Pasqal's CEO says quantum computing could help the US cut its reliance on China for rare earth processing

[Dark Hermit]

Pasqal chief executive Wasiq Bokhari has argued that quantum computing could play a meaningful role in reducing US dependence on China's dominance of the rare earth supply chain, as the company partners with USA Rare Earth and Riven Systems on the problem. The approach centres on using quantum computers to model the molecules and compounds that contain rare earth elements, aiming to identify properties that would allow for more efficient separation of those elements from the other minerals they are typically found mixed in with.

Bokhari framed the challenge in terms of the smaller, lower grade reserves available domestically compared to established Chinese sources, saying that when reserves are smaller, being efficient at actually finding and extracting the element becomes even more important. He suggested quantum modelling could improve rare earth yields per ton of processed rock by a factor of two, three, or even ten, a range that would meaningfully change the economics of developing Western rare earth deposits that are currently considered too costly or inefficient to compete with Chinese supply.

Bokhari also underlined the strategic stakes involved, pointing to rare earths' critical role in defense systems, advanced electronics and broader manufacturing, and warning that ongoing supply chain disruptions tied to Chinese dominance of the sector represent a genuine national security risk for the United States. Pasqal's own stock, traded under the ticker PSQL, was down 4.77 percent to $6.99 at the time the comments were reported.

Quantum computing could help cut US reliance on China rare earths | Fox Businesswww.foxbusiness.com

[Dom_24]

A factor of two to ten improvement in yield per ton is a genuinely huge range if quantum modelling can actually deliver it, that kind of efficiency gain could make previously uneconomical domestic rare earth deposits viable almost overnight.

[Jamie]

Framing this specifically around smaller domestic reserves needing greater efficiency is the detail that actually makes the pitch believable, quantum computing being pitched as a way to compensate for a genuine geological disadvantage rather than just a generic buzzword upgrade.

[InferenceLoop65]

Pasqal's stock dropping nearly 5 percent on the same day as this announcement is an interesting disconnect, markets clearly are not yet pricing in this rare earth partnership as a meaningful near term revenue driver regardless of the strategic framing.

[Elizabeth_14]

Rare earth separation and processing genuinely is one of the more promising near term applications for quantum computing precisely because it involves modelling complex molecular interactions that classical computers struggle with efficiently.

[Glacier53]

Worth remembering this is still very much at the modelling and research stage rather than an actual operating rare earth processing facility, the gap between promising quantum simulation results and genuine industrial scale deployment can often be a long one.