Edmonton quantum startup shrinks lab gear to shoebox size for field use

EDMONTON · A Canadian quantum technology startup is tackling a major industry hurdle by designing equipment that can function outside of specialized laboratories. Edmonton's Q-Block Inc. has created compact hardware units, called Q-modules, that package precision lasers, optics, detectors and control systems into a shoebox-sized format. The company was founded in 2020 by Kyung Soo Choi, a University of Waterloo professor who now serves as its chief executive. Its goal is to make quantum technology practical for use in the field rather than confined to controlled lab environments.

"Quantum systems have historically been built as bespoke laboratory assemblies, each shaped around the people who built it and the room it occupied," said Choi. He explained that such custom-built systems produce remarkable results once but cannot be easily reproduced, serviced or operated by other organizations. Current quantum equipment typically requires ultra-stable, temperature-controlled rooms where instruments are manually tuned. Q-Block's integrated modules stabilize themselves in real time, run at room temperature on standard power and are designed for deployment beyond the lab.

The company's three core products are built from these fundamental Q-module components. AllanQ is an unhackable quantum clock that provides precise timing for navigation and sensing where GPS signals are unavailable. LuciaQ is a networking platform that uses particles of light to link multiple quantum processors. PolarisQ is a modular quantum computing platform that uses individual atoms as qubits and does not require a dedicated quantum lab. The hardware is built to fit into standard electronics racks and can be mounted in vehicles, drones or aircraft.

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Q-Block received a $150,000 federal grant in 2023 under the Innovative Solutions Canada Program. The 13-person firm is now developing quantum timing, sensing, networking and edge computing technologies primarily for defence and critical infrastructure through government contracts. Choi said the Q-module's multi-device integration and estimated 30 to 40-year lifespan make it particularly valuable for defence applications. The company began selling its products to the Canadian defence market this year.

While Q-Block did not disclose revenue figures, it plans to expand sales to data centres and other critical infrastructure in the future. Choi identified timing and synchronization as the area with the greatest commercial potential, affecting telecommunications, energy grids, financial systems and data centres. He expects organizations to adopt quantum devices to protect critical information as "Q-day" nears, referring to the future moment when quantum computers could break current encryption. In the global competition to advance quantum technologies, Choi believes Canada can achieve successes that do not depend on massive financial scale. He argued that winning the race for large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing will require sustained spending over more than a decade, a contest Canada cannot win against the world's largest economies. The key question, according to Choi, is determining which specific technological races are winnable for the country. Choi emphasized that manufacturing builds lasting domestic skills, supplier networks and institutional knowledge in a way that pure research does not. He said Canada's decades of investment in quantum science will only pay off if the resulting industry is established within the country. A nation that does not produce its own timing, secure communication and computation technologies depends on others for the foundation of its critical infrastructure, he added.

With files from Financial Post