Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Oxford Instruments’ Plasma Technology and NanoScience businesses collaborate with the consortium, that wins a landmark grant to boost quantum technologies in the UK

Home > Press > Oxford Instruments’ Plasma Technology and NanoScience businesses collaborate with the consortium, that wins a landmark grant to boost quantum technologies in the UK

Abstract:
Innovate UK awards the largest ever Government grant aimed at the commercialisation of superconducting quantum technologies to a strong consortium of four companies and two universities, and positions the UK as a global leader in the field.

Oxford Instruments’ Plasma Technology and NanoScience businesses collaborate with the consortium, that wins a landmark grant to boost quantum technologies in the UK

Abingdon, UK | Posted on April 28th, 2020

Led by Oxford Quantum Circuits and collaborated by Oxford Instruments, SeeQC UK, Kelvin Nanotechnology, University of Glasgow and the Royal Holloway University of London, the consortium will industrialise the design, manufacture and test of superconducting quantum devices. This is the first time a concerted effort will bring all relevant partners across industry and academia towards establishing such capability in the UK. Multiple commercial streams are expected through cryogenic measurements as a service, superconducting device foundry as a service, quantum computing as a service and the sale of quantum devices. The consortium will develop foundry and measurement services, which will underpin major commercial developments across the economy.

Superconducting hardware is critical for the development of quantum technologies, delivering transformative products for sensing, security and information processing.

However, fabricating these superconducting circuits, accessing specialist cryogenic equipment and developing state-of-the-art test electronics remain highly technical and expensive undertakings. The significant up-front investment required represents a large barrier to entry to most companies in the UK, preventing the country from leading the way on quantum technologies, a market expected to reach nearly Ł15 Billion by 2024 globally, with Ł233 Million for superconducting devices alone.

Today, a world-class consortium of experts in nanoscale technology is announcing a Ł7 Million landmark project to bring the capability to produce superconducting circuits at commercial scale in the UK. This Innovate UK grant signals the UK’s ambition to lead the international race to commercialise quantum technologies to the benefit of the economy and society.

Dr Ilana Wisby, CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits said, “With this grant, Innovate UK is sending a strong message: the country has missed opportunities to drive commercial impact from its enviable scientific base in the past, but it won’t miss the quantum revolution. Our project is critical to positioning the UK at the forefront of the quantum industry, bringing in jobs and investment, and delivering a domestic supply of a technology of national strategic importance. Our consortium is uniquely positioned to deliver this project successfully”.

The partners in the consortium have established a strong foundation of IP and know-how with previous Government support through the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme. This project will harness those capabilities for the benefit of the commercial sector.

Professor Phil Meeson, Director of SuperFab, said, “SuperFab, the superconducting electronic nanofabrication facility at Royal Holloway, is a key underpinning capability for the project. RHUL is very proud to be a member of the consortium that will lead the development of superconducting quantum devices in the UK.”

Professor Martin Weides, Head of the Quantum Circuit Group at the University of Glasgow stated, “This grant is vital to addressing today’s new pressing challenges to increase the technological readiness level of superconducting quantum circuits. Our long-standing collaboration with Oxford Instrument will be continued and strengthened by including novel nanofabrication techniques and providing cryogenic measurement services to the global quantum community. Glasgow’s subsidiary and commercialisation partner Kelvin Nanotechnology will provide Nanofabrication Foundry Services to the partners and commercial markets.”

Dr Ravi Sundaram, Head of Strategic R&D Oxford Instruments, commented “Oxford Instruments is delighted to be part of such a strong consortium and to play a key role in the development of robust Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) nano-fabrication processes for superconducting materials as well as establishing quantum measurement services using state of the art cryogenic and measurement solutions with our colleagues in Glasgow. We see commercial markets developing across the quantum technologies sector, where this consortium can leverage the exceptional research legacy in superconductivity in the UK to develop a significant supply chain for long term economic impact.”

The project, supported by an international advisory board including commercial customers, will be launched in August 2020, with the first key deliverables expected in 2021.

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Issued for and on behalf of Oxford Instruments Inc.

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About Oxford Instruments NanoScience
Oxford Instruments NanoScience designs, supplies and supports market-leading research tools that enable quantum technologies, new materials and device development in the physical sciences. Our tools support research down to the atomic scale through creation of high performance, cryogen free low temperature and magnetic environments, based upon our core technologies in low and ultra-low temperatures, high magnetic fields and system integration, with ever-increasing levels of experimental and measurement readiness.

About Oxford Instruments plc

Founded in 1959, Oxford Instruments has grown and flourished; exploiting technologies developed in the first quantum revolution. In our next 60 years; the second quantum revolution, exploiting ‘entanglement’ and ‘superposition’ will open new possibilities in timing, sensing, imaging, computing and cryptography. Oxford Instruments is playing a key role driving quantum technologies by developing state of the art cryogenic environments, measurement solutions and robust fabrications processes to enable the next wave of performance enhancements for applications in quantum computing, sensing and communications.

https://www.oxinst.com/applications/segments/quantum-technology

About Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology

Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology offers flexible, configurable process tools and leading-edge processes for the precise, controllable and repeatable engineering of micro- and nano-structures. Our systems provide process solutions for the etching of nanometre sized features, nanolayer deposition and the controlled growth of nanostructures.

These solutions are based on core technologies in plasma-enhanced deposition and etch, ion-beam deposition and etch, atomic layer deposition, deep silicon etch and physical vapour deposition. Products range from compact stand-alone systems for R&D, throu

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Contacts:
Oxford Instruments Plc.Tubney Woods, AbingdonOX13 5QX, UKT: +44 (0) 1863 393200E:

Claire CritchellMarketing Communications ManagerOxford Instruments Plasma TechnologyE: |T: +44 (0)1934 837053Soma DeshprabhuMarketing Communications ManagerOxford Instruments NanoScienceE: |T: +44 (0)1865 393813

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