Quantum computers are potentially many times more powerful than conventional computers and could solve complex problems in the future in medical research, energy supply, logistics and artificial intelligence. The Leipzig-based start-up SaxonQ, founded in 2021, has since succeeded in constructing an industrial-strength quantum computer that is a handy, flexible box, unlike the room-sized systems that have been common up to now. A proven process from semiconductor technology was crucial to this. It is used to generate the qubits, the computing units of the quantum computer, on a diamond chip just a few millimeters in size. In contrast to previous quantum computers, these processors do not require cooling or complex infrastructure and are resistant to interference. The system is already being used by major customers and is aimed at completely new applications for quantum computers, for example in satellites, autonomous driving or, in a few years, even in smartphones.

The SaxonQ quantum computer cleared a major hurdle on the road to practical application this summer, when the young company's 4-qubit demonstrator successfully passed all the tests of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative – tests that are known for their high standards. According to SaxonQ, no manufacturer had ever succeeded in doing so before. During the acceptance process, the system was comprehensively tested under real-world conditions. It was crucial that not only the hardware functioned perfectly, but also that the entire platform remained efficient at room temperature. This means that the partners of the German Aerospace Center can now develop new applications with real quantum hardware and advance the practical use of quantum computers.

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