SDT announced Wednesday that it has joined the national flagship project to develop a 1,000-qubit neutral atom quantum processing unit (QPU) platform based on ytterbium (Yb).
The project is led by the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) with participation from SK Telecom, LG Electronics, Wooshin Tech, and U.S. institutions Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop high-performance quantum computer chips.
Neutral atom platforms have demonstrated strengths in high-fidelity quantum gates, excellent qubit scalability, and flexible connectivity control, driving accelerating global investment and industrial growth in the field led by companies such as QuEra. In recent years, QPUs with hundreds of qubits have been demonstrated, raising commercialization prospects. As global competition intensifies, Korea urgently needs to secure 1,000-qubit-class QPU capabilities.
This project specifically uses ytterbium atoms as its foundation. Ytterbium is considered an optimal atom for securing large-scale physical qubits due to its simple spin structure and long coherence time. Most newly emerging global startups are also choosing ytterbium. KRISS possesses world-leading foundational technology in ytterbium atom control.
SDT will perform two key roles in developing the QPU physics unit, the core of the 1,000-qubit QPU platform. The company will develop FPGA-based high-speed laser control systems, essential electronic equipment for precise qubit control, and build integrated control solutions. SDT will also be responsible for developing modular optical systems optimized for commercialization.
SDT CEO Yoon Ji-won is expected to enable close research collaboration as an alumnus of the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms (CUA), along with project director Dr. Moon Jong-cheol of KRISS, MIT Professor Choi Soon-won, and Stanford Professor Choi Jun-hee.
"This flagship project is a pivotal first step toward industrializing Korea's quantum computing technology with the best dream team from home and abroad in the quantum field," Yoon said. "At this critical juncture of moving beyond foundational research toward commercialization, SDT will concentrate all its accumulated capabilities in precision control and optical modularization to lay a successful foundation for the 1,000-qubit QPU platform."
