Helsinki, Oct 11 (Agency) The Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) on Tuesday launched the country’s second quantum computer, a 20-qubit superconductive device. The new computer was jointly developed by VTT and startup IQM Quantum Computers. It is housed at VTT premises in Micronova, a national research infrastructure for micro- and nanotechnology in Espoo in the south of Finland. The country’s first 5-qubit quantum computer was inaugurated on the same premises in 2021. “We have improved integration methods and signaling,” VTT’s Research Manager Pekka Pursula said in a press release. “We have also developed manufacturing and packaging methods that allow a greater number of qubits to be placed on a single silicon chip and to conduct their electrical signals at temperatures close to absolute zero.”
“Our first goal was to complete a 5-qubit quantum computer, and now we have reached our second goal of a 20-qubit quantum computer. Furthermore, development of a 50-qubit one is already underway,” Antti Vasara, VTT’s president and chief executive officer (CEO), said. Finland announced its efforts in quantum computing development in November 2020 with a total budget of 20.7 million euros (21.9 million U.S. dollars) from the government to develop a 50-qubit quantum computer in 2024. In the coming years, Finland’s government will further invest 70 million euros in upgrading the quantum computer towards 300 qubits and quantum advantage, according to VTT.