University of Glasgow engineers are hoping a new £1.5 million funding boost will help deliver a ‘quantum leap’ in superconductor manufacturing – to power the computers of the future.
Researchers at the university are to use the UK Government innovation investment to build the UK’s first fabrication facility for niobium-based superconducting circuits for use in quantum computing devices.
The specialist area of research is at the cutting-edge in quantum computing, which seeks to find materials that can operate at the extreme low temperatures required by the computers, as well as using less power.
The Superconductor Prototyping for Critical Technologies project, or Super-CT, brings together researchers from the University’s James Watt School of Engineering with Quantcore, a university spinout.
The University of Glasgow’s Professor Martin Weides is leading the Super-CT project.
He said: “Superconductors are the foundation on which the technologies of the future will be built. Quantum computers, sensors and communications all rely on superconducting circuits operating at very low temperatures.
“Scotland’s central belt is home to a unique concentration of expertise across the cutting-edge technologies which will enable the quantum devices of the future. We can handle everything from fundamental research to prototype development at the JWNC and ultimately to commercial fabrication.”
He added: “This new funding from EPSRC [Engineering and Physical Research Council] to help establish Super-CT will help drive breakthrough advances in niobium-based superconductors. It will unlock new capabilities in quantum systems, help build the strength of the UK’s cutting-edge supply chain, and further establish Scotland as a key driver for the technologies of the future.”
Super-CT will also help contribute to the goals of Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster, a partnership which brings together Scotland’s internationally recognised strengths in photonics, quantum, semiconductors, connectivity and sensing.
The Supercluster is supported by the University of Glasgow, Technology Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and the University of Strathclyde.
Together, they are working to deliver on an action plan to grow Scotland’s critical technologies sector from 11,000 jobs which generate annual revenues of £4bn today, to 18,000 jobs and £10bn in revenue by 2035.
Dr Jack Brennan, CEO of Quantcore, said: “The University of Glasgow is carrying out world-leading research, right at the cutting edge of quantum technology. Projects like Super-CT reinforce these research capabilities, and massively support the growing quantum technology ecosystem right across Scotland.”
Niobium circuits offer numerous advantages over those currently made from aluminium, which can be affected by external noise. Niobium circuits can operate more reliably at faster clock rates while using less power, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of quantum computing devices.
Quantum computers, which are capable of performing complex calculations much more quickly than conventional digital computers, are expected to become a cornerstone of the world economy worth trillions of dollars in the years to come.
The funding will enable the team to build a pioneering foundry for niobium-based superconducting circuits, exploring how they can be built and scaled up from single chips to larger-scale manufacturing on silicon wafers – a key step towards producing circuits on a commercial scale. The grant will support new equipment in the JWNC and the work of two postdoctoral research assistants rather than any new construction.