Delft-based start-up QuantWare is taking a step forward in the development of quantum technology by building the first Dutch factory for quantum chips. The company aims to capture a share of the global market for next-generation supercomputers.
This is according to a background article in the FD. The factory is expected to be operational by the end of next year and will produce chips capable of operating with 10,000 qubits, a multiple of what is currently available.
Quantum computing is slowly becoming available, Techzine reports in a Techzine Talks. Many cloud providers already offer opportunities to experiment. In the coming years, only big tech and scientists will have access to the power of quantum. There is fierce competition between major players such as Microsoft, IBM, and Google. They have already showcased innovations in recent months. The number of qubits is steadily increasing.
Qubits form the foundation of quantum computers and can be compared to bits in classical computers. The more qubits a chip contains, the greater its theoretical computing power. Most advanced quantum chips currently available commercially are stuck at around 100 to 150 qubits. QuantWare wants to break through this stagnation with a new approach that stacks multiple chips to drastically increase the number of qubits.
Chips worth fifty million euros
QuantWare’s 10,000-qubit chips are expected to have a retail price of around 50 million euros each, writes the FD. This makes them an alternative to systems that use multiple smaller quantum chips linked together. According to QuantWare, such a chip accounts for about half of the total cost of a complete quantum computer with this computing power. By comparison, current quantum chips typically cost no more than a few hundred thousand euros.
The factory in Delft requires investments of tens of millions of euros. Part of this comes from a recent investment round of twenty million euros, supported by Dutch investors and the European EIC Fund.