Oxford Ionics are world-leading innovators, creating the unique technologies which will bring Quantum Computing from the theoretical to the indispensable.

Our technology

Pioneering performance Unparalleled impact

Our approach

Electronic Qubit Control A fundamentally unique approach to quantum computing

Oxford Ionics was founded on the premise that, in order for customers to unlock market-catalysing quantum computing, we needed to combine scale with ultra-high performance. So we flipped the traditional way of building trapped-ion quantum computers on its head. Instead of relying on lasers to manipulate our qubits, we developed a novel technology called ‘Electronic Qubit Control’. This fundamental innovation allows us not only to trap our ions with a classical chip, but also to control them.

While most quantum architectures struggle to cope as the number of qubits increase, Electronic Qubit Control is scale-insensitive – allowing small and large quantum computers to be controlled with equal ease. Its capabilities extend to full connectivity and arbitrary parallel control of qubits in multi-cell devices, which provides the scalability and utility required to implement powerful quantum algorithms. What we’re left with is a simple system that traps and controls our qubits through electronics integrated directly onto a silicon chip produced via the might of the existing semiconductor industry.

Performance

Three world records and counting

Setting the standard for quantum computing performance

Leveraging Oxford Ionics’ scalable Electronic Qubit Control technology, we’ve developed the highest performing quantum platform in the world. We hold the world record in all three of quantum computing’s supermetrics: single-gate fidelity, two-qubit gate fidelity, and quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM). This record-breaking performance has been integrated into all of our products, which are used today by leading customers including the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre and Germany’s Cyberagentur.
99.99 %
Two-qubit gate fidelity
99.9992 %
Single-qubit gate fidelity
99.9993 %
State preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelity

Scale

Scalable by design

Using classical chips to make powerful quantum computers

Oxford Ionics has taken a different approach to building Quantum Processing Units (QPUs). Rather than trying to force quantum behaviour on a classical chip, we’ve separated the quantum from the classical. What we’re left with is a simple system that traps and controls our qubits through electronics integrated directly onto a silicon chip produced on a CMOS-compatible production line. Put more simply, our qubits sit on top of an incredibly boring chip.

This has enormous consequences: to produce our QPUs we do not require exotic materials, specialised foundries, or costly engineering. Any standard semiconductor chip manufacturer can cost-effectively produce our chips at scale. By building powerful quantum technology on a standard classical chip surrounded by simple, repeatable infrastructure, we’re inching ever closer to realising the full potential of market-catalysing quantum computing.

How we build the world’s most powerful quantum computers

Nature's perfect qubits

At the core of our quantum computers are our qubits, based on the building blocks of the universe: atoms. We start with a Barium atom and strip away an electron to create a charged atom, or an ion. Due to its charge, we can use electromagnetic fields to interact with the ions - trapping them in precise locations, shuttling them around in space, and manipulating their internal states to perform quantum operations. Trapped ions give us an unfair advantage: they are all identical by nature, and therefore make ideal, ultra-stable, and perfect qubits.

Trapping our ions

We trap and control our qubits in the Quantum Processor Unit, or QPU, which sits at the heart of all of our quantum computers. The QPU is an entirely classical silicon chip made of several layers, which include sophisticated, integrated electronics and photonic technology. On the top layer, precisely-engineered electrodes allow us to trap ions tens of micrometers above the surface, and to transport them across a two-dimensional grid. Our QPUs are made of simple, individual unit cells, capable of trapping and controlling a few ions at a time. To create large-scale QPUs, all we have to do is copy-paste multiple unit cells.

Electronic Qubit Control

We control our qubits through Electronic Qubit Control (EQC). At the core of this architecture is an integrated antenna built into the silicon chip. When an oscillating current is applied to the antenna, the qubits experience oscillating magnetic fields that drive the quantum gates, allowing us to implement all quantum operations using electronics instead of lasers.

Inherently scalable architecture

Electronic Qubit Control is our secret sauce. Until Oxford Ionics, trapped-ion quantum computing – while well understood in theory – was difficult to scale as it required bulky, complex, and noisy lasers to control the qubits. By controlling our qubits with electronics instead of lasers and utilising a copy-paste unit cell architecture, we remove this limitation and can scale up to millions of qubits on the surface of a chip.

Quantum operations on classical chips

Despite the complexities that come with quantum computation, the key to unlocking true scalability lies in engineering for simplicity. With our technology, everything required to trap and control our qubits can be integrated onto a standard classical chip produced in a conventional semiconductor fab. Our classical QPU chips can be packaged using regular microelectronic methods and mounted on standard printed circuit boards (PCBs). This means we can leverage the might of the existing semiconductor industry to build our quantum computers at scale. For our customers, this means we can learn and iterate fast, producing more powerful QPUs at speed and without capacity limitations.

Simple, stable surroundings

Our chips don’t need to be ultra-cold to operate, unlike other quantum computing modalities that require dilution refrigerators to achieve millikelvin (mK) temperatures. We instead use standard cryogenic systems at 4K. For our customers, this means less-stringent environmental requirements, straightforward deployment, and an upgrade path rooted in commercially available technology.

Reliable infrastructure

The power and complexity of our technology lives in the chip, not the system surrounding it. Outside the vacuum chamber are standard server racks that contain lasers used for qubit preparation and measurement, and electronics to provide QPU signals and control. So, when it comes to scaling our systems, we can increase the size of our chips with minimal change to the infrastructure supporting the QPU. This approach to system design delivers scalable, robust quantum computers that can work reliably in live customer environments.

Ready to deploy

Our quantum computers are delivered in an enclosure designed to fit in a double row server format – meaning it can easily integrate into our customers’ data centres without specialised or bespoke requirements. These systems easily deploy and work in a production space now, unlocking value from day one.

Future-proof

Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving technology, and organisations will require ongoing access to the latest high-performance systems in order to remain on the cutting-edge. That’s why our systems are field-upgradeable and future-proof – they can be upgraded onsite to unlock the latest capabilities, without changing the system footprint. With this approach, we empower our customers with a quantum technology that will evolve seamlessly with their business strategy – ushering in extraordinary solutions to complex challenges.

Further reading

About Quantum

Learn how quantum computing can revolutionise our approach to solving some of the world’s most complex challenges

Resources

Read through our latest technical demonstrations and blog posts to find out what powers our world-leading quantum computers