IonQ Announces Innovations in Compact, Room-Temperature Quantum Computing through Novel Extreme High Vacuum Technology

IonQ announced the completion of its next-generation ion trap vacuum package prototype intended to realize smaller, more compact, room temperature quantum systems. The company has completed a state-of-the-art assembly chamber capable of manufacturing miniaturized ion trap vacuum packages that can sustain Extreme High Vacuum – levels that are comparable to the vacuum levels found on the surface of the Moon.

IonQ’s innovative approach aims to allow quantum systems to operate without any cryogenically enhanced vacuum, leading to a material reduction in energy consumption and, in turn, computational energy costs. The miniaturized and simplified components resulting from this approach are designed to be modular and replaceable – greatly reducing complexity and maintenance overhead. In addition, this approach supports IonQ’s focus on enterprise-grade capabilities to accelerate system manufacturability, installation, and maintenance.

“Compact room temperature XHV is a key enabling component technology on our roadmap, and we expect it to result in simpler, smaller, and far more robust systems as we scale up performance, scale down size, and increase production volume for real-world applications,” said Dean Kassmann, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Technology for IonQ. “Designing miniaturized ion trap packages that can achieve high vacuum underscores our commitment to breaking technical boundaries as we deliver enterprise-grade quantum computers.

A key technical innovation achieved by the company was assembling an ultra-small ion trap vacuum package, within a larger high-vacuum assembly chamber, to help drive performance and operational benefits. In addition, this innovation will help drive the future elimination of industry standard vacuum pumps from within the quantum computer itself. The new ion trap vacuum package employs modern techniques to enable high pumping rates with no moving parts. This achievement relied on novel approaches to material selection, optics, welding, and micro-scale manufacturing not previously applied to trapped ion quantum computing. 

IonQ’s XHV advancements complement the company’s other recently announced technology initiatives, including a collaboration with NKT Photonics to integrate innovative optical subsystems into future IonQ quantum computers and a partnership with the world-renowned imec organization to develop photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and chip-scale ion trap technology. 

Source: IonQ media announcement