The well-known German company Linde Engineering will provide a cryogenic cooling system for the world’s first large-scale quantum computer, which will be located in Brisbane, Australia.
This new cooling plant will be one of the largest ever built for a quantum computer. It will help keep the Omega photonic chips inside the computer cold enough to work properly. These chips will be placed in cryogenic cabinets and connected by optical fibre.
Quantum computers use special bits called qubits. Unlike regular computer bits, which are either 0 or 1, qubits can be in multiple states at the same time. This allows quantum computers to solve problems much faster than normal ones.
However, qubits are very sensitive. Things like heat or electromagnetic radiation can easily affect them. That’s why they need to be kept extremely cold to stay stable and work correctly.
PsiQuantum’s chips use photons (light particles), which do not react to heat the same way as other materials. This means their system can run at higher temperatures than other quantum computers—up to 100 times warmer—which helps them scale up faster.
The cooling plant from Linde will be a closed circuit helium refrigeration system, built to cool down to 4 Kelvin (that’s -269°C or -452°F).
Key features include:
Gas-carrying expansion turbines to achieve ultra-low temperatures
Optional liquid nitrogen pre-cooling, which speeds up the process by starting the cooling at 80 Kelvin
Linde has already built over 500 cryogenic plants around the world for industries like semiconductors, medical imaging, particle research, and more.
This project is backed by a major investment of AUD 940 million from the Australian Commonwealth and Queensland governments. The new facility in Brisbane is expected to be ready by the end of 2027.
More than just a technical breakthrough, this project will also help grow Australia’s quantum ecosystem, including research, business partnerships, and supply chains.
Jeremy O’Brien, CEO and co-founder of PsiQuantum, said:
“Photons don’t feel heat the way matter-based qubits do. Our systems can run 100 times warmer – and we appreciate collaborating with a world-class firm like Linde Engineering to deliver industrial-scale systems with proven technology.”
This exciting project shows how close we are to real-world, large-scale quantum computing—and Brisbane will be at the center of it all.
This story and image were provided courtesy of Sandra Rossi from the Cooling Post Page and was slightly edited prior to publication.
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