The Superposition Guy's Podcast

Romana Schirhagl, co-founder, and Deepak Veeregowda, CEO of QT Sense, are interviewed by Yuval Boger. QT Sense develops quantum sensing technology using NV center sensors in nanodiamonds for biomedical applications. Romana explains how their technology measures magnetic noise from free radicals inside cells, indicating cellular stress, similar to a small-scale MRI. Deepak discusses the company's product, Quantum Nova, which is available for research and diagnostic purposes, particularly in cancer and infectious disease detection. QT Sense describes their technology as having subcellular resolution and nanomolar sensitivity, sees a key advantage in applying NV sensors in living systems where the sensors move and rotate, and aim to impact millions of patients by 2030.

Andrea Tabacchini of Quantum Brilliance joins Yuval to discuss room-temperature quantum computing. Quantum Brilliance develops compact, diamond-based quantum accelerators for edge applications like robotics and satellites.Andrea explains their nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center technology, enabling stable qubits without cryogenic cooling. With innovations in deterministic defect placement and scalable nanoelectronics, they aim to launch a commercial 60–100 qubit quantum computer by 2029.He envisions small, low-power quantum processors working alongside classical systems and sees growing investment driving practical quantum applications within five years.

Michelle Simmons, CEO of Silicon Quantum Computing, is interviewed by Yuval Boger. Michelle’s company uses phosphorus atoms in silicon-28 to create high-fidelity, low-noise qubits with exceptional coherence. She highlights their multi-nucleus spin registers for all-to-all connectivity and native multi-qubit operations, achieving what she describes as industry-leading fidelities. We discuss their three products—quantum machine learning, analog simulation, and fault-tolerant quantum computing—and their progress. We also discuss the expected date of their error-corrected system, the key to accelerating their roadmap, and much more.

Maud Vinet, CEO and co-founder of Quobly, is interviewed by Yuval Boger. They discuss the company’s mission to build large-scale quantum computers based on silicon qubits. Maud explains how silicon offers unique advantages in scalability, leveraging decades of semiconductor expertise, and why the biggest challenge lies in qubit control rather than fabrication yield. Maud shares insights on her transition from semiconductor R&D to quantum computing, the partnerships Quobly has formed with fabs like STMicroelectronics, the anticipated timeline for achieving significant qubit counts, and much more.

David Rivas, Chief Technology Officer at Rigetti Computing, is interviewed by Yuval Boger. They discuss Rigetti’s approach to building superconducting quantum computers. David highlights the company’s full-stack capabilities, including its captive quantum fab and proprietary control systems, emphasizing the advantages of vertical integration for optimizing performance. He explains Rigetti’s chiplet-based approach to scaling quantum processors, their strategy for achieving large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing. They also cover the evolution of quantum computing architectures, Rigetti’s move to 3D signaling, and the role of logical qubits in scaling quantum processors, the importance of continued hands-on experimentation, the challenges of being a public company, and much more.

Daniel Porat and Prof. Emanuele Dalla-Torre of Quantymize are interviewed by Yuval Boger. They discuss their work in quantum optimization and hybrid quantum-classical algorithms. Daniel describes how the company focuses on real-world optimization problems in industries like energy, e-commerce, and scheduling, leveraging quantum computing to enhance efficiency. Emanuele describes the company’s core algorithm, called Efficient Correlated Optimization, which significantly reduces qubit requirements for solving complex combinatorial problems. They also cover the evolving quantum landscape in Israel, the potential for commercial quantum advantage today, the balance between publishing research and maintaining competitive business strategies, and much more.

Matthijs Rijlaarsdam, co-founder and CEO of QuantWare, joins Yuval Boger to discuss how his company is enabling the scaling of quantum processors through its VIO technology, a 3D chip architecture that addresses key bottlenecks in scaling qubits. Matthijs explains the three major challenges—fan-out, integration of components, and yield—and how VIO solves these to facilitate quantum chips with millions of qubits. He also shares insights into Quantware’s business model, which spans fully packaged chips, foundry services, and packaging services, drawing parallels to the semiconductor industry. They explore the impact of heat, signal routing, and error correction, the strategic importance of marketing and storytelling in the quantum industry, and more.

Konstantinos Karagiannis, who leads quantum computing services at Protiviti, joins Yuval Boger to discuss the dual aspects of quantum computing: its promise in transformative use cases and its threats in post-quantum cryptography. Konstantinos explains why organizations need to act now to secure their data against future quantum threats, emphasizing the importance of cryptographic agility and hybrid solutions. He highlights how different industries, particularly financial services and government, are leading the way in adopting post-quantum standards. They also explore the challenges of quantum key distribution, the evolving vendor landscape, and how organizations can prioritize their post-quantum journeys.

Shahin Khan, co-founder of OrionX, joins Yuval Boger to explore the intersection of quantum computing and high-performance computing (HPC). Shahin discusses why HPC is a natural early adopter of quantum technologies, the role of QPUs alongside GPUs and CPUs, and how quantum computing aligns with global megatrends. They delve into scaling challenges, the potential for quantum to revolutionize tensor-based problems, and the broader implications of quantum on energy efficiency and scientific discovery. Shahin also reflects on the industry’s progress, the importance of rational exuberance, and the need to set realistic expectations while maintaining excitement about quantum’s transformative potential.

Frédéric Rivain, CTO of Dashlane is interviewed by Yuval Boger. They discuss the intersection of quantum computing and cybersecurity. Frédéric explains how Dashlane is preparing for the post-quantum era by testing cryptographic algorithms, implementing crypto-agility, and anticipating the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” threat. They explore the role of NIST in standardization, the challenges of migrating to post-quantum cryptography, and the evolving nature of credential security. Last, they cover AI-powered phishing attacks, government preparedness for Q-Day, and much more.