Toronto quantum company inks deals with Applied Materials, US Air Force to accelerate chip development.\n<\/p>\n
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Xanadu<\/a> has unveiled a pair of partnerships that it claims will speed up development of photonic quantum computing chips and data centres.<\/p>\n The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently chose Xanadu and two fellow Canadian companies to participate in a research program to build a full-fledged quantum computer by 2033.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Toronto company is teaming up with Santa Clara, Calif.-based manufacturing firm Applied Materials to develop what it says is the first 300-millimetre \u201chigh-volume compatible\u201d manufacturing process for superconducting transition edge sensors. These are \u201ckey elements\u201d for preparing the state of a qubit (quantum bit) in Xanadu\u2019s photonic quantum computers, according to the firm.<\/p>\n The deal will let Xanadu wield the \u201cmost advanced fabrication tools\u201d to make \u201chigher quality and better-performing\u201d products, according to Elliott Ortmann, Xanadu\u2019s head of fabrication process engineering.<\/p>\n Xanadu has also unveiled a four-year research and development (R&D) agreement with the United States (US) Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to accelerate work on silicon-based photonic integrated circuits for quantum purposes. The move is intended to combine AFRL\u2019s know-how in launching advanced technology with Xanadu\u2019s work on both photonic quantum computing and chip-level integration.<\/p>\n Xanadu will get access to AFRL\u2019s process design tools for silicon photonic circuits. In turn, the Canadian company will offer feedback that helps AFRL customize its chip designs for quantum tasks. The two partners will jointly explore commercial uses and production roadmaps while sharing other knowledge. The US Air Force also envisions \u201cmilitary applications.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Three Canadian quantum startups selected for US military-backed quantum race program<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Xanadu was founded in 2016 and has secured multiple large funding rounds as part of its plans to develop quantum data centres, including a $100-million USD Series C<\/a> in 2022. That series was led by Georgian but also included big names like Porsche, Silicon Valley Bank, and star venture capitalist Tim Draper.<\/p>\n Xanadu founder Christian Weedbrook told BetaKit<\/a> in May 2024 that he was hoping to raise between $100 million to $200 million USD by early 2025 to develop quantum computing hardware.<\/p>\n While that funding has yet to materialize, Xanadu has claimed progress in 2025. It bills its new Aurora system<\/a> as a breakthrough in networked, \u201cutility-scale\u201d quantum computers that can solve real problems. It also announced a partnership with glass producer Corning<\/a> to help network quantum chips using fibre optics and arrays.<\/p>\n The company isn\u2019t alone in cooperating with the American military. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently chose Xanadu and two fellow Canadian companies, Vancouver\u2019s Photonic and Sherbrooke, Que.\u2019s Nord Quantique, to participate in a research program<\/a> that aims to build a full-fledged quantum computer by 2033. Xanadu also faces competition from abroad, including Microsoft\u2019s experimental Majorana 1 chip. That part potentially enables million-qubit systems that complete tasks impractical for conventional computers.<\/p>\n\n