The Partnership Will Provide AFRL the Delivery of Quantum Chips, Unique Optical Switching Material, Software for Component Construction
PsiQuantum today announced a $10.8M contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Rome, N.Y., continuing a partnership that began in 2022. This phase will give AFRL a design space for comparative quantum circuits on PsiQuantum’s circuit tapeout, part of its ongoing Omega quantum chipset manufacturing with GlobalFoundries. As AFRL’s hardware design partner, PsiQuantum will supply its high-performance Barium Titanate (BTO) Electro-Optic phase shifters and integrate BTO into AFRL-designed optical circuits. PsiQuantum’s 300mm BTO material is believed to be the world’s highest-performing electro-switch material. The company will also provide essential quantum circuit components. Once designed, constructed, and screened for performance, the company will deliver these completed chips to AFRL, who will then validate their capabilities to address other Air Force use cases.
“The team at AFRL has long understood the value of cutting-edge silicon photonics, and we are grateful to continue our work with the lab to deliver our state-of-the-art quantum chip capabilities to the U.S. Air Force,” said Prof. Jeremy O’Brien, PsiQuantum Co-Founder and CEO. “This partnership will enable PsiQuantum to share our technology, which is manufactured in a world-class, high-volume semiconductor fab, with AFRL to validate and explore future applications that would benefit the U.S. Air Force. As the global race for utility-scale quantum computing continues, this kind of collaboration could not be more important, and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with technical leaders across the U.S. government who share our vision.”
"Ongoing advancements from our industry partners in fault-tolerant quantum computing, and the expertise in silicon photonics, are proving to be a significant asset to our mission. We are not only observing promising developments in quantum information science but are also playing a proactive role in enhancing the national security landscape through these emerging capabilities," stated Dr. Michael Hayduk, Deputy Director at AFRL Information Directorate.
This work would not have been possible without the leadership and support of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), both of whom have been tireless champions of the quantum computing community in Rome, NY and across the state. Senator Schumer and Representative Stefanik have repeatedly secured funding for the program across multiple fiscal years spending bills.
“The Air Force Research Lab in Rome and the powerhouse innovation and manufacturing ecosystem in the Mohawk Valley and across Upstate NY are critical to our national security and ensuring America leads the globe in the quantum computing and emerging technologies race. This $10.8 million contract is a win-win-win for PsiQuantum, GlobalFoundries, and good-paying jobs right here at the Rome Lab and across Upstate NY,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m proud that my decades-long support for Rome Lab will boost America’s competitive edge in quantum even further with this contract, adding to Rome Lab’s tech leadership. This new contract will help make the Rome Lab and Upstate NY America’s leader in quantum computing. I will continue fighting to ensure the technology of tomorrow is developed right here in the Mohawk Valley.”
“I am proud to have secured over $10 million in investments for AFRL-Rome to partner with PsiQuantum to deliver quantum technology components to the Air Force,” said Representative Stefanik. “This investment bolsters our national security, further solidifies Upstate New York’s role as a defense technology hub, and continues Rome Lab’s incredible work ensuring the United States is the first nation to reach quantum advantage.”
PsiQuantum is the global leader in photonic quantum computing, and in February announced Omega, a quantum photonic chipset purpose-built for utility-scale quantum computing. Featured in a newly published paper in Nature, the chipset contains all the advanced components required to build million-qubit-scale quantum computers and deliver on the profoundly world-changing promise of the technology. The Omega chipset is made in a high-volume semiconductor fab – GlobalFoundries’ Fab 8 in New York – the highest level of technical maturity and scale in a field that is often confined to research labs and small-scale prototypes. PsiQuantum will break ground this year on two datacenter-sized Quantum Compute Centers in Brisbane, Australia and Chicago, Illinois.
Background:
PsiQuantum Corp., Palo Alto, California, has been awarded a $10,835,118 firm-fixed-price contract for integrating an optical phase shifter in a photonics platform for quantum computing applications. This contract provides design space for comparative Air Force Research Laboratory-based quantum circuits on the circuit tape-out, software for basic component construction, and chip delivery. Work will be performed at Palo Alto, California; Malta, New York; and Albany, New York, and is expected to be completed by May 13, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, offers were solicited electronically via an open Broad Agency Announcement and two offers were received. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,835,118 are being obligated at time of award. This is not a multi-year contract. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York is the contracting activity (FA8750-25-C-B030).
About PsiQuantum:
PsiQuantum was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company’s mission is to build and deploy the world’s first useful, fault-tolerant quantum computing systems. PsiQuantum’s photonic approach enables it to leverage high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and existing cryogenic infrastructure to rapidly scale its systems. Learn more at www.psiquantum.com.
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Contacts
Alex Mack | Director, Marketing & Communications
media@psiquantum.com
