Imagine a computer so powerful it can solve problems that would take today's fastest supercomputers thousands of years to crack. That's the promise of quantum computing, but until now, these machines have been massive, expensive, and incredibly hard to build. Enter Quantum Motion, a London-based startup that's looking to flip the script. 💻✨
The company recently announced a massive $160 million funding round to build quantum computers that are smaller, cheaper, and more energy-efficient. But how are they doing it? While other tech giants like IBM and Google are using superconductors or lasers to create qubits (the heart of a quantum computer), Quantum Motion is taking a more "down-to-earth" approach. 🌍
Instead of inventing entirely new hardware from scratch, they're using something we already have in billions of devices: standard silicon chipmaking techniques. Essentially, they are taking the transistors found in your smartphone or laptop and figuring out how to turn them into high-quality qubits. 📱🧠
"We just kind of started the company in reverse," says CEO James Palles-Dimmock. The goal is to find the minimum changes needed to make a transistor act like a qubit. While a normal computer transistor is either "on" or "off" (0 or 1), a qubit can be both at once. Quantum Motion achieves this by suspending a single electron in the gap of a transistor and manipulating it with a magnetic field—a concept known as electron spin. 🌀
By partnering with manufacturing giant GlobalFoundries, Quantum Motion believes they can bring the cost of a useful quantum computer down to as little as $10 million to $20 million—a fraction of the cost of current prototypes. Talk about a game-changer! 💰🚀
The funding was co-led by DCVC and Kembara, with a whole squad of investors joining in, including the British Business Bank, Firgun, Oxford Science Enterprises, Inkef, Bosch Ventures, Porsche Automobil Holding, and Parkwalk Advisors. With this financial boost, the path to the world's most powerful (and reasonably priced) computer is looking clearer than ever. 🌟
Reference(s):
Quantum Motion raises $160 million to build cheaper quantum computer
cgtn.com
