Quantinuum Secures $100 Million US Award for Quantum Manufacturing

Quantinuum Secures $100 Million US Award for Quantum Manufacturing

CHIPS funding will support trapped-ion computing research and US production partnerships with GlobalFoundries and Monarch Quantum

Quantinuum has finalised a $100 million funding agreement with the US Department of Commerce to advance trapped-ion quantum computing research and manufacturing in the United States.

The award was issued through the CHIPS Research and Development Office under the CHIPS and Science Act. It follows a letter of intent announced in May and will fund work on the semiconductor, laser and optical technologies required for large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Quantinuum said it was the sole recipient of CHIPS research funding whose quantum computers use a trapped-ion architecture.

The company produces commercial quantum systems based on quantum charge-coupled device architecture. Its machines use trapped ions as quantum bits, with semiconductor production methods employed to improve consistency and support manufacturing at greater volumes.

“This award is a validation of Quantinuum’s leadership in trapped-ion quantum computing,” said Dr Rajeeb Hazra, president and chief executive of Quantinuum.

“Together with our domestic partners, we are building the technology and supply-chain foundation needed to scale fault-tolerant systems and strengthen America’s leadership in this strategically important field.”

Part of the funding will support Quantinuum’s work with semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries and photonics company Monarch Quantum.

GlobalFoundries will join Quantinuum’s group of foundry partners and manufacture next-generation ion traps and control electronics using 300mm wafer technology.

“As quantum computing moves closer to commercial scale, manufacturing will be critical to achieving its full potential,” said Tim Breen, chief executive of GlobalFoundries.

“GlobalFoundries is proud to partner with Quantinuum to help scale its trapped-ion technology. By bringing our experience in high-volume, differentiated semiconductor manufacturing, we’re helping create a route to more scalable and reliable quantum hardware and advancing the next generation of American innovation.”

Monarch Quantum plans to develop and manufacture lasers and optical components for Quantinuum’s trapped-ion systems. The work will focus on replacing large optical arrangements with smaller photonics engines suited to repeatable production.

“The road to large-scale trapped-ion quantum computers relies on moving away from complex, sprawling optical setups to scalable, reliable integrated photonics engines,” said Dr Timothy Day, chief executive of Monarch Quantum.

“We are honoured to extend our partnership with Quantinuum, advance its hardware plans and help strengthen US leadership in quantum computing manufacturing and supply-chain security.”

Quantinuum expects the programme to reduce system complexity and improve the reliability, repeatability and production consistency of components used in its quantum computers.

The company has commercially deployed several generations of trapped-ion systems and works with organisations in pharmaceuticals, materials science, financial services, government, industry and academic research.

Quantinuum employs more than 800 people. It is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, and has facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Qatar and Singapore.

The company said statements concerning expected technical progress, manufacturing capacity and future system development are forward-looking and subject to economic, technological, governmental and market risks.