Rigetti's $5.7M Quantum Systems Spark Commercialization
Rigetti Computing has made waves in the quantum tech industry with the announcement of purchase orders for two Novera quantum computing systems, priced at $5.7 million each. This marks a significant shift towards commercialisation in the field, traditionally dominated by research grants and speculative investments.
The Novera systems, representing a scalable architecture integrating superconducting qubits with cryogenic control electronics, are a testament to Rigetti's engineering prowess. The company's team has refined qubit coherence times and reduced gate errors, achieving industry-grade reliability.
Early results suggest that these systems can provide a modest speed-up for certain molecular energy calculations compared to classical algorithms. However, error correction remains a formidable hurdle, with gate error rates around one percent. Despite this, investors are seeing a pathway to profitability, with Rigetti's stock rally lifting the market values of other quantum-tech firms such as D-Wave and IonQ.
The $5.7 million price tag for each Novera system reflects the complexity of integrating cryogenic components and error-correction circuitry. As the quantum industry moves from a research-centric paradigm to a product-centric one, companies like Rigetti are demonstrating viable paths to market. The commercialisation of quantum hardware is an exciting development, signaling the potential of this technology to revolutionise various industries.
