UC Berkeley has launched one of its first major partnerships in the fast-growing quantum computing industry, joining forces with Switzerland-based company YQuantum to advance cryogenic hardware essential to next-generation quantum computers.
YQuantum builds cutting-edge cryogenic components — hardware that can operate at very cold temperatures, sometimes approaching a few thousandths of a degree Kelvin above absolute zero — that are tailored for quantum computing. Quantum computing represents a fundamental shift from classical computing, potentially solving problems that today’s supercomputers cannot handle, such as simulating molecular structures for drug discovery in minutes instead of centuries. Quantum computers could provide breakthroughs in medicine, materials science, logistics optimization, and financial risk analysis.