Monday, March 14th 2022

Colorado's Maybell Quantum Exits Stealth; Breakthrough Quantum Hardware to be Made in USA

This morning, Maybell Quantum unveiled the Icebox, a cryogenic platform to power the next generation of quantum computers. Maybell's Icebox solves several pressing challenges for scaling quantum. Quantum computing is a reinvention of computing. It will perform calculations in seconds that would require billions of years for today's most powerful supercomputers, with profound implications for everything from logistics and agriculture to medicine and climate change. But achieving reliable quantum computation requires qubits - quantum computers' fundamental building block - be in a state where they can be finely manipulated and communicated with through minute signals. Maybell's approach to these challenges has attracted contracts from DARPA, NSIC/DIU, and leading research universities, and is now available to the quantum computing industry.

"Controlling quantum devices at room-temperature is like playing a sonata in a hurricane," explains Corban Tillemann-Dick, Maybell's CEO. "Cooling devices to a few thousandths of a degree above absolute zero, nature's 'speed limit for cold,' calms this chaos to near 'quantum silence' so quantum operations are controllable." Traditional quantum cryogenic systems, however, are tangles of tubes and wires that cover hundreds of square feet and often require months to set up and PhDs to operate. Moreover, to increase capacity, these systems typically become even larger and more complex.
In contrast, Maybell's Icebox dilution refrigerator condenses a room-sized cryogenic setup into a system slightly larger than your kitchen refrigerator. It can be installed in any laboratory, server-room, or well-equipped garage in an afternoon and without infrastructure upgrades. This is accomplished through over a dozen patent-pending innovations, including Maybell Flexlines, quantum wires which offer industry-leading performance and density while transmitting far less heat and vibration ('quantum noise') than traditional cabling. All this is paired with streamlined, secure, open-source software and a suite of powerful user-focused features.

"The Icebox supports three times more qubits in one-tenth the space," says Dr. Kyle Thompson, Maybell's CTO, referencing the 4,500 superconducting Flexline traces available in an Icebox. "We listen to our customers, understand their needs, and address them. Many Icebox innovations are groundbreaking science, but some are just common sense. For example, the Icebox is the first system built with a door so you can access your qubits without taking it apart - that shouldn't have taken 40 years."

Professor Javad Shabani of the Shabani Lab for Quantum Materials & Devices at NYU sees direct applications. "Labs like mine, at the cutting edge of quantum research, have a critical need for high quality, smaller footprint cryogenic systems. That's what Maybell is building. It lets us do more research more quickly and accelerate our contributions to Quantum Sciences." Dan Caruso, investor and former CEO of ColdQuanta, echoes his sentiment. "Maybell is reinventing quantum cryogenics for the first time since the 1980s. It is a game changer for America's leadership in quantum hardware, and for scalable quantum globally."

Dr. Thompson, continues "after decades designing, building, and - all-too-often - repairing broken quantum hardware, we knew Maybell could offer something better," Dr. SaeWoo Nam, Group Leader at the National Institutes for Standards and Technology (NIST), agrees. "I have extensive experience with competitive offerings, and Maybell's focus on human-centered design, simplicity, and reliability will be a groundbreaking change."

Quantum will be as important to the next 60 years of technology as the internet or integrated circuits were to the last 60. Maybell is the only American-built and scalable solution for this internationally-dominated sector. "Advancement of domestic quantum sciences is hindered by the size, cost, and lack of domestic suppliers for quantum enabling hardware. Maybell's products will help accelerate quantum progress and promote US leadership and security," states Dr. Nam, an even more pressing risk with global supply chain disruptions and international turmoil.

Maybell has opened the door to a new era of scientific discovery by enabling scalable quantum computing.
Source: Maybell Quantum
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15 Comments on Colorado's Maybell Quantum Exits Stealth; Breakthrough Quantum Hardware to be Made in USA

#1
Verpal
Emm... so.... exactly how many qubits are we talking about here? Neither press release nor website seems to have reference to actual number.
Posted on Reply
#2
freeagent
I wonder what kind of overclocking options it has in the bios..

It sounds like its powered by chaos. I would like to say I am fascinated, but it all sounds a bit scary.

Mainly the questions they are asking a modern computer that could take a billion years for an answer.

Never mind that, but they can find a solution to that in just a few seconds with this new model.. :eek:

Posted on Reply
#3
ThrashZone
Hi,
What's the mining potential :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#4
zlobby
It all seems so ...entangled!
Posted on Reply
#5
R-T-B
ThrashZoneHi,
What's the mining potential :laugh:
To break most present crypto coins and force them to move to a different algo would be the eventual endgame. Not sure if this is there yet. I hope not, because breaking things like sha256 is going to cause a lot of havoc outside of crypto...
Posted on Reply
#6
Leiesoldat
lazy gamer & woodworker
I believe the importance of this announcement is that the dilution refrigerator they're touting is much smaller in footprint compared to current refrigerators at most universities and national labs at the moment. Coupled with the statement that the equipment is producing less vibration and heat (wonder about the electrical noise), would definitely help in the design of the building and placement of labs (I work at one of the Quantum Science Centers in the US at a national lab and the amount of electrical shielding going into the new quantum lab building is mind boggling).
Posted on Reply
#7
zlobby
LeiesoldatI believe the importance of this announcement is that the dilution refrigerator they're touting is much smaller in footprint compared to current refrigerators at most universities and national labs at the moment. Coupled with the statement that the equipment is producing less vibration and heat (wonder about the electrical noise), would definitely help in the design of the building and placement of labs (I work at one of the Quantum Science Centers in the US at a national lab and the amount of electrical shielding going into the new quantum lab building is mind boggling).
Quantum is the closest to the language of our universe as we understand it. While it's beyond wildest dreams, are we prepared to wield what lies behind its practical applications?
Posted on Reply
#9
DeathtoGnomes
The size tells me its portable, with a hand dolly. That makes home quantum computers accessible to every super smart nerd from elementary school and on up. That probably wont happen tomorrow, but maybe someday. :D

Would you considered this an AIO? :kookoo:
Posted on Reply
#10
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
VerpalEmm... so.... exactly how many qubits are we talking about here? Neither press release nor website seems to have reference to actual number.
This is just a case/cooling chassis, not the quanputer
Posted on Reply
#11
Verpal
MusselsThis is just a case/cooling chassis, not the quanputer
Ah, now I see it, reading this while tired is a poor idea, thanks for clearing it up!
Posted on Reply
#12
Crackong
100% of the electricity went to cooling and the actual quantum computing uses 0 energy.
Posted on Reply
#13
zlobby
Crackong100% of the electricity went to cooling and the actual quantum computing uses 0 energy.
You still need energy to read and write the qbits.
Posted on Reply
#14
Bones
Oh how cute.... :wtf:
It even has a Q-Bit dispenser on the front of it.

This is an important step to take since we're talking about creating and sustaining an enviroment for this kind of operation to happen at all.
Posted on Reply
#15
TiN
Based on looks of it, there is huge Cryomech pulse tube cooler (PT407?), which would still require big 7-10kW helium compressor, powered by 3-phase electric, dedicated waterchiller of similar size. Then Helium3 gas supply and all auxilary stuff for it. All in all, still a $M price tag and major installation, definitely not something for "afternoon job" and not "even garage" or any small lab setup.

Size of it is still like few large fridges stacked together, and weight likely over a ton due to massive amounts of shielding (not shown on second photo for clarity) and copper hardware.
Posted on Reply
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