France Speeds Up the Quantum Future: Alice and Bob Purchase a Cutting-Edge UHV System for Producing Industrial Quantum Chips
The SQUID 6 UHV system has been successfully delivered by quantum computing company Alice & Bob in collaboration with thin film deposition expert PLASSYS-BESTEK, marking a significant step in securing France’s position as a leader in cutting-edge technology. Supported by the Defense Innovation Agency (AID) of the French government, this cutting-edge fabrication technology is essential to the ULTRACAT project, which aims to speed up the country’s quest for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Industrial quantum manufacturing has reached a major milestone with the delivery of the SQUID 6 UHV. Strategically, it aims to overcome the existing immaturity of manufacturing processes for quantum processors, which are still less developed than those used in regular semiconductor fabrication. ULTRACAT’s technological advancements are deemed crucial for the development of reliable, fault-tolerant quantum computers, not only in France but throughout Europe.
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High-Precision Design for Upcoming QPUs
The recently purchased SQUID-6 UHV is a fully automated, next-generation ultra-high vacuum (UHV) deposition apparatus. This model is the first in a series of sophisticated tools that PLASSYS-BESTEK has created especially to facilitate the development of advanced quantum chip nanofabrication.
Utilizing a modular cluster architecture centered around a central UHV distribution chamber, the system’s design is an example of advanced engineering. Through the coordination of several production procedures within its multiple, separate process chambers, this arrangement enables the serial processing of many wafers, accommodating sizes up to 8 inches in diameter.
An important factor in reducing chip exposure to cross-contamination, the need for creating dependable and scalable Quantum Processing Units (QPUs), is the SQUID-6 UHV’s modular design and UHV operation. As a result, the method improves material quality and ensures high-quality QPUs, clearly meeting the increasing need for dependable quantum chip material processing.
The SQUID-6 UHV is designed to precisely deposit thin films, which are necessary materials for building Alice & Bob’s groundbreaking cat-qubit processors. These complex processors can be reliably produced with their automated calibration capabilities, which will also promote more automated and dependable fabrication processes, both of which are essential for scaling quantum computer designs. The fully automated approach also increases speed and reproducibility by reducing human interference, which is essential for manufacturing a large number of high-quality quantum chips.
According to Luc Pattard, General Manager of PLASSYS-BESTEK, the SQUID-6 UHV represents a major milestone for industrial quantum production since it represents the delivery of their first cluster ultra-high vacuum deposition platform. He stressed that the defense-supported project shows how their fabrication equipment’s superior capabilities are having a tangible impact on today’s developing quantum supply chain. Since the early 2000s, PLASSYS-BESTEK, which was established in 1987, has contributed extensive experience for manufacturing superconducting qubits and other quantum devices by designing advanced deposition equipment and supplying custom-designed systems.
Build-out of Infrastructure and Strategic Investment
Alice and Bob have received the SQUID 6 UHV system for their brand-new, cutting-edge quantum lab, which is presently being built in Paris. This cutting-edge facility, which comes with a cutting-edge nanofabrication cleanroom for cat-qubit chip prototyping, is being invested in by Alice & Bob for €50 million.
When the cleanroom is finished, which should happen in March 2026, the new tool will be bought to be installed in this lab. The company’s leadership views this internal capability investment as crucial. According to Antoine Gras, vice president of quantum hardware and infrastructure at Alice & Bob, the company needs to make investments in cutting-edge chip fabrication in order to grow its quantum computers and shorten the cycle of design iterations. “Truly an engineering marvel,” according to Gras, the SQUID 6 UHV allows for the automated, dependable production of cat-qubit processors.
Through increased control over the entire production process, Alice & Bob can encourage innovation and lessen their need for other foundries with this calculated approach. In the long run, Alice & Bob want to vertically integrate chip design and manufacture, and this investment reflects that goal. Alice & Bob want to expand their sophisticated manufacturing capabilities in order to overcome major obstacles in the scaling of quantum computers, including fault-tolerance, which necessitates more intricate chip designs and accurate fabrication methods.
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Government and Defense Sector Assistance
From 2022 to 2027, the French government’s defense innovation agency, AID, is a major backer of the ULTRACAT project. With the agency’s backing, France is positioned as a leader in this quickly developing field, underscoring the strategic significance of its own domestic development of quantum technology.
Created in 2018, the AID unifies and oversees the innovation efforts of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. Due to its importance in the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers, it was the driving force behind the ULTRACAT project’s funding.
Franck emphasized the importance of the purchase as a Technical Expert of Quantum Technologies at the General Directorate for Armament (DGA), France’s defense procurement agency. He stated that the development of more dependable and scalable quantum devices has advanced significantly with ULTRACAT. With this significant step towards industrial manufacturing, France is advancing its attempts to become a leader in fault-tolerant quantum computing.
The PROQCIMA project, a key element of France’s national quantum strategy, is being led by the DGA and involves five start-ups, including Alice & Bob. Its objectives are to study, develop, industrialize, and provide early quantum computing resources. AID, Alice & Bob, and PLASSYS-BESTEK’s cooperative strategy, which combines government funding and industry experience, is anticipated to hasten the creation and implementation of useful quantum systems.
Alice & Bob, a global leader in the quest for fault-tolerant quantum computing, was created in 2020 and specializes in cat qubits, a technology that Amazon later embraced. In addition to hiring more than 150 people and raising €130 million in finance, the company has shown trial outcomes that outperform those of major technological companies.
To reach the next milestone, which is to fabricate and test quantum chips with an increasing number of cat qubits in order to create a high-fidelity logical qubit, Alice & Bob will need to continue to expand their lab in Paris with the help of PLASSYS-BESTEK and the ongoing assistance of the French government. This concerted effort is indicative of a developing technical environment that is centered on scalable and dependable quantum computing systems.
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