Archer Materials Ltd (ASX:AXE, OTC:ARRXF) has extended patent protection of its 12CQ quantum computing chip technology with the granting of a European patent grant.
This patent provides protection in a further 12 countries including the UK, France and Germany, and expands on existing patents granted in the US, China, South Korea and Japan.
It is a major step in the company’s efforts to participate in Europe’s multi-billion-dollar quantum computing ecosystem.
Path to practical quantum computing
These patents protect a proposed qubit processor chip that offers a path to realise practical quantum computing with Archer Materials being the only ASX-listed company and one of a few players in the world developing qubit processor chip technology in the semiconductor industry.
The patent application process and procedures for the additional patent applications in the jurisdictions of Australia and Hong Kong are ongoing.
“Strategic milestone”
Archer CEO Dr Mohammad Choucair said: “The company has achieved a strategic milestone with the granting of a European Patent related to our 12CQ chip technology.
“The patent will cover Europe’s largest economies, including the UK, France and Germany, and significantly expands on Archer’s recent patent grants in the US, China, South Korea and Japan."
Granting of the European Patent (Patent No 3383792) represents an early-stage milestone in Archer’s development of the 12CQ chip.
Shares have been as much as 10.45% higher intraday to A$1.11 while the company's market cap is approximately A$248.81 million.
Critical strategic markets
The countries in which the European Patent is to have effect are Belgium, Switzerland & Liechtenstein, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Sweden and Ireland.
The company considers these jurisdictions as critical strategic markets to protect and potentially commercialise its IP.
European Patent protection is required for any possible future commercialisation operations in the jurisdictions and also provides Archer with access to Europe’s largest economies to exploit IP rights related to the 12CQ chip.
Europe’s quantum ecosystem
Archer works closely with world-leading Swiss technology institute EPFL to develop its 12CQ chip. As the chip development progresses the company will need access to overseas laboratories, people, partners and customers and will look to collaborate with other European companies, institutions and governments.
European countries lead globally in quantum research and development and Archer will need patent protection in Europe to participate in the quantum ecosystem and semiconductor industry across Europe.
Examples of quantum technology activity in Europe include:
- In the Netherlands, the National Growth Fund funnelled a €615 million investment through Quantum Delta NL in April 2021, a national hub, to support the further development and commercialisation of quantum technology. The Netherlands quantum and semiconductor ecosystem includes Microsoft, Intel, Google, ASML and others.
- The German government announced a €2 billion quantum effort, supplementing EU plans for €1 billion Quantum Flagship investment through to 2028. Germany also houses IBM’s first quantum computer outside of the US.
- Several EU countries have signed on to develop joint quantum communication infrastructure across the continent and major players in Europe’s quantum industry have also expressed strong support for quantum infrastructure in Europe.
- The UK Government is investing to develop new products based on advances in quantum technologies that will have a significant impact on financial services. This is part of a larger investment in the UK National Quantum Technologies Program which is set to deliver a £1 billion investment. The UK also entered into a trilateral security partnership with Australia and the US called ‘AUKUS’, with a focus that includes quantum technologies.
Towards practical quantum computation
The European patent and those granted in the US, China, South Korea and Japan, protect a proposed qubit processor device(s) and an approach to quantum information processing using a unique nanomaterial to store a qubit, offering a path to realise practical quantum computing.
Quantum computing technology is a new way of computing that is distinct from current computing technologies (eg, silicon-based transistor and memory chips including CPUs, GPUs, Flash/DRAM, ‘neuromorphic’ processors etc).
A qubit processor (quantum chip) is the most crucial hardware component of a quantum computer. Quantum chips come in a variety of forms depending on the qubit type and materials used (in contrast to the modern computing industry dominated by silicon/semiconductors).
Many quantum computing proposals currently use quantum chips that require materials and qubits which operate at low temperatures and/or are difficult to integrate in modern electronics. This limits ownership and use of practical quantum devices.
Scientific breakthrough
The scientific breakthrough made in 2016 to realise Archer’s 12CQ qubit material is available online in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications.
This reports the advantages, technological trade-offs and the technological barriers that have been overcome towards realising practical quantum computing, over several other qubit proposals (eg nitrogen-vacancy centre nanodiamonds, isotopically enriched fullerenes, quantum dots, molecular magnets, phosphorous in silicon, fullerenes, nanomagnets, superconductors, etc).
Some of the advantages of Archer’s 12CQ chip qubit material include the combination of the potential use for room temperature quantum computing and integration with electronic devices.
Archer’s technology development advances continue to provide direct evidence to support this possibility. For more information, please view Archer’s webinar with IBM.