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PsiQuantum—Utility-scale photonic quantum computerPsiQuantum—
Utility-scale photonic quantum computer
Courtesy of PsiQuantum · Press kit, editorial use (opens psiquantum.com)

Utility-scale photonic quantum computer

by PsiQuantumUS

ProtoStage 2 of 5

Omega parts validated. Chicago and Brisbane sites under way, with Chicago expected online first.

Updated 2026Checked 25 Sep0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Brisbane site moved to Moreton Bay, early works begun
  1. Fusion-based architecture publishedJan 2021Complete.
  2. GlobalFoundries manufacturing partnership announcedMay 2021Complete.
  3. Brisbane agreement with Australian governments30 Apr 2024Complete.
  4. Chicago quantum park anchor announced25 Jul 2024Complete.
  5. Omega chipset unveiled26 Feb 2025Complete.
  6. Brisbane site moved to Moreton Bay, early works begunTarget 2026Current milestone.
  7. Commercially useful machine in BrisbaneTarget Dec 2027Not yet reached.

Most important updates

  • 2026
  • 10 Sep 2025
  • 26 Feb 2025
  • 25 Jul 2024
  • 30 Apr 2024

Upcoming

  1. 2026Brisbane site moved to Moreton Bay, early works begun (next)
  2. Dec 2027Commercially useful machine in Brisbane

Current obstacles

  • Loss budget end to endSources, switches, channels, fibre and detectors must together lose very little light for error correction to work.
  • Site deliveryThe Brisbane site moved and slipped, showing how hard first-of-a-kind quantum buildings are.

Physics limits

  • Photons don't interactTwo photons pass through each other, so gates are done by measurement and succeed only by chance: a basic fusion works 50% of the time, about 75% with extra photons. Many attempts must run in parallel.
  • Every lost photon is an errorA photon absorbed or scattered is gone for good. The error-correcting scheme tolerates only a few percent loss per photon in total, yet every waveguide, switch and fibre joint takes a slice.
  • Detectors need a few kelvinSuperconducting nanowire detectors work only at a few kelvin, so photonic cabinets must still be cryogenically cooled, and millions of detectors need cooling power and readout wiring.

How it works

4 parts
A PsiQuantum photonic chip on its test board, with a ribbon of optical fibres coupled to its edge to carry photons on and off the chip
A PsiQuantum photonic chip on its test board, with a ribbon of optical fibres coupled to its edge to carry photons on and off the chipCourtesy of PsiQuantum · Press kit, editorial use (opens psiquantum.com)
Sources

Heralded single photons

Photon pairs are made in silicon channels. Detecting one photon confirms its partner exists, and that partner becomes a qubit.

Resource states

Small entangled clusters

Photons are combined into small linked groups. This works by chance, so many attempts run in parallel.

Fusions

Measurements build the computation

Fusion measurements stitch the groups into a large error-correcting structure. Which fusions run defines the program.

Network

Fibre between cabinets

Photons travel between chips and cabinets by fibre, so the machine can fill a building.

Spec sheet

SpecUtility-scale photonic quantum computer
Single-qubit SPAM fidelity99.98%R (reported)
Two-qubit fusion fidelity99.22%R (reported)
Photon indistinguishability (HOM)99.50%R (reported)
Chip-to-chip interconnect fidelity99.72%R (reported)
Wafer size300 mm (GlobalFoundries)R (reported)
Target physical qubits~1,000,000R (reported)

R reported by the company

Papers & demos

3 items
  1. Feb 2025paper
    A manufacturable platform for photonic quantum computing (opens nature.com)Nature paper benchmarking Omega components built in a commercial fab.
  2. Nov 2022paper
    Active volume: an architecture for efficient fault-tolerant quantum computers with limited non-local connections (opens arxiv.org)Showed how long-range photon links can cut the cost of error-corrected programs.
  3. Jan 2021paper
    Fusion-based quantum computation (opens arxiv.org)Defined PsiQuantum's design: build the computer from small photon groups joined by measurements.

Update log

5 updates

2026

  • Minor: PressManufacturing

Wed 10 Sep 2025

  • Major: PressFunding

Wed 26 Feb 2025

  • Major: PaperHardware

Thu 25 Jul 2024

  • Major: PressPartnership

Tue 30 Apr 2024

  • Major: PressFunding

About PsiQuantum

The team behind Utility-scale photonic quantum computer

PsiQuantum

Photonic quantum computers, Omega chips

PsiQuantum wants to build a million-qubit, error-corrected quantum computer from photons, on chips made at GlobalFoundries. It is building sites in Brisbane and Chicago, backed by government money.

  • Raised a $1B Series E at a $7B valuation in September 2025, led by BlackRock, Temasek and Baillie Gifford.
  • Omega chips (Feb 2025, Nature): 99.98% single-qubit and 99.22% two-qubit fusion fidelity.
  • Brisbane project, backed by about A$940M from Australian governments, is behind schedule and moved site.

psiquantum.com (opens psiquantum.com)Company profile →

Founded
201610 yrs
Headquarters
United States
Status
Private
Valuation
$7BprivateSep 2025
Raised
$1.4B2 rounds
Last round
Series E · $1BSep 2025$7B post
Works in
QuantumPhotonic
Coverage
1 program · 7 updateslatest 2d agochecked 25 Sep
Lead investors
BlackRockTemasekBaillie GiffordAustralian GovernmentQueensland Government
Customers
DARPA (opens darpa.mil)
Partners
State of Illinois (opens psiquantum.com)
Investors
NVIDIA
Suppliers
GlobalFoundries (opens gf.com)Linde Engineering (opens psiquantum.com)
People
Jeremy O'Brien (opens en.wikipedia.org)Co-founder and CEOPete ShadboltCo-founder and Chief Scientific OfficerTerry Rudolph (opens en.wikipedia.org)Co-founder and Chief Architect
Primer