PsiQuantum builds Chicago facility for large-scale photonic quantum computer (xataka.com)

• PsiQuantum constructs 6,000 m² photonic quantum computer facility in Chicago.
• Uses photons instead of superconducting qubits; collaborates with GlobalFoundries on chips.
• Targets ~1 million physical qubits; facility operational by 2027, not quantum computer.
• US funding: $100M from CHIPS Act; DARPA evaluates tech, predicts utility-scale quantum by 2033.

"PsiQuantum, a Palo Alto startup, is constructing a 6,000 m² facility in south Chicago to house what could be the world's first fault-tolerant, utility-scale quantum computer, using photons instead of superconducting qubits. The company fabricates its own chips with GlobalFoundries, using barium titanate for precise photon switching. Only the detectors require cryogenic cooling. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has committed $500 million to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, where PsiQuantum is the anchor tenant. The company has raised over $1 billion, including $100 million from the US CHIPS Act. A second plant is under construction in Brisbane, Australia. PsiQuantum no longer promises a functional quantum computer by 2027, only that the facility will be operational. DARPA has been evaluating the technology since 2023 and suggests a utility-scale quantum computer could emerge by 2033."