US firm advances room-temperature tech to store light particles for quantum computing

Quantum technology company Photon Queue has announced that its latest round of seed funding has reached £4 million. These funds will, the company explains, be used to superboost its research into quantum computing and photonics. Photon Queue is building a system that can temporarily hold particles of light (photons) so that different parts of a quantum computer or quantum network can work together at the right moment. That sounds simple, but timing is a serious problem in quantum systems. In most photon-based quantum systems today, light particles are used to carry information between different processors. Photons are also used to connect separate quantum systems. Light is also used to distribute entanglement, and perform measurements or trigger operations. All well and good, but photons travel extremely fast and don’t naturally wait around. Holding photons for better quantum calculations This is potentially a problem if these photons need to arrive together at a place for a particular calculation. To solve this, the system needs a kind of “photon memory” or waiting area to ensure a calculation can be completed. This is exactly what Photon Queue is attempting to create. In simple terms, the company is developing something that receives a photon and then uses an optical switch to direct it into a path bounded by highly reflective mirrors. This keeps the photon circulating around a path until such time as it is needed for a particular calculation. A bit like a holding pattern is used for aircraft waiting to land at an overly busy airport. This is easier said than done, with the core engineering challenge being preventing the photon from being lost every time it encounters a mirror or switch. Even tiny losses become important if the photon makes many trips around the loop. Another important innovation is that they can achieve this at room temperature without the need for sophisticated cryogenics. This is why, in part, this new round of funding will provide vital resources to help them master the challenge. “Useful quantum computing will require photons to move through networks with extraordinary precision, efficiency and timing. That is the problem Photon Queue was founded to solve,” explained Nathan Arnold, co-founder and CEO of Photon Queue, in a press release. Holding pattern for photons “In less than two years, we have taken technology from the lab to deployed commercial hardware with leading national lab and university customers. Our work with Sandia and the University of Maryland is a major validation point that quantum memory is becoming essential infrastructure for the next era of computing,” he added. “Photon Queue has built an elegant solution, turning breakthrough quantum optics into commercial hardware, with early customer traction. We believe they are a foundational company that will define the quantum memory category,” said Marissa Ramirez de Chanlatte, Investor at Playground Global. “Quantum memories are a critical enabling technology for distributed quantum systems, and performance, efficiency, and ease of integration are essential,” explained Saikat Guha, Clark Distinguished Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park and director of the NSF Center for Quantum Networks. “Photon Queue’s room-temperature, free-space approach is compelling because it stores photons directly without the complexity of cryogenics, vacuum systems, or transduction. We look forward to working with the Photon Queue team as they continue developing practical quantum memory hardware for our research in quantum networking, sensing, and communication,” he added.Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Christopher graduated from Cardiff University in 2004 with a Masters Degree in Geology. Since then, he has worked exclusively within the Built Environment, Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Consultancy industries. He is a qualified and accredited Energy Consultant, Green Deal Assessor and Practitioner member of IEMA. Chris’s main interests range from Science and Engineering, Military and Ancient History to Politics and Philosophy.