US firm Quantinuum finalizes $100 million CHIPS R&D award
The federal funding deployed through the CHIPS and Science Act supports R&D and US quantum semiconductor manufacturing capabilities needed to deploy large-scale, fault-tolerant trapped-ion quantum computers.
Quantinuum, a quantum computing company headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, has announced that it has finalized an agreement with the US Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Research and Development Office for USD 100 million in federal funding deployed through the CHIPS and Science Act.
The award supports R&D and US quantum semiconductor manufacturing capabilities needed to deploy large-scale, fault-tolerant trapped-ion quantum computers, Quantinuum said in a press release.
The company leverages established semiconductor manufacturing processes to help ensure reliability, repeatability and scalability of its current and future quantum computers.
“This award is a validation of Quantinuum’s leadership in trapped-ion quantum computing," said Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President and CEO 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.”
The award will support R&D that the company expects to help strengthen and diversify its supply chain, adding onshore partners GlobalFoundries and Monarch Quantum.
GlobalFoundries will be one of several of Quantinuum’s foundries enlisted to fabricate its next-generation ion traps and other electronics, specifically focused on using 300mm wafer technology; Monarch Quantum plans to develop and manufacture scalable, reliable lasers and optical components required for Quantinuum’s trapped-ion systems, the press release said.
“GlobalFoundries is proud to partner with Quantinuum to help scale their trapped-ion technology,” said Tim Breen, CEO of GlobalFoundries. “By bringing our expertise in high-volume, differentiated semiconductor manufacturing, we're helping create a path to more scalable, reliable quantum hardware and advancing the next generation of American innovation.”
“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, CEO of Monarch Quantum. “We are honored to expand our partnership with Quantinuum to advance their hardware roadmap and to help strengthen US leadership in quantum computing manufacturing and supply chain resilience.”
