Cryogenic Transistor: SemiQon releases the first CMOS transistor optimized for cryogenic conditions.
Quantum Computing Advancement: The innovation reduces heat dissipation, aiding scalability of quantum computers.
Mass Production Ready: Transistors can be mass-produced using existing CMOS fabrication facilities.
SemiQon, a company specializing in quantum computing hardware, has announced the launch of the world's first transistor capable of efficient operation in cryogenic conditions. This development addresses a significant challenge in scaling quantum computers to fault-tolerant levels, enabling companies, governments, and other stakeholders to harness the full potential of quantum technology. Importantly, these transistors can be mass-produced using existing CMOS fabrication facilities, requiring no new infrastructure.
Traditional electronic components typically underperform at ultra-low temperatures, creating a major obstacle in achieving fault tolerance in quantum computing. SemiQon's new transistor dramatically reduces heat dissipation by a factor of 1,000, allowing control and readout electronics to be placed directly inside a cryostat alongside the processors. This placement eliminates the disruption caused by heat in these systems and simplifies the complexity around control and readout as quantum processors scale up.
"It was clear to us and others in the scientific community, that a transistor which can operate efficiently at ultra-low temperatures would offer substantial value to users in the advanced computing sector and wherever these devices are required to function in cryogenic conditions."
— Himadri Majumdar, CEO and Co-Founder of SemiQon
Engineered to perform optimally at temperatures of 1 Kelvin and lower—the range in which most quantum computers operate—the new cryo-CMOS transistor offers extensive advantages. These include consuming only 0.1% of the power and delivering heat dissipation levels 1,000 times lower than traditional room-temperature transistors. This efficiency may provide a compelling business case for organizations seeking to reduce energy costs associated with computing operations and cooling.
"Quantum technology is set to revolutionize industries, but scalability and price are current challenges. SemiQon’s optimized transistor capable of functioning efficiently in cryogenic conditions is an important milestone in the development of future quantum computers. Its pioneering work aims to make deep-tech innovation profitable."
— Erja Turunen, Executive Vice President at VTT in Finland
Beyond quantum computing, these devices have potential applications in high-performance computing and spaceborne systems, offering important cost savings and improved energy efficiency in those industries. In the near term, the transistors will reduce the amount of expensive control electronics infrastructure required for quantum computers, making these machines less cumbersome to build and more efficient to operate. SemiQon anticipates these benefits will be well-received among quantum computer manufacturers and their investors.
SemiQon expects to deliver its first cryo-optimized CMOS transistors to customers in 2025. This work was carried out predominantly as part of the SCALLOP project funded by the European Innovation Council and the ArcTIC Chips-JU project funded by the European Union.
