Xanadu builds out Canadian quantum infrastructure with a wide set of partners

[MJF02]

EE Times has a detailed interview with Rafal Janik, chief operating officer of Xanadu, about how the Toronto photonic quantum company is building its business. We covered the GlobalFoundries deal recently, and this piece puts it in a wider context. Janik describes developing hardware, software and infrastructure all at the same time rather than one after another

The partnerships are wide ranging. The GlobalFoundries deal will move Xanadu's ultra low loss silicon nitride photonics and superconducting nanowire single photon detectors onto a 300 mm production line in Malta, New York. A multimillion dollar deal with Bluefors covers cooling for the detectors, starting with a compact cryogenic prototype and aiming for a mass produced module for quantum data centres. Xanadu is also working with Telus and investor AMD on how quantum and classical computing connect

There is strong government support as well. Canada has committed C$195 million to Project OPTIMISM, and Xanadu is planning a photonics plant in Toronto called Inception that will combine manufacturing, packaging, testing and module assembly. The company is also in Stage B of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, which is a meaningful vote of confidence

Janik is candid about where things stand. He says networking and modularity are solved problems for Xanadu's approach, but performance still needs to improve. That is a refreshingly honest assessment from a company executive. Photonic qubits are easy to network but losses remain the main challenge

He also calls for better national coordination of Canadian quantum research, arguing that funding several institutes to do the same work makes little sense. Canada has a strong quantum heritage, so making the most of its funding is a fair point

Is building everything in parallel the right strategy for a company like Xanadu? And do you think photonics will win the race to a useful fault tolerant machine?

Xanadu Builds Out Canadian Quantum Infrastructurewww.eetimes.com

[Rabbit11]

Janik admitting performance still needs work is refreshing. Most executives would only talk about successes. Honest updates build more trust with investors and researchers alike. Investors appreciate straight talk more than people think. It makes the good news more believable

[Tel]

Janik's point about coordination is a fair one. Canada has excellent quantum groups at Waterloo, Sherbrooke, Toronto and elsewhere. Better coordination would stretch the money further. Duplication wastes talent as well as funding

National strategies work best with clear roles. Canada could learn from the UK hubs model

[MegaMatt32]

Inception could be a big deal for Toronto. Bringing manufacturing, packaging and testing under one roof speeds up iteration a lot. It also keeps skilled jobs in Canada, which is clearly part of the government's thinking

Having production close to the research team speeds up the feedback loop. Problems get fixed in days rather than months

[FluxKnight80]

Building in parallel is risky but probably necessary. If you wait to solve each problem in turn, you fall years behind

Xanadu seems to have the funding and partners to try it. Deep pockets make that kind of strategy possible

Partners share some of the risk too. That is the smart part

[KevinOwens]

PsiQuantum is the obvious comparison. Both are betting on photonics and big foundry partners

PsiQuantum went with GlobalFoundries first, and now Xanadu has too. It will be fascinating to see which design reaches useful scale first. Healthy rivalry should push both forward

[NeonPhantom32]

Photonics has a huge advantage in networking. Photons travel down fibre naturally, while other qubits need converting. If Xanadu solves losses, modular machines could scale faster than anyone else's

That is a big if, though. Losses have stalled photonic designs before

[Yeet28]

Signing a Bluefors deal for detectors shows that cryogenics is still needed for photonics. People sometimes think photonic machines run entirely at room temperature. The single photon detectors need deep cooling

Making that compact will be important for data centres. Bluefors dominates dilution refrigerators, so it is a natural partner. A compact module would be a big step. Data centres hate bulky kit

[CollapseState75]

Stage B of DARPA's initiative is a strong signal. Only a few companies made it through, and the programme is designed to be sceptical. Passing that bar adds weight to Xanadu's roadmap. The next stage will be even tougher