One day, quantum computers could solve problems in minutes that would take today’s supercomputers thousands of years to calculate. But the technology is still in the early stages and many critical pieces are under development. Chief among them is the capability to connect quantum computers.

Today’s powerful supercomputers are capable of stringing together many computers efficiently at the datacenter scale. Currently, sending quantum data between two quantum modules or nodes is extremely challenging using current methods that are too slow or not scalable.

In the global race to develop usable quantum computing capabilities, researchers are working to develop technology that would overcome that massive hurdle. To do this, the Chicago-based start-up, memQ, is developing hardware and software to enable distributed quantum computing. The core of the technology is comprised of memory and interconnects that are built on the company’s solid-state qubit platform.

The business was co-founded in 2021 by Manish Kumar Singh, who has a PhD in quantum engineering from the University of Chicago’s (UChicago) Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and Sean Sullivan, a postdoctoral student at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. Singh and Sullivan are in Cohort 6 in Argonne’s Chain Reaction Innovators (CRI) program, the two-year entrepreneurship program that embeds innovators in the Lab to help them develop their early-stage technologies.

memQ, which takes its name from quantum memory, is a spinout from Singh’s groundbreaking work at UChicago on integrating quantum bits, or qubits, on a CMOS compatible platform at wafer scale. Qubits are a quantum version of the standard computer bit.

The patented technology grew from research conducted at UChicago and Argonne over several years. After developing the proof of concept, Singh partnered with Sullivan, a longtime collaborator, to develop the mechanics of the technology with an eye toward commercialization. Singh is CEO and Sullivan serves as CTO.

“The fundamental science had been demonstrated and it was now more about an engineering challenge to build large-scale quantum networks,” said Sullivan, who has a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin.

How it works

Quantum memory, a key piece of the quantum network infrastructure, is needed to store quantum information and allow for entanglement between different sections of the network asynchronously. This means that processes operate independently of each other, greatly increasing the rate of entanglement.

Adding a large amount of memory can boost overall rates throughout this network at any scale. Memory is also essential for any data-intensive application in quantum computing.

“To do any sort of large-scale data processing, we need quantum memory. Currently, for one gigabit of data we need a billion qubits,” said Singh. “Technology does not yet have a way of storing and manipulating this data. Our innovation overcomes this obstacle.”

The company is developing solid-state hardware capable of generating, storing and distributing quantum states. These chips can distribute photonic qubits across short and long distances which could enable the connection of quantum computers locally or allow for an unconditionally secure communication channel.

A central advantage is that the platform is fully compatible with current semiconductor technology.

New frontiers

Since joining CRI in 2022, Singh and Sullivan have made critical progress in advancing memQ technology. The innovators are working with F. Joseph Heremans, staff scientist at Argonne’s Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division and an affiliated scientist at UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. Heremans has collaborated with the innovators on published research.

Along with Heremans’ depth of knowledge, access to Argonne’s world-class equipment in the Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division is helping the innovators advance their technology which is now in the prototype phase.

“Working with Joe has been important for de-risking our technology,” Sullivan said. “We have used the quantum optics labs with tunable lasers, cryostats and single photon detectors to test hundreds of our devices.”

Along with Singh and Sullivan, other memQ scientists added to the company since its founding are part of the research team in the Lab. memQ has added six employes and hopes to expand as the company matures.

The innovators, who initially secured $2.5 million in seed funding, plan to finish their prototype at Argonne and release it later this year. Because memQ is moving into a new area of quantum technology, Singh said finding a market niche will be a challenge.

“There is a need for this technology, but the market pull is not very strong for it at the moment,” Singh said. “Demonstrating the technology’s effectiveness will open new opportunities in the quantum market.”

Chicago, which is vibrant hub for quantum technology, is a prime location to build and market memQ. The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) at UIC’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and DOE’s Q-NEXT program, led by Argonne, offer critical connections in the quantum ecosystem. memQ is also getting support from the State of Illinois necessary to move their timeline forward.

“Long-term, we want to integrate our technology into the products already out there,” Singh said. “Short-term, we want to get it into the hands of researchers who are pushing the boundary of what’s possible with quantum technologies.”