PsiQuantum, SLAC Team to Reduce Quantum Cooling Requirements

PsiQuantum and the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are aiming to use SLAC's existing cryogenic engineering capabilities to develop a large-scale, error-corrected quantum computer. The endeavor falls under a cooperative research and development agreement with Stanford University, which operates SLAC on behalf of the Department of Energy.

The initiative intends to change the way current noisy, intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) systems are used. These NISQ machines have a maximum of a few hundred physical qubits and are susceptible to errors and noise, potentially making complex algorithm results unreliable. For quantum computing to become commercially viable, effective error correction is essential to reduce computational errors.

PsiQuantum aims to overcome common limitations in quantum computing by developing a large-scale, fault-tolerant photonic system. In this approach, only the single-photon detectors reading the qubit states need cryogenic cooling, making it less demanding on cooling systems compared with other procedures where the qubits themselves must be cooled.

PsiQuantum seeks to use SLAC's existing high-capacity cryogenic infrastructure to meet these reduced cooling demands. The company intends to expedite the transition from research and development to prototype and then eventually to utility-scale production systems. SLAC offers cryogenic facilities to support scaling efforts that would shorten the timeline required to realize a functional, large-scale quantum computer.

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“For more than 60 years, SLAC has been home to a talent pool of the smartest scientists and engineers that have constantly been at the forefront of scientific innovation. We are looking forward to continuing this tradition as we leverage its state-of-the-art cryogenic infrastructure to accelerate PsiQuantum’s mission to deliver a large-scale, error corrected quantum computer,” said PsiQuantum chief operating officer Fariba Danesh.