Global footprint

27 offices in 17 countries, employing over 2000 people.

NanoScience & Sustainability

"Questions that are organic in nature can’t be solved using the laws of classical mechanics or classical information theory. To answer questions in nature, calculations need to be done differently, right down to the way the question is asked. Even if computers were the size of a planet, certain problems couldn’t be solved using a traditional computer. For example, solving protein structures and protein folding - the process by which a protein becomes biologically functional - is only possible using the laws of quantum mechanics."

Explore the world of quantum superconducting circuits with Dr. Rodrigo Cortiñas, Postdoctoral Associate at Quantronics Laboratory (Qlab), Yale University

In a recent webinar with Physics Today sponsored by Oxford Instrument NanoScience, Cortiñas discussed the building of classical versus quantum circuits, the Hamiltonian engineering of qubits and how the Kerr-Cat qubit got to “live”.

To begin, can you explain to us the difference between making a classical circuit versus a quantum circuit?

I would say that deep down, all circuits - together with the rest of nature - are quantum. It so happens that in most situations found in real life the quantum effects are completely washed away, and what is left is what we know as classical physics.

We embarked on a three-year partnership to demonstrate the reliability of mature cryogenic technology, with a Rigetti system hosted at the Tubney site. The Innovate UK-funded project, launched in 2020, to develop the infrastructure to support commercial adoption of quantum computing, has seen great success.

The project brought one of the first commercially available quantum computers to the UK, capable of running continuously for months at a time. The reliability of our Proteox systems, strong infrastructure, and high level of service and expertise enabled Rigetti to provide its UK partners with uninterrupted cloud access, running algorithms seamlessly.

We’re joined by Connor Shelly and Brian Vlastakis, Senior Quantum Engineers at Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC).

For those that don’t already know OQC let’s start from the beginning: who’s Oxford Quantum Circuits, and what’s your take on quantum?

Sure. At Oxford Quantum Circuits, we build quantum computers. We focus on Quantum Computing as a Service - QCaaS - to help our customers trailblaze new commercial and scientific approaches.

Oxford Instruments NanoScience is reaching the end of its involvement with an Innovate UK funded project aimed at commercialising quantum technologies. The consortium, led by Oxford Quantum Circuits and including University of Glasgow, Kelvin NanoTechnology, SEEQC and Royal Holloway in addition to Oxford Instruments, was awarded £7 M in 2020 to produce superconducting circuits at commercial scale in the UK, the largest award of its kind. Phase one of the project, to specify and establish cryogenic quantum device measurements as a service, is now complete. The University of Glasgow and Kelvin NanoTechnology will continue using and developing the service, providing greater access to cryogenic equipment for researchers and startups in the UK and globally.

“We’re excited to be using Proteox, the latest in cryogen-free refrigeration technology, and to have the system up and running in our lab,” comments Professor Martin Weides, Head of the Quantum Circuits Group. “Oxford Instruments is a long-term strategic partner. Proteox is designed with quantum scale-up in mind, and through the use of its Secondary Insert technology, we’re able to easily characterise and develop integrated chips and components for quantum computing applications.”

Oxford Instruments NanoScience partners with leading European institutions, including renowned research groups from Germany, France, Spain, Finland, and Portugal. The group is led by the Walther-Meißner-Institute (WMI) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Garching, Germany on a European project for developing new quantum applications. The collaborative consortium was awarded a three million Euro grant from the EU Quantum Flagship Programme, for its proposal on ‘Quantum Microwaves for Communication and Sensing (QMiCS)’.

QMiCS aims at creating a technological basis for improving communication and sensing methods by employing dedicated micro- and nano-structured circuits. The circuits, cooled down close to absolute zero temperature, generate microwave radiation exhibiting a particular quantum mechanical property called ‘entanglement’.