Irish startup Equal1 has unveiled the world's first quantum computer using a hybrid quantum-classical silicon chip. 🌍✨

Called Bell-1 — in honor of the quantum physicist John Stewart Bell — the computer weighs about 200 kg and plugs into a standard electrical outlet. This modular computer is designed to be easily integrated into high-performance computing data centers. performance (HPC) alongside conventional servers. 💻

Jason Lynch, CEO of Equal1, explained that combining quantum technology with the most advanced classical processors provides the fastest path to a quantum computer capable of performing calculations that could change the world.

The potential applications are endless. quantum computers They have the ability to solve complex problems that classical computers cannot, which could lead to groundbreaking discoveries in drug research, cryptography, modeling, and artificial intelligence.

“We are leveraging established semiconductor technologies to scale faster than the competition,” Lynch commented. “This is the best way to scale quantum computing at the pace we need.” 🔧

Equal1 combines classical transistors (for normal computing tasks) and quantum transistors (for qubits) into a single chip based in silicon. Qubits, similar to the bits in a conventional PC, are the basic units of information in a quantum computer. The more you have, the faster the machine. ⚡️

Most quantum computing technologies are based on qubits of trapped ions or superconducting qubits. However, Equal1's design uses silicon spin qubits. 🌀

The Bell-1 is noticeably smaller than most existing quantum computers. The company attributes this to its refrigeration system closed-loop technology that allows the machine to operate at 0.3 Kelvin (-272.85°C) without the need for large external dilution chillers.

Most quantum computers need to be kept at ultra-low temperatures because heat causes errors by disrupting the delicate quantum states of the qubits (though there are exceptions).

For now, Bell-1 is limited to just 6 qubits, which means it's not yet capable of solving real-world problems. To put that into perspective, Bell-1's Willow chip Google recently introduced the account with 105 qubits. However, the machine Google is not available for purchase, while Bell-1 does. 🛒

“Tech companies are increasingly recruiting quantum experts as they explore the future possibilities of this technology,” Lynch said. “Bell-1 will help them and others conduct experiments such as quantum phase estimation and error correction, which will form the basis for more advanced processors.” powerful in the future.” 🔮

Equal1's Quantum Journey

Equal1 was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from University College Dublin. The startup currently employs around 45 people and, while still headquartered in the Irish capital, is expanding its presence in the Netherlands, one of the world leaders in quantum technology. 🇮🇪➡️🇳🇱

The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) recently backed Equal1 with an undisclosed investment. Last year, the Irish company opened a research facility near TU/Delft, an emerging hub for quantum technology startups such as QuantWare. 🌐

Leveraging standard semiconductor manufacturing, Equal1 seeks to bring the quantum computing to applications of the real world more quickly than its competitors. However, competition is growing, and fast. In just the last few months, Google launched the Willow quantum chip, Microsoft introduced its Majorana chip, and Amazon revealed its Ocelot chip. 🏁