SEEQC Develops Digital Chip for Use with Quantum Processors at Sub-zero Temperatures

SEEQC, a quantum computing start-up based in New York, announced on Wednesday that it has developed a new type of digital chip that can operate at even colder temperatures than those in outer space, and can be used together with quantum processors typically found in cryogenic chambers.

Quantum processors require extremely low temperatures close to absolute zero, while classical computers operate at much milder temperatures, and the two need to be paired. The temperature changes that occur when connecting a cryogenically frozen quantum processor to a classical computer at room temperature can lead to slower processing speeds and other issues, but SEEQC has developed a solution. The company has built its own quantum computer in this way and is now trying to modify it with its new chip, which is manufactured using silicon chips in its factory in Elmsford but does not use transistors.

"If you try to build a data center, taking early prototype designs and trying to scale them up in a brute-force manner is not enough," explained John Levy, Co-founder and CEO of SEEQC. The company, founded in 2018, has raised a total of $30 million in funding from investors, including Merck's M Ventures and LG Tech Ventures.

This new type of digital chip can operate at even lower temperatures than before, which is crucial for the functioning of quantum processors.