Infineon teams up with eleQtron to deliver three generations of trapped-ion quantum processor units
Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) and eleQtron GmbH, a pioneer in Quantum Computing (QC) from Siegen, North Rhine Westfalia, Germany, announced today their partnership to jointly develop trapped ion Quantum Processor Units (QPUs) for scalable quantum computers. This second Infineon partnership with a key player in the ion-trap field is the first commercial activity in the German QC ecosystem. It underscores Infineon’s prominent position in offering industry-leading ion trap QPUs that are manufactured predictably, repeatably, and reliably.
“As a leading company in developing quantum computing hardware, Infineon’s goal is to provide the core components and, together with our partners, enable the first meaningful quantum computing systems based on trapped-ion technology. We contribute unique technology and world-class fabrication capabilities towards achieving quantum usefulness,” said Richard Kuncic, Senior Vice President and General Manager Power Systems at Infineon Technologies. “Being chosen by eleQtron as a QPU supplier will enable us to accelerate our quantum computing hardware roadmap and expand our business in this emerging segment.”
“Our partnership with Infineon represents a significant milestone in our strong mission to develop and competitively offer largely scalable quantum computing systems with high computing power, available for the huge business applications market,” said Jan Leisse, CEO eleQtron. “We are confident that our pioneering technology based on ion traps and radio frequency waves, combined with Infineon’s capacity and expertise in innovative QPU production, will provide the foundation for building quantum computing systems ready for first applications until mid-2027.”
eleQtron aims to offer internationally competitive quantum processing units (QPUs) with high computing power using the promising MAGIC technology. The “MAgnetic Gradient-Induced Coupling” or MAGIC concept allows the control of qubits using radio frequency technology instead of lasers achieving record-low crosstalk between adjacent qubits. This unique approach simplifies the required scaling of TIQC hardware towards higher Qubit numbers and complements other scaling strategies. The partners will also investigate a novel, microstructured 3-dimensional ion memory, paving the way for a modular and versatile QPU architecture.
During the development phase, Infineon will provide eleQtron with three progressively improved generations of ion traps as well as the necessary expertise to adapt them to the MAGIC concept. By employing a co-design strategy, Infineon will enable eleQtron to build ion trap-based quantum computers with successively increasing functionality. These potent quantum computers will later also be made available to industrial and scientific users via cloud access.
More information is available at www.infineon.com/trappedions and www.infineon.com/quantumcomputing.
About Infineon
Infineon’s ion traps accelerate the development of powerful quantum computers to solve optimisation problems that their classical counterparts could not address. This research already started in 2016 at the Infineon fab site in Villach, Austria, to combine scientific findings with industrial-scale quantum technologies. The Villach site also offers a unique quantum test laboratory designed for fast test cycles of quantum computing systems based on trapped-ion technology. Knowing how to industrialise and combine novel materials and technologies, Infineon offers an advanced technology platform for customised traps that are predictable, repeatable, and reliable. Infineon is pursuing various approaches toward quantum computing. Next to the ion traps, the company is also active in superconducting and semiconductor-based qubits. As a co-founder of the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC), Infineon drives the topic from technology to usable application.
About eleQtron
eleQtron is the first German quantum computer manufacturer. The deep-tech startup started as a research group of the Department of Quantum Optics at the University of Siegen and is now a 30-member team of international experts. In 2020, Prof. Dr. Christof Wunderlich, Dr. Michael Johanning, and Jan Henrik Leisse founded eleQtron in Siegen. The goal: to finally make quantum computers usable for real-world applications. To achieve this, eleQtron relies on its proprietary and groundbreaking MAGIC (MAgnetic Gradient Induced Coupling) technology, which makes the control of ion qubits scalable and very precise. Investors and funders include the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Earlybird.
