PsiQuantum Opens Test & Validation Lab at Griffith University
Lab features high-powered cryogenic systems that will cool, test, and measure photonic quantum chips; accelerating progress towards utility-scale quantum computing in Australia
BRISBANE, Queensland – PsiQuantum today announced the official opening of its Test & Validation Lab at Griffith University’s Nathan Campus in Brisbane South, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion in Queensland and its mission to build the world’s first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
The new facility will serve as a critical hub for the testing, calibration, and integration of PsiQuantum’s high-performance photonic quantum chips and subsystems which the company will assembled at scale to build a utility-scale quantum computer. These subsystems combine PsiQuantum’s Omega silicon photonic chipset, conventional electronics, and supporting hardware such as circuit boards, cooling components, optical fibre and electrical cables.
It will be powered by Australian world-leading researchers in quantum optics, including PsiQuantum Chief Technical Director and former at Griffith University Professor, Dr. Geoff Pryde as well as PsiQuantum Principal Scientist and Griffith alumnus Dr. Dylan Saunders.
A key feature of the lab is “Poseidon,” one of the most powerful custom high-cooling-power cryogenic systems in Australia. Poseidon is a modular platform allowing PsiQuantum’s Brisbane team to cool, test and measure several photonic quantum chips at once.
“As PsiQuantum’s operations grow in Australia, having a dedicated, state-of-the-art facility for testing and validation is essential,” said Professor Geoff Pryde, Chief Technical Director of PsiQuantum Australia. “This lab connects our team in Brisbane directly with our teams around the globe to advance our cryogenic testing capability and will play a critical role in ensuring our systems perform at the level required for utility-scale quantum computing.”
The facility will operate in close coordination with PsiQuantum’s global engineering teams, with its role expected to expand as the company progresses toward full-scale system deployment in Brisbane.
“As a Queenslander and a Griffith University graduate, I am extremely proud to be part of bringing this facility to life right here in Brisbane,” said Dr. Dylan Saunders, Principal Scientist at PsiQuantum. "Nearly 20 years ago, as a kid from rural Queensland, I started building pool-table-sized optical quantum gates in the very same building as this lab.
“The fact that our technology, which once filled a room but now fits on a chip, is coming back to where it all started, still feels somewhat surreal. This lab will combine world-class experts here in Australia with our world-leading photonic quantum hardware.”
“The opportunities that PsiQuantum’s Test & Validation Lab at Griffith’s Brisbane South campus will offer both students and researchers are incredibly exciting,” said Griffith University Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Andrea Bishop.
“This partnership underpins a vital need for building not only opportunities and infrastructure to support leading researchers in quantum technology, it also creates unique pathways for our students who are future-focused on careers in STEM.”
The opening of the lab builds on PsiQuantum’s broader partnerships across Queensland’s universities and research institutions and reflects the region’s long-standing leadership in quantum science and engineering. Earlier in May, PsiQuantum announced it will build its utility-scale quantum computer at Moreton Bay Central in Queensland. The precinct allows for PsiQuantum to tap into existing infrastructure, a growing quantum ecosystem, and the next generation of talent across advanced technologies and manufacturing.
About PsiQuantum:
PsiQuantum was founded by four world leaders in quantum computing in 2016 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company’s mission is to build and deploy the world’s first useful quantum computers. PsiQuantum’s photonic approach enables it to leverage high-volume semiconductor manufacturing, existing cryogenic infrastructure, and architectural flexibility to rapidly scale its systems. Learn more at www.psiquantum.com.