturing processes, packaging, assembly challenges that we think are actually going to carry us to that valuable endpoint.”
He explained that increasingly the biggest challenges facing quantum computing aren’t “quantum physics problems, they’re not science problems that belong in a university lab, they are manufacturing problems.”
Solving this problem isn’t a small task. These systems often require exotic materials, extremely low temperatures, strong vacuums, and atomic-scale fabrication capabilities. But PsiQuantum has a plan to address these issues.
Earlier this year, PsiQuantum entered into a formal partnership with semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries to tackle this challenge head on.
“You really can’t get more mature than building things in a 300-millimeter [wafer] line with someone like GlobalFoundries,” Shadbolt said. “There’s nowhere to go beyond that.”
Anthony Yu, VP of computing and wired infrastructure at GlobalFoundries, views the collaboration as a win-win for both companies.