PsiQuantum Partners With US Department Of Energy To Develop New Quantum Computers And Cooling Systems

Facilities at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory used by PsiQuantum. (photo: twitter @PsiQuantum)

JAKARTA - PsiQuantum, a startup focused on developing quantum computers, plans to launch its first commercial quantum computing system in less than six years. The company's CEO, Jeremy O'Brien, said that this achievement was made possible thanks to the breakthroughs the company has made, including collaborations with their chipmaker partner, GlobalFoundries.

"The first system is really able to solve important issues that people want to know - that's just a few more years," O'Brien said. When asked if this meant less than six years, he replied, "Of course less than six years."

The estimation of other experts in the development of practical quantum computing usually places them within a decade or even 20 years or more.

PsiQuantum also announced a partnership with the US Department of Energy to develop advanced refrigerators needed to run their quantum computers. This agreement allows PsiQuantum to use facilities at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to design refrigerators or "cryogenic quantum modules," which are required as quantum computers operate at temperatures near absolute zero.

Investors have provided a valuation of US$3.15 billion (Rp48.3 trillion) to startups based in Palo Alto, California. They injected it with funds of US$700 million (Rp10.7 trillion) so far. PsiQuantum's goal is to combine a number of quantum modules to function like a data center. "This company needs to reach about 1 million quantum bits, or qubits, to achieve practical usefulness," O'Brien said.

Silicon Valley giants such as Alphabet's IBM, Alphabet's Google, and Microsoft are also trying to develop quantum computing technology because it can help solve complex computing problems that are difficult to solve with existing hardware. Due to the enormous computing power in quantum computing, there are a variety of potential applications ranging from material science to national and financial security.

PsiQuantum is also conducting research on how to produce cheap and abundant green hydrogen.