Singapore is deepening its push in the global quantum race by partnering with Qolab, a start-up co-founded by 2025 Physics Nobel Laureate Professor John M. Martinis, to tackle a key engineering bottleneck.
Researchers at the National Quantum Federated Foundry (NQFF) have signed a collaboration agreement with Qolab to develop cryogenic low-pass filters for quantum processor chips. The research focuses on addressing a critical constraint in building larger, more powerful quantum computers.
“Building useful quantum computers requires scaling from dozens to millions of qubits, and that means we need not just more qubits but also reliable, manufacturable supporting hardware,” says Professor Martinis, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Qolab. “Singapore's strong capabilities in advanced semiconductor manufacturing make it an ideal partner for Qolab as we develop critical components that will support the next generation of quantum computing.”
Superconducting qubits (which are one of the most mature technologies used by industry leaders to power quantum processors) operate at temperatures close to absolute zero and are extremely sensitive to environmental noise. Cryogenic low-pass filters act as shields, blocking unwanted high-frequency signals, but conventional solutions are large, subject to errors and difficult to manufacture at scale.
The collaboration will combine NQFF’s quantum device nanofabrication capabilities with Qolab’s quantum computing systems expertise to develop filters that can be manufactured on semiconductor wafers, similar to how computer chips are made. The approach enables denser integration of filters directly with qubit circuits, allowing more qubits to fit into smaller, more reliable packages. The filters are expected to be deployed in quantum systems at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“This collaboration demonstrates how Singapore can contribute critical quantum hardware components to the global ecosystem. It brings together our strengths in semiconductor engineering, advanced manufacturing and quantum research to address real-world hardware challenges. With partners such as UCLA already committed to deploying these filters, it signals growing confidence in Singapore’s capabilities and strengthens our role in the global quantum supply chain,” says Ling Keok Tong, executive director of the National Quantum Office.
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Nokia and KDDI test quantum-safe data centre links
The advances in hardware come as telecom operators prepare digital infrastructure for the cybersecurity implications of more powerful quantum machines.
Nokia and KDDI Corporation announced earlier today that they had demonstrated quantum-safe optical transport capabilities at KDDI’s new Sakai Data Center, a next-generation facility designed to support advanced AI workloads.
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Leveraging Nokia's 1830 Photonic Service Switch with C+L Band and 1830 Security Management Server, KDDI validated secure, scalable and AI-ready infrastructure at the Sakai Data Center, with at-speed quantum-safe encryption designed to work across its distributed data centres.
“This groundbreaking initiative sets a new benchmark for advanced AI-ready data centre connectivity. As KDDI continues its quantum-safe, AI-ready data centre infrastructure build out, our partnership will deliver secure and scalable digital services in Japan and beyond. Nokia’s optical transport solutions meet the demands of modern AI workloads by delivering trusted performance, while at the same time reducing cybersecurity risks, protecting critical AI data in flight for enterprises, governments, and critical infrastructure providers,” says Ron Johnson, Nokia’s senior vice president and general manager for Optical Networks.
Tetsuo Mukai, KDDI’s general manager of the Access Network Technical Division, adds: “High levels of security and performance are essential for the communications infrastructure that underpins AI. Nokia’s optical transport solutions are a perfect fit for these requirements and were instrumental to the success of this demonstration. As AI data centres are deployed in a distributed manner across Japan, we will continue to work closely with Nokia to advance the development of cutting-edge quantum-safe and resilient networks that seamlessly connect these facilities.”
