A new quantum computing startup called Quantum Brilliance emerged from stealth mode today with what may prove to be a rather brilliant innovation: the world’s first quantum accelerator that can run at room temperature.

The company has created a diamond-based quantum accelerator that it says does not have to be held in a near absolute zero state or use complex laser systems to preserve its integrity. That’s quite unlike the existing quantum computing hardware pioneered by tech giants such as Google LLC and IBM Corp. or startups such as Rigetti Computing Inc. or IonQ Inc.

With traditional computing, information is transferred in the form of “bits,” a basic unit of measurement that can have a value of either zero or one. Quantum computers instead rely on “qubits,” which can have a value of one, zero or both at the same time. It’s this characteristic that makes them inherently more powerful than traditional computers, because it enables them to store more information. In turn, that means they can do many calculations much faster.

The problem with qubits, though, is that they’re incredibly unstable and must be stored within extreme environments in order to work properly. Google, IBM and Rigetti have all built quantum computers that operate at extremely low temperatures to overcome this, while IonQ uses trapped ions, which are charged particles suspended in a vacuum, as the basis for its hardware. Those solutions have all been shown to work, but they’re not exactly practical.

Quantum Brilliance says its diamond-based quantum accelerators are superior because there’s no need for them to be stored in such an extreme environment. Developed in collaboration with the Australian National University in Canberra, the technology relies on the properties of the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond, which helps protect against noise from thermal vibrations and magnetic impurities that can destabilize qubits. As a result, Quantum Brilliance claims on its website, its diamond-based quantum accelerators have the longest coherence time of any solid-state electron spin at room temperature.

The company said today that it will soon install its first diamond quantum accelerator at the Pawsey Supercomputing Center in Australia as a showcase of its hardware. The installation means Pawsey will become one of the first supercomputing centers in the world to host its own quantum computer onsite. Currently, most quantum computing services, offered by companies such as IBM, can be accessed only via the cloud.

Pawsey said it will establish a Quantum Pioneer Program to develop cutting-edge quantum applications in machine learning, logistics, defence, aerospace, quantum finance and quantum research.

Quantum Brilliance said its ultimate goal is to create a fully functional quantum computer that works at room temperatures and can be installed anywhere, including in data centers, hospitals, mines, space and eventually even inside a laptop. The company wants to make quantum computing an “everyday technology.”

“Because of our unique diamond-based technology, customers can run our quantum computers themselves, and we provide them a full set of tools to explore how quantum can help create new capabilities,” said Quantum Brilliance Chief Executive Andrew Horsley. “We are one of a very small handful of companies with the capability to deliver quantum computing hardware directly to customers.”

Analyst Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. told SiliconANGLE that quantum computing is evolving fast and that Quantum Brilliance’s hardware is the first related offering that attempts to make the technology smaller and more accessible.

“It’s interesting to see the announcement is from an Australian company, a place not really known for computing innovation,” Mueller said. “It’s a sign of the broad interest and relevance of quantum computing all over the world.”

Quantum Brilliance and Pawsey said its technicians are finalizing the configuration of its first quantum accelerator and that it will be ready to install onsite in June.

Photo: Quantum Brilliance