US Air Force Grants $1.8M for Quantum Defense Capabilities

The U.S. Air Force has selected quantum system integrator Atlantic Quantum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop utility-scale superconducting quantum computers in a $1.8 million program.

The Department of the Air Force issued the Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for a new quantum computing platform that could strengthen U.S. defense capabilities.

AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), selected Atlantic Quantum and MIT for the grant.

“This award reflects the strong collaboration between Atlantic Quantum and MIT, where our foundational research began and continues to advance,” said Atlantic Quantum co-founder and CEO Bharath Kannan.

“Our partnership with AFRL allows us to push the boundaries of scalable quantum computing, providing innovative solutions for critical national security applications. We’re excited to deepen this relationship with AFRL and contribute to the future of secure, high-performance quantum technologies for national competitiveness,”

The research lab and AFWERX partnered to streamline the small business innovation research and the grant process by accelerating proposals to award timelines. They changed the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses and reduced bureaucratic delays by introducing iterative process improvements.

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“This STTR grant allows us to validate innovations in components for quantum computers, such as quantum-limited amplifiers, directly with leading system integrator Atlantic Quantum,” said MIT associate professor Kevin O’Brien.

“This feedback loop will drive innovation in the readout of quantum processors.”

AFWERX previously awarded Quantum Atlantic a $1.25 million contract to develop fluxonium-based quantum computing hardware in October.

Earlier this year, the Department of Energy awarded Atlantic Quantum $1,100,000 for its program targeting practical quantum computers.