As a quantum network goes live, New Mexico sees its moment

A first-of-its-kind quantum computing network, funded with the help of millions in state funds, is live in Albuquerque. 

Qunnect, a New York-based quantum computing company, announced last week the launch of ABQ-Net, which it describes as America’s first open-access entanglement-based quantum network. It is located at 123 Central NW, on a data center campus owned by bigbyte.cc Corp. 

The facility opened thanks to $25 million in state funds issued by the New Mexico Economic Development Department to Roadrunner Venture Studios, which invests in deep-technology companies. This marks the first phase of the Roadrunner Quantum Lab, and a broader effort by state officials to leverage the state’s national labs to establish New Mexico as a hub for quantum computing as well as other advanced technologies. 

“What you’re doing is anchoring investment,” Rob Black, secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, said during ABQ-Net’s launch last week. “You’re creating the place that will create that synergy here in New Mexico because you’ve created the infrastructure. That infrastructure will draw those software companies, will draw those other investors in anticipation. It will empower innovation. And it’s this network that is so key to that.”

The network is available for use to founders of quantum startups who want to test their ideas on a live quantum network.

Giving founders access to Qunnect’s quantum network — which has a name, Carina — will spark innovation, said Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect. Goddard also pointed to local economic benefits created when employees of quantum companies start living, eating and spending money in Downtown Albuquerque. 

Boosters of the burgeoning quantum economy hope that small startups can create big ideas and products in Albuquerque. Making available quantum network hardware to founders can lead to innovation in iterative steps, one idea on top of the other.

During the legislative session, lawmakers allocated some $32.8 million to the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, a project of the U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is responsible for developing military technologies. 

The goal of the initiative is to establish the Quantum Frontier Project to leverage the state’s labs, universities and private sector to determine whether utility scale quantum computing can be achieved by 2033.

DARPA will match those funds, said Rep. Meredith Dixon, an Albuquerque Democrat, who, with Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, authored legislation approving the allocations. In September, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the state’s agreement with DARPA could total up to $120 million over four years.

Qunnect followed suit, announcing its New Mexico entrance in November. But ABQ-Net is a product of just some of the money the state is sinking into quantum technology. 

ABQ-Net is anchored at Qunnect’s new Albuquerque office as well as the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. Department of Energy and Office of Science National User facility operated by Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

 Dixon attended the launch of ABQ-Net. 

“The term today is inflection point,” she told the crowd. “So I really do believe we’re there. And the Legislature is committed to continue to make investments.”

In an interview, Dixon said New Mexico has access to infrastructure and experts that few other states have, namely in the form of national labs, which have been working on quantum computing for years now. The timing for such investments is just right, as the quantum economy takes off.

Last week, EDD announced that it is accepting applications for its Quantum Technologies Award. Under the program, early stage quantum technology companies can apply for a grant worth up to $200,000. The same grant program helped fund Mesa Quantum, which is using the state’s money to advance its laser technology in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories. 

“We have the money, and we have to invest now,” Dixon said. “Two years ago was too soon and two years from now is too late.”

Goddard said when the company was trying to determine a new location, they found that New Mexico had “an ecosystem that has two national labs, a series (of) universities and community colleges to help with workforce development.” 

“We saw a very serious community in terms of the state and local support system in order to truly invest in the building of a new startup ecosystem,” Goddard said.

Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. You can reach him at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.