Oxford Ionics’ breakthroughs herald dawn of a new mainstream quantum computing age | City & Business | Finance

Breakthrough technology developed by UK advanced manufacturer Oxford Ionics (OI) is set to take quantum computing mainstream in revolutionary ways that will supercharge industries across the world. The company is now at the forefront of a highly competitive sector with enormous rewards. These are thanks to quantum computing’s extraordinary qubit (atom-based) capabilities that enable immediate multiple calculations far greater than anything possible with today’s machines. However formidable technical obstacles have long stood in the way of commercialisation. But six years ago Oxford academics and quantum experts Dr Chris Ballance and Dr Tom Harty began pioneering a radically different approach based on robust “rocket ship” engineering. This led to their patented Electronic Qubit Control system, a stellar achievement that overcomes the major obstacles: notably error prone computations, noise, big machines the size of warehouses, low operational temperatures and costly energy to power them. “The highest performing qubit technology is trapped ions but that has been difficult to scale as they are controlled by lasers. We have eliminated the need to use these through our system using electronic signals and far fewer qubits. Our protocol can also detect and remove qubits in the wrong state,” explains chief executive Ballance.

“Our system has a world leading advantage because it can integrate everything needed to control the trapped ions into a classical silicon chip that can be efficiently mass-produced using standard manufacturing facilities and processes.” Formal validation of OI’s technology has broken three world records proving it delivers 99.97 percent accuracy. It currently builds its machines in Oxford and predicts unveiling an everyday use computer in three years’ time.

Currently it has six early stage models including the portable, compact Mini-Q and a standard size Quartet in the wings. A global customer base will see OI serving clients from the private sector, government and academia. Contract wins include supplying the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre and Germany’s cyber innovation agency Cyberagentur along with a growing number of research projects. 

Pharmaceuticals, aerospace, defence and the impacts of climate change are among the first in line to be transformed by quantum computing’s power. “Now there is momentum we are also expecting strong demand from the financial sector, for lending modelling, analysing portfolios and real time market changes,” adds chief technical officer Harty.

Rapid growth – 70 per cent a year – has been a constant and after £30 million of investment and big names on board such as chip giant ARM’s founder Hermann Hauser, another raise is in the pipeline as OI expands with an office in the US in Boulder, Colorado, and adds to its team of 60. It works with Oxford University and the engineering excellence available in the area has been of immense benefit too. “If we have needed a strange alloy at short notice for example, we can get it,” says Ballance who is unphased by the progress updates coming from big tech players.

 “Last year alone we’ve proven that we can build the highest performing, most accurate quantum platform in the world all manufactured in the same semiconductor fabs that produce the chips in our laptops and cell phones. It’s this type of novel engineering that will win the race and our heart is in the UK,” he declares. “We put the tech in the hands of end-users. Our message to business and organisations is to get in touch, don’t wait, learn along the way and get the best head start possible.” www.oxionics.com