QoLab and Applied Materials Collaborate on Qubit Production

QoLab, based in the US, has joined forces with Applied Materials to expedite the advancement and scalable production of superconducting qubits using customized tools. This partnership involves an investment from Applied Ventures, the venture capital division of Applied Materials, which builds upon the $16 million Series A funding round that was announced in December 2024.

Located in Madison, Wisconsin, QoLab leverages cutting-edge 300mm semiconductor processes to create superior interfaces that lead to higher-quality qubits. By employing innovative on-chip scaling techniques, the company has managed to significantly reduce the costs associated with scaling up qubits, while achieving fast gate speeds ranging from 30 to 40ns. Their proprietary transmon qubit designs are specifically tailored for distinct processes, boasting long coherence times exceeding 100 µs and ensuring consistency of qubits across the wafer.

Furthermore, QoLab collaborates with Riverlane, a UK-based developer of quantum error correction algorithms, to enhance their quantum computing capabilities.

“Applied Ventures is thrilled to invest in and provide support to QoLab as they strive to develop scalable, high-coherence quantum processors,” stated Rajesh Ramanujam, Investment Director at Applied Ventures. “Our investment strategy aligns with our commitment to backing innovative companies that can leverage our expertise in materials engineering.”

QoLab and Applied Materials have worked together to craft a comprehensive technical roadmap document titled "How to Build a Quantum Supercomputer: Scaling from Hundreds to Millions of Qubits."

“The collaboration between Applied Materials and QoLab aims to establish processes for producing superconducting qubits with significantly reduced error rates and improved uniformity. This represents a crucial advancement in accelerating the progress of large-scale quantum computing,” remarked Dr. Robert Visser, Vice President in the Office of the CTO at Applied Materials, who is also one of the authors of the technical roadmap document.

“Our partnership with Applied Materials and other prominent semiconductor partners, as outlined in our published roadmap, signifies a collective effort within the semiconductor industry to drive the scaling of quantum computing,” expressed Alan Ho, CEO of QoLab.