Quantum cooling breakthrough targets data center scale

Dutch quantum processor company QuantWare and Colorado-based Maybell Quantum have announced a partnership to integrate Maybell's ColdCloud cooling systems with QuantWare's VIO-40K processors, targeting the infrastructure demands of large-scale quantum computing.

QuantWare's latest quantum processor, the VIO architecture, can fit 10,000 qubits into a single cryogenic system — far more than traditional designs — by linking together smaller qubit chips in a modular, silicon-based setup. The goal is a processor powerful enough for real-world quantum applications, such as material and drug discovery. And at that scale, keeping the processor adequately cooled becomes just as important as the chip design itself.

Maybell's ColdCloud technology claims to reduce operational overhead compared to conventional dilution refrigerators — using 90% less electricity and cooling water, and up to 80% less helium-3 per qubit. The system is also engineered for datacenter-style reliability, with cooldown times of four to eight hours and 99.9% uptime, with individual nodes serviceable without taking the wider facility offline.

Keeping processors cool while advancing quantum tech

Maybell’s prototype ColdCloud is in operation in Colorado, and they plan a first commercial deployment in 2027, ahead of the first deployments of VIO-40K, targeted for 2028.

“Maybell is incredibly excited to partner with QuantWare as they push quantum processors to the scale useful quantum computing demands,” said Corban Tillemann-Dick, CEO of Maybell. “Our ColdCloud was designed for exactly this: to keep processors cold at a scale, efficiency, and cost that conventional cryogenics cannot match. As QuantWare pushes to 10,000 qubits and beyond, cooling these systems must not be a bottleneck. Maybell is proud that our ColdCloud will ensure it never is.”

"As we approach hyperscale, our customers will judge quantum systems less on quantum-specific metrics and more on the normal laws of economics," said Matt Rijlaarsdam, CEO of QuantWare. "For a 10,000-qubit computer, the questions become: are all the parts reliable and commercially available? Is it ready to deploy and maintain? And above all, how much compute do I get for every dollar I spend and every watt I put in? Open-architecture partnerships like this one with Maybell are how the ecosystem builds the supply chain that delivers the most powerful systems in the shortest time, so our customers can take on humanity's greatest challenges."