Insider Brief
- Bluefors has opened a new lab facility in Chicago, expanding its Lab-as-a-Service model to the United States.
- The facility features a Bluefors LD400 dilution refrigerator, cryogenic electronics, a 3D vector magnet, and Quantum Machines’ OPX 1000 hybrid control electronics.
- Lab users can access QuantrolOx’s QuantumEDGE software, which enables automated QPU characterization and tune-up, achieving a 2-qubit CZ gate in under 25 minutes.
Bluefors, the world-leading manufacturer of cryogenic measurement systems for quantum technology, today announced the opening of a new lab facility in Chicago. The facility will provide the Bluefors Lab service, bringing the service into the United States for the first time. Bluefors Lab offers startups, research groups, and other organizations easy and convenient access to a cryogenic measurement system through a service-based model.
Quantum technology development often requires access to cryogenic measurement systems capable of providing sustained millikelvin temperatures (close to absolute zero). The service enables customers working with quantum technology to test hardware and software solutions without the need to invest in a complete system of their own. With this service, Bluefors is responsible for operating the cryogenic measurement system, while customers receive consultation and support from Bluefors experts for their experiments.
Announced in March 2023, the first Bluefors Lab opened in Delft, Netherlands, and later expanded to include a second cryogenic measurement system. Customers have utilized the Delft Lab for R&D and quantum computing development, praising the flexibility it provides for running experiments in a well-maintained lab environment.
The equipment at the Chicago facility includes a Bluefors LD400 dilution refrigerator with optical access to the experimental space. The system is equipped with wiring and cryogenic electronics, as well as a cryogen-free superconducting 3D vector magnet. The service also includes access to Quantum Machines’ OPX 1000 hybrid control electronics, with modules for five-qubit measurements. Additional measurement electronics and infrastructure can be integrated by lab users as needed.
Lab users will also have the opportunity to utilize QuantumEDGE software from QuantrolOx as an add-on service. QuantrolOx has conducted research and development at Bluefors Lab in Delft for several years, refining its QuantumEDGE software. The company recently announced that it had achieved fully automated quantum processing unit (QPU) characterization and tune-up, creating a 2-qubit CZ gate in under 25 minutes.
Anssi Salmela, Chief Technical Operations Officer at Bluefors, stated:
“The opening of our Chicago lab marks a significant milestone for Bluefors, expanding our innovative Lab-as-a-Service concept into a global network that brings together promising innovators in cryogenics and quantum technology. This new hub will help foster groundbreaking advancements in the U.S. and around the world. By broadening our lab offering, we not only enhance our global service portfolio but also accelerate learning and continuous developments in the quantum space.”
