Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) has officially released its innovative Quantum Twins product. This silicon quantum simulator is uniquely positioned to tackle today’s complex material challenges. Now customers have the ability to procure this market-leading technology directly through the contracts. This achievement is a huge step forward to what can be achieved with quantum simulation. Founded by famous physicist Michelle Simmons, SQC’s goal is to solve high-impact problems in the field of material science and more.
The Quantum Twins product is a significant step forward in the use of quantum computing in practice. Just a few months ago, Simmons’ team showed off this technology’s quite spectacular capabilities. In the process, they perfectly simulated the celebrated metal-insulator transition of a two-dimensional material. This transition is critical for understanding how materials will perform in real-world conditions that often vary from laboratory testing. Yet, classical computers can’t reliably simulate it.
The Technology Behind Quantum Twins
The Quantum Twins device, which combines a camera and projector, uses fifteen thousand quantum dots. These dots allow the gradual transition between insulator and metal to be simulated. This technology is similar to SQC’s earlier research, which successfully simulated a molecule of polyacetylene back in 2022. Sam Gorman, a core team member and winning innovator, described their unique approach. Unlike traditional quantum computers, which use qubits to represent the problem, he explained, “we directly encode the problem into the geometry and structure of the array itself.”
Simmons reiterated the level of precision that goes into making these devices. “It’s very much an ideal system because it’s done in ultra-high vacuum. So it’s a very pure, very clean system,” she continued. Since their Series A funding in 2017, the company has laid the foundations of its Precision Atom Qubit Manufacturing process. Through this novel technique, it becomes possible to position single phosphorus atoms which allows building application-specific chips with clusters of ten to fifty atoms.
Gorman further elaborated on the efficiency of their technology: “The thing that’s quite unique is we can do that very quickly.” The team can place 250,000 registers on a chip in just eight hours, making rapid design iterations possible within a week.
Applications and Future Prospects
The first use cases for Quantum Twins will likely be focused on the scientific side of the equation. The catch, Gorman explained, is that the team would be able to create a quantum twin for nearly any two-dimensional problem. As the technology continues to mature, Simmons grows hopeful for its promise in more commercial and industrial settings, especially in the field of drug discovery.
Simmons said, “If you go and look at other drugs, they’re pretty much all like polyacetylene. Well, they’re carbon chains, first and foremost—carbon chains with functional groups. So, knowing how to be able to map it [onto our simulator] is definitely a one-of-a-kind challenge. That’s for sure an area we need to double down on.”
Simmons’ deep academic credentials have been instrumental to SQC’s rapid innovations in technology. A champion of equity she’s led research efforts for more than 25 years. In doing so, she’s made the company a driving force behind not only traditional quantum computing but cutting edge quantum simulations.
Significance of Metal-Insulator Transition
The MIT has long served as a theoretical paradigm in condensed matter physics. Classical computers are usually very poor at simulating it. SQC’s unique ability to model this transition not just qualitatively but quantitatively rastering them at the forefront of research into advanced materials. We’ve documented that the device is working how we hoped it would. Now, we’re moving on to high-impact issues and working through other remaining issues with the device.
Doing so successfully has tremendous implications. Or it might hold the key to breakthroughs in sectors as diverse as consumer electronics and materials engineering.
SQC has just released their research in the prestigious journal Nature. This move is a powerful reaffirmation of their continued commitment to transparency and collaboration with the broader scientific community. They are always improving their technology and looking for other uses. This groundbreaking work has the potential to influence a number of disciplines, thanks to the promise that Quantum Twins hold.