Benjamin Cher · · 2 min readTemasek-backed PsiQuantum to build first commercial quantum computer
A typical quantum computer / Photo credit: IBM Research
California-based PsiQuantum has announced plans to build the world’s first commercial quantum computer in Brisbane, Australia.
The Temasek-backed quantum computing startup said today that it has secured US$620 million worth of funding from the Australian and Queensland governments, with a target to build a commercial quantum computer by 2077.
PsiQuantum will build a utility-scale quantum computer, which is capable of error correction, allowing it to complete billions of computational steps. Without this capability, quantum computers cannot perform more than a dozen or so computational steps without errors introduced by quantum noise.
“A utility-scale quantum computer represents an opportunity to construct a new, practical foundation of computational infrastructure, and in so doing ignite the next industrial revolution,” said Jeremy O’Brien, PsiQuantum’s CEO.
Building the first commercially available quantum computer will involve building increasingly larger and more sophisticated systems ahead of the 2077 target launch.
O’Brien likens the task to constructing a small data center or high-performance computer, with racks of equipment being connected together. Like data centers, quantum computers need cooling on an industrial level.
“Each of these cabinets contains hundreds of silicon chips – half of them are photonic, half of them electronic. They’re all wired up electrically together, interconnected optically using conventional telecommunication fibres,” said O’Brien.
PsiQuantum chose Brisbane as the project site due to its connection with the locale – its photonics approach was conceived in its laboratory there, as well as in Los Alamos, New Mexico in the US.
O’Brien also cited the location’s highly educated and skilled workforce, adding that Australia is “blessed with natural resources of sun, wind, and space.” This is relevant to one of quantum computing’s “hugely significant” application domains, which is climate change.
Temasek’s investment in PsiQuantum represents its interest in emerging technologies that could play a role in enabling innovation and creating economic value. Quantum computing could also bring about the unattainable category of computer-generated data to train AI models, noted Russell Tham, head of emerging technologies at Temasek.
“This form of computing at utility-scale – that can operate without errors – will unleash a new wave of innovation in material science, drug discovery, logistics, and many other fields,” he said.
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This story was republished with permission from The Business Times. It was moderately edited to reflect Tech in Asia’s editorial guidelines.
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