Few companies in the world are at the forefront of the quantum race. Where you go to work to be first, because if you do, you could revolutionize the way our computers do calculations. Forever.
Two companies stand out in the field: Microsoft and Sparrow Quantum. One is a world leader in IT solutions with Danish headquarters in Lyngby near Copenhagen, while the other is a start-up from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) armed with decades of dedicated quantum research.
Both have developed a quantum chip with huge potential—and both have turned to DTU Nanolab to help them realize it.
"We need ultra-high purity, a production flow with the highly advanced Nanolab machines, and specific standards for how the processes run. Together, this will allow us to produce chips with higher quality and greater reproducibility," says Sparrow Quantum's CEO Kurt Stokbro.
Sparrow Quantum has so far been running an academic set-up at UCPH, where the first generation of the Sparrow Core chip has been created. Now, they are preparing to join DTU Nanolab in 2026.
In parallel, Microsoft has been using DTU Nanolab for several years, while building and developing their own quantum unit, Microsoft Quantum Materials Lab, in Lyngby, in which both UCPH and DTU are partners.
"Access to DTU Nanolab has been a very important part of our development work—not least because the experts involved have been hugely important for us," says Lauri Sainiemi, Vice President, Fabrication, at Microsoft Quantum in Lyngby and responsible for the development of the quantum chip Majorana.
Open access and sharp minds
Establishing strong collaborations between industry and academia is a core mission for DTU Nanolab, which takes an open access approach.
It means that relevant industry players can use the infrastructure in DTU Nanolab's cleanroom to fabricate micro and quantum chips by renting space or becoming partners in a research project.
"This presents valuable opportunity for the vast majority of companies, as it requires huge sums to invest in similar infrastructure," says Jörg Hübner, Director, DTU Nanolab.
He emphasizes that the lab's more than 100 specialist employees who conduct research or assist users of the facility with everything from manufacturing processes to characterization methods are a resource that can also be accessed via the open access concept—something which Microsoft has benefitted greatly from.
"DTU Nanolab and all their bright minds have allowed us to test ideas and learn about purchasing our own equipment along the way," says Lauri Sainiemi.
He is currently following optimization of the Majorana 1 quantum chip in Microsoft's own quantum unit.
"Even now, after investing in our own equipment, we will continue to go to DTU Nanolab. Especially when testing new ideas. Our experts also contribute to the collective knowledge at the University, and in this way I'm happy that we can also give something back to the ecosystem," he says.
