Planqc was founded by a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and is the first spin-off of the initiative Munich Quantum ValleyBy using atoms in optical lattices, the startup aims to scale the number of qubits to thousands. Qubits are the smallest possible unit in quantum computing. Their number limits the amount of information that can be processed. The limited number of qubits currently prevents the use of quantum computers for industrially relevant problems.
Planqc's quantum computers store information in individual atoms and arrange them in artificial light crystals. Quantum gates based on precisely controlled laser pulses are used to process quantum information.
Planqc: Broad-based founding team
Planqc's founders previously conducted research at institutions such as Harvard University, Oxford University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Colorado, the University of Innsbruck, CQT Singapore, and the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) in Garching. The founding team also includes economics professor and investor Ann-Kristin Achleitner and entrepreneur Markus Wagner. MPQ directors Immanuel Bloch and J. Ignacio Cirac, as well as Dieter Jaksch, physics professor at the universities of Oxford and Hamburg, support the company as scientific advisors. Amanda Birkenholz, Investment Manager at UVC Partners, says:
“This world-class team combines the technical and commercial expertise to build the world’s most powerful quantum computers.”
