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Develops commercially useful photonics-based quantum computers
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Arlington, VA, USA
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PsiQuantum is developing the world's first commercially useful quantum computer with a photonics-based architecture, leveraging pre-existing manufacturing processes and infrastructure. The company's approach focuses on quantum error correction and solving real-world problems in fields such as medicine, energy, and finance.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
$1.6B
Headquarters
Palo Alto, California
Founded
2015
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New State Of Matter To Scale Quantum ComputerIt has been an eventful few months for progress in quantum computing and the companies we covered in “5 Best Quantum Computing Companies of 2025”.It started with Google’s Willow in December 2024, maybe the first-ever scalable quantum chip. It then followed with the news of the first distributed quantum computing across an optical network link, opening the way to quantum computers being networked like normal ones in dedicated servers.Now it is Microsoft's turn to make a big splash with the presentation of Majorana 1, a chip using an entirely new state of matter to perform quantum computing: topoconductors.Microsoft claims topoconductors can produce more reliable and scalable qubits, the building blocks for quantum computers.This entirely new path for quantum computing radically changes how Microsoft is aiming to build its future quantum computers, with “a clear path to fit a million qubits on a single chip that can fit in the palm of one's hand.”Microsoft Corporation (MSFT +0.65%)What Are Topoconductors?It seems the origin of the breakthrough stems from a new approach, looking at creating a transistor dedicated to quantum computing, going beyond what has been done until now.“We took a step back and said ‘OK, let’s invent the transistor for the quantum age. What properties does it need to have?And that’s really how we got here – it’s the particular combination, the quality and the important details in our new materials stack that have enabled a new kind of qubit and ultimately our entire architecture.”Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellowTopological superconductors, described in the corresponding paper published in Nature1, under the title “Interferometric single-shot parity measurement in InAs–Al hybrid devices“, are a state of matter different from the more familiar one of solid, liquid, or gas, or even the more exotic ones like plasma of Bose-Einstein condensate.Topological state was only theorized until now, first by Ettore Majorana (1906-1938), but suddenly it seems it is not only observable but even controllable. This Majorana particle (also called Majorana fermion), a particle that is its own antiparticle, was observed by Microsoft's researchers for the first time in 2024.Majorana particles are similar to electrons in some way and could be used to preserve quantum data useful for quantum computation.This was not at all an overnight success and has apparently been the result of more than 17 years of research, Microsoft's longest-running research project, and until now a very well-kept secret.To simplify things (a lot), a topoconductor is a semiconductor sharing some of its behavior at the atomic and sub-atomic level with superconductor materials.The way this was achieved is by merging together in a wire indium arsenide (a semiconductor) and aluminum (a superconductor).When cooled to near absolute zero and tuned with magnetic fields, these devices form topological superconducting nanowires, containing so-called Majorana Zero Modes (MZMs) at the wires’ ends.Ultra-Stable Quantum StateIn a “normal” superconductor, any unpaired electron can be detected because its presence requires extra energy. This makes its measurement simple, but also makes it very sensitive to noise and perturbations from the environment, making any quantum calculation difficult.MZMs are radically different, as an unpaired electron is shared between a pair of MZMs, making it invisible to the environment. This unique property of Majorana particles protects the quantum information, making it ultra-stable and reliable.Invisible ElectronsOf course, while this is ideal for preserving the quantum state in a stable and useful condition, it also makes any actual measurement of it extremely difficult, hence why Majorana particles have been theoretical only for a century until extremely recently.While this makes our topoconductors ideal candidates for qubits, it also presents a challenge: How do we read quantum information that is so well hidden? How can we distinguish between, say, 1,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,001 electrons?Microsoft's solution to the issue leveraged quantum dots, a unique material we discussed extensively in “Investing in Nobel Prize Achievements – Quantum Dots Nanocolors”
PsiQuantum to expand into 127,574 square feet of space in Milpitas California. PsiQuantum to expand into 127,574 square feet of space in Milpitas California.Milpitas, California — According to state and local development sources, PsiQuantum plans to build out 127,574 square feet of new space in Milpitas. The company plans to occupy the new space at 275 S. Hillview Dr in Milpitas, on or about May 1, 2025. According to the company website Quantum computing will be a world-changing technology with the potential to unlock powerful advances in medicine, energy, finance and beyond. At PsiQuantum, were focused on building the worlds first useful quantum computer
Jason Miller, a nearly two-decade Google veteran, has joined quantum computing company PsiQuantum to serve as senior vice president of product management.
Under the terms of its agreement with the state, PsiQuantum will create 154 new jobs.
PsiQuantum has announced that it will build its second utility-scale quantum computer in Chicago, opening potential avenues for Illinois universities and institutions in Australia to work together on r&d projects.