March 16, 2022 — The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) has added four new corporate partners to its growing community. The new corporate partners are ASM International (ASM), Atom Computing, EeroQ, and Quantinuum. These global leaders in the quantum supply chain, including manufacturing, hardware, and software, are joining the more than 30 companies that participate in the CQE community. With collaborative efforts, the Chicago Quantum Exchange and its partners advance the science and engineering necessary to build and scale quantum technologies and develop practical applications, while working to encourage and foster the next generation of quantum-ready scientists and engineers.

“Partnering with groundbreaking researchers in quantum information science will enable our community to advance, train the future workforce, and build a quantum ecosystem in Chicago,” said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago, senior scientist at Argonne, director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, and director of Q-NEXT, a Department of Energy Quantum Information Science Center. “Each of these companies has driven the field forward, and their expertise and innovation will help us continue to push the limits of quantum technology and engineering.”

As a key contributor of the quantum supply chain, ASM is one of the largest providers of semiconductor processing equipment and tools in the world. With more than 50 years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing, it has deep expertise in processing technologies such as atomic layer deposition. As a partner, ASM will be able to support CQE with material and process deposition activities, enabling innovative research and development in the field of quantum information.

ASM is looking forward to becoming a partner of the Chicago Quantum Exchange. Joining the community and working with its members will allow ASM to share its knowledge on thin film deposition technologies through selected activities required for innovation in the field of quantum information science and technology.

A robust supply chain is needed for the development of large-scale devices, such as quantum computers, which are being developed by a range of companies and baseline technologies. Atom Computing, which develops quantum computers with nuclear-spin qubits made from optically-trapped neutral atoms, is on a mission to build the world’s most scalable and reliable quantum computers.  In July 2021, the company announced its first 100-qubit quantum computer, Phoenix. The company recently announced a $60 million in Series B round, which will enable Atom Computing to build and bring to market their second-generation of quantum computers. Atom Computing is partnering with the CQE to build partnerships with researchers and contribute to collaborative research on next-generation quantum technologies and algorithms.

“Accelerating quantum computing requires an engaged ecosystem of users, software partners, research labs, and people who can collaborate on the entire solution stack,” said Rob Hays, chief executive officer of Atom Computing. “The Chicago Quantum Exchange provides a great platform for our company to engage with like-minded partners on future innovation.”

Another potential quantum computer platform is being developed by EeroQ. With an engineering team led by professors from and Michigan State University and Princeton University, EeroQ aims to build a large-scale commercial quantum computer using electrons trapped on the surface of superfluid helium. This technology has the potential for an ideal qubit, with both exceptionally long coherence times, CMOS compatibility, and fast gates—key advantages in quantum computer design. EeroQ is in the process of moving its headquarters to a 9,600 square foot engineering lab in Chicago at The Terminal in Humboldt Park and will work with the CQE to connect with talent in the region.

“EeroQ conducted a national search for our headquarters, with a focus on finding a robust local ecosystem. We chose Chicago because it checks every box for building a quantum hardware company, and the resources provided by the Chicago Quantum Exchange have been helpful for our company at every turn,” said Nick Farina, EeroQ chief executive. “We look forward to continuing to collaborating with the CQE team, and assisting in building the Chicago quantum ecosystem in any way we can.”

As a recent combination of two strong global leaders in quantum computing, Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum, Quantinuum integrates quantum hardware and software, including solutions for drug discovery, materials science, finance, and other applications. Quantinuum aims to be a center of gravity for quantum computing, supporting collaboration across the ecosystem, including developing use cases with CQE researchers and connecting with students.

By partnering with companies such as ASM, Atom Computing, EeroQ, and Quantinuum, the CQE continues its mission to grow the quantum economy, accelerate discovery and innovation in the field of quantum technology, and attract talent and funding to the greater Chicago region in an effort to establish the area as a hub for quantum.

About the Chicago Quantum Exchange

The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) is an intellectual hub for advancing the science and engineering of quantum information between the CQE community, across the Midwest, and around the globe. A catalyst for research activity across its member and partner organizations, the CQE is based at the University of Chicago and is anchored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Northwestern University.

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Source: Meredith Fore, Chicago Quantum Exchange