UCLA Researchers Secure New Hardware for Quantum Gains
The partnership provides access to cryogenic systems to advance superconducting qubit fidelity for the regional ecosystem.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Quantum Computing
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A partnership between the University of California, Los Angeles and San Diego-based Quantum Design provides researchers access to a ProteoxS dilution refrigerator. This collaboration, announced October 23, 2026, aims to support the development of two superconducting qubit-based quantum computers.
Why it matters
The collaboration is designed to accelerate the Southern California Quantum Alliance ecosystem by integrating commercial cryogenic technology with academic research. It specifically targets workforce development and technical progress within the regional quantum computing industry.
The researchers are targeting 99.9% fidelity for 2-qubit operations using a ProteoxS dilution refrigerator. This specialized hardware provides an enhanced sample support architecture optimized for the team's superconducting qubit chips.
The players
Chee Wei Wong
A professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, leading research into superconducting qubit-based quantum computers.
Quantum Design
A San Diego-based manufacturer founded in 1982 that produces quantum sensing and cryogenic measurement technologies.
University of California, Los Angeles
A research university hosting the development of new quantum computing architectures.
The details
Superconducting qubits — tiny circuits that function as the basic units of quantum information — require extremely low temperatures to operate without interference. The ProteoxS dilution refrigerator provides the necessary cryogenic environment, allowing the team to test two distinct quantum computer architectures. The enhanced sample support architecture facilitates tighter integration between the control hardware and the qubits, which is critical for reaching the team's 99.9% fidelity target.
Timeline
1982: Quantum Design was founded in California.
October 23, 2026: The partnership and facility access were confirmed.
The Tech Race
This collaboration marks a structural push to integrate private-sector cryogenics with academic R&D to strengthen the Southern California Quantum Alliance. It follows a pattern of regional consolidation aimed at rivaling established quantum research clusters in North America.
Students involved in the project will gain hands-on training with industrial-grade cryogenic hardware, a critical skill set for the local quantum workforce. The research group intends to use the equipment for testing two specific qubit-based architectures.
The takeaway
The research team is working toward a 99.9% fidelity benchmark to validate their superconducting qubit designs. Observers should track the project for reported gate fidelity results from the San Diego laboratory testing cycles.
Further reading
For more on how research institutions are scaling experimental hardware, visit Quantum Computing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Quantum Zeitgeist.
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