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20 Nov 2024
Startup raises $18M; aims to aid efforts to scale quantum computers with interconnects based on synthetic diamond.
Lightsynq, a Boston-based startup working on interconnects for scaling quantum computation, has raised $18 million in a series A round of venture funding.
Combining expertise from Harvard University physicists and quantum technology researchers at Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company says its mission is to build a technology enabling quantum computers to scale to commercially useful sizes.
That technology revolves around synthetic diamond optics provided by Element Six (E6), which is among the series A investor syndicate.
Scaling challenge
In a LinkedIn post (see below) revealing the startup’s emergence from stealth mode, Lightsynq’s CEO and co-founder Mihir Bhaskar wrote: “Quantum computing has transformative potential, but quantum computing systems still face substantial scale-up challenges before they can reach their full capabilities.”
The solution, according to Lightsynq, will be quantum interconnects that can link several limited-scale devices into a modular, full-scale quantum computer - imitating the distributed approach used with conventional high-performance computing today.
“Our approach, built out of years of research carried out by our founding team, uses quantum memories based on color centers in diamond, a technology with critical enabling capabilities such as heralding and in-memory computing,” adds the firm.
“Crucially, our interconnects do not require disruptive redesigns of existing quantum hardware. They are designed to be compatible with quantum devices across various platforms, from atoms, ions, and photons to superconducting circuits with optical interfaces.
“This allows us to accelerate the quantum industry's timeline to commercial impact without having to pick a winning approach while the race is still heating up.”
Details of that approach can be found in a Nature paper from March 2020 authored by Bhaskar and much of the founding team. Their proof-of-principle experiment demonstrated high-fidelity operation said to effectively enable quantum communication at megahertz clock speeds.
That experiment featured a single solid-state spin memory integrated within a nanophotonic diamond resonator.
Research collaboration
Commenting on the Lightsynq funding and the relationship between the two businesses, E6 announced: “Since 2015, Element Six had fostered a long-standing research collaboration with Lightsynq founders’ team, then continued under the AWS CQN [Center for Quantum Networks], with the aim to drive growth for these novel technologies.”
CEO Siobhán Duffy added: “E6’s engineered materials will allow Lightsynq to build faster and more robust solutions to unlock several factors of computational capabilities in sectors such as chemistry and cybersecurity.”
Headquartered in the UK, the De Beers subsidiary makes synthetic diamonds at its US manufacturing facility in Oregon.
The concept behind the use of diamond in quantum technology relies on the fact that, although typically colorless, diamonds can actually be found in a range of colours in nature, a result of crystal defects and impurities.
“In technological applications, different diamond colors are linked to different characteristics, including one which allows these engineered materials to act as a quantum memory chip,” explains E6.
“Thanks to the stability of their properties and the ability to interact with light, synthetic diamonds provide all the tools needed to create complex quantum connections.”
Bhaskar added: “Diamond holds immense potential for quantum computing. It’s important for Lightsynq to have a trusted strategic partner such as E6 on board to put this technology to the test.
“Linking quantum computers is challenging because it requires entanglement to be shared across multiple systems. Additionally, entanglement is sensitive to noise and can be difficult or slow to transmit using conventional interconnect approaches.
“E6’s synthetic diamond technology helps overcome these challenges, enhancing our ability to connect quantum computers and accelerate the timeline to useful quantum solutions.”
Silicon vacancies
Lightsynq’s quantum memories are created by embedding silicon atoms into diamond to form silicon vacancy color centers (SiVs) and two-qubit registers that are fully controllable with microwave pulses.
“SiVs have high-quality optical transitions for rapid qubit initialization and readout,” adds the firm. “Our technology goes further by placing SiVs in optical cavities to achieve high-fidelity, high-efficiency interactions between single photons and the SiV's electron qubit.
“All of this is implemented in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), enabling us to scale to many parallel memory registers in a single, compact chip.”
Led by Cerberus Capital Management, with participation from Murata Electronics North America Inc., IAG Capital Partners, Safar Partners, QVT, and In-Q-Tel, alongside E6, the series A funding is earmarked for building Lightsynq’s first quantum interconnect prototypes.
“We plan to use these to help leading quantum computing companies scale to multi-module systems for the first time,” said the startup. “We're eager to bring this technology to the industry and to work with top quantum companies to accelerate scaling and unlock the full potential of quantum computing.”
While the initial plan for the startup is to provide a scaling pathway that allows quantum computing companies to concentrate on building powerful error-corrected systems, applications could eventually extend to long-distance quantum networks supporting secure multi-party computation and quantum-assisted sensing applications.
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