State-of-the-art components within a cryostat enable precision operation of a quantum processor.
Photo: Sarah Wittmer
UC Berkeley has launched one of its first major partnerships in the fast-growing quantum computing industry, joining forces with Switzerland-based company YQuantum to advance cryogenic hardware essential to next-generation quantum computers.
YQuantum builds cutting-edge cryogenic components — hardware that can operate at very cold temperatures, sometimes approaching a few thousandths of a degree Kelvin above absolute zero — that are tailored for quantum computing. Quantum computing represents a fundamental shift from classical computing, potentially solving problems that today’s supercomputers cannot handle, such as simulating molecular structures for drug discovery in minutes instead of centuries. Quantum computers could provide breakthroughs in medicine, materials science, logistics optimization, and financial risk analysis.
Yet before quantum computing can reach commercial viability, it must overcome technical hurdles, especially in miniaturizing components and perfecting cryogenic integration. YQuantum hopes to develop these solutions and test them in partnership with scientists at UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab, part of a large initiative dubbed Berkeley Quantum. YQuantum engineers will work with experts in the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory, under the direction of UC Berkeley physics Professor Irfan Siddiqi, who are world leaders in quantum computing based on superconducting circuits.
YQuantum co-founders Prof. Christian Schönenberger (Scientific Advisor), Dr. Johannes Herrmann (CTO), and Dr. Christian Jünger (CEO). Photo: YQuantum
“Partnering with Professor Siddiqi’s lab at UC Berkeley is a unique opportunity for YQuantum,” said Christian Jünger, CEO of YQuantum. “Validating our scalable cryoelectronic components on some of the world’s most advanced superconducting quantum processors allows us to push the boundaries of next-generation hardware for large-scale quantum systems — and affirms the performance and quality of our technology.”
The anticipated advances from the partnership with YQuantum will help the scientific community tackle the challenges of scaling quantum computers to the point where they provide computational advantage over even the best classical computers.
“Quantum computing needs significant innovation across the stack — from materials and processors to cryogenics and controls — to realize performance advantages on real-world applications,” Siddiqi said. “Our partnership with YQuantum shows how academic labs and companies can work together on cutting-edge technology through the Berkeley Quantum model.”
This collaboration exemplifies Berkeley Quantum’s strategy of fusing academic excellence with industrial innovation to accelerate the field globally.