Infineon Technologies AG and eleQtron GmbH, a pioneer in quantum computing from Siegen, North Rhine Westfalia, Germany, have announced a partnership to jointly develop trapped ion Quantum Processor Units (QPUs) for scalable quantum computers. This second Infineon partnership with a key player in the ion-trap field is the first commercial activity in the German quantum computing ecosystem. It underscores Infineon’s prominent position in offering industry-leading ion trap QPUs that are manufactured predictably, repeatably, and reliably.
“As a leading company in developing quantum computing hardware, Infineon’s goal is to provide the core components and, together with our partners, enable the first meaningful quantum computing systems based on trapped-ion technology. We contribute unique technology and world-class fabrication capabilities towards achieving quantum usefulness,” said Richard Kuncic, Senior Vice President and General Manager Power Systems at Infineon Technologies. “Being chosen by eleQtron as a QPU supplier will enable us to accelerate our quantum computing hardware roadmap and expand our business in this emerging segment.”
“Our partnership with Infineon represents a significant milestone in our strong mission to develop and competitively offer largely scalable quantum computing systems with high computing power, available for the huge business applications market,” said Jan Leisse, CEO eleQtron. “We are confident that our pioneering technology based on ion traps and radio frequency waves, combined with Infineon’s capacity and expertise in innovative QPU production, will provide the foundation for building quantum computing systems ready for first applications until mid-2027.”
eleQtron aims to offer internationally competitive QPUs with high computing power using the promising MAGIC technology. The “MAgnetic Gradient-Induced Coupling” or MAGIC concept allows the control of qubits using radio frequency technology instead of lasers achieving record-low crosstalk between adjacent qubits. This unique approach simplifies the required scaling of TIQC hardware towards higher Qubit numbers and complements other scaling strategies. The partners will also investigate a novel, microstructured 3-dimensional ion memory, paving the way for a modular and versatile QPU architecture.
During the development phase, Infineon will provide eleQtron with three progressively improved generations of ion traps as well as the necessary expertise to adapt them to the MAGIC concept. By employing a co-design strategy, Infineon will enable eleQtron to build ion trap-based quantum computers with successively increasing functionality. These potent quantum computers will later also be made available to industrial and scientific users via cloud access.
