World-first quantum computers that can fit inside a lunchbox

Quantum Brilliance, a spin-out company from the Australian National University, has developed the world’s first room-temperature quantum computer, small enough to fit inside a lunchbox.

This is extremely significant because the current storage space for information is finite, and as we enter a ‘big data’ world, we need more processing power to handle it. Classical computers, like your desktop, laptop and smart phone, although amazing in themselves, are quite limited to doing one thing at a time – the more complex a problem, the more power and time it takes to solve.

By 2040, it is estimated our classical computers will no longer have the capability to power all of the machines around the world. This is why the computer industry is now racing to make quantum computers accessible to everyone. Quantum Brilliance are well ahead of the game.

Not only is the size of Quantum Brilliance’s quantum computer ground breaking, but the fact that it can operate at room-temperature is revolutionary and brings the world a huge step closer to solving our information storage issues, amongst others.

Traditionally, quantum computers have needed super-cooled fridges and vacuum chambers, similar to the conditions in deep space, in order to function properly. This means it is almost impossible to make them a piece of everyday technology, like classical computers.

However, Quantum Brilliance’s technology, based on diamond quantum computers, can operate in ambient temperatures with simple controls and offer competitive performance. Although this technology is not new, Quantum Brilliance’s core innovations address previous barriers, such as size and integration of control structure – they also use synthetic diamonds. These updated quantum computers have applications in drug design, chemical synthesis, energy storage and nanotechnology.

Quantum Brilliance was awarded an Accelerating Commercialisation grant of $828,666 to help build a state of the art manufacturing plant and $159,924 in Innovations Connections grants to further their capability for synthetic diamond-quantum technologies by increasing their ability to build the first few of their quantum computers in Australia.

With help from AusIndustry, Quantum Brilliance is in the final stages of development and will undertake the world’s first deployment of a synthetic diamond quantum computer to an offsite facility, the Pawsey Super Computing Centre in Perth, WA. This commercial partnership is an Australian-first between a supercomputing centre and quantum computing provider and their collaboration will aim to develop Australia’s first quantum-supercomputing hub for innovation. CSIRO estimates the potential market opportunity for Australia from quantum computing at $2.5 billion per annum in revenue and 10,000 new jobs by 2040. This makes the potential quantum technology market value comparable to long-standing Aussie markets, such as wool and wheat.