SEEQC Awarded $400,000 Grant from Department of Energy for Small Business Research and Development

ELMSFORD, NY—June 29, 2022—U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm today announced that SEEQC, the digital quantum computing platform for global business, will receive two grants totaling $400,000. The grants are a part of several Department of Energy (DOE) grants totaling $53 million, distributed to 210 small businesses in 38 states. The grant will further SEEQC’s research and development as it pertains to the discovery of clean energy and climate solutions, and support the company’s mission to deliver useful, energy-efficient quantum computing systems that are cost-effective and commercially scalable for problem-specific applications.

The first grant, titled “Development of Fabrication Process for Controlling Phononic Thermal Transport to Improve Qubit Performance,” supports the development of a novel method to protect qubits from external disturbance such as cosmic rays. The new process will address phonon-induced decoherence, leveraging SEEQC’s current fabrication process to make unique phonon blocking features. The second grant, titled “Process Development for Commercial Manufacturing of Micromachined Millimeter Wave Components,” will enable SEEQC to participate in a technology transfer. This transfer will establish SEEQC as an industry partner creating microfabricated silicon-based millimeter wave components at its New York based foundry.

“Part of SEEQC’s core mission is to help everyone be better stewards of our planet. Quantum technology can enable the sourcing and discovery of alternative fuels, visualize climate models and ultimately solve the problems behind the climate crisis,” said Daniel Yohannes, director of fabrication at SEEQC and PI of the projects. “Grants like this empower us to further our technology and research so we can one day actualize this technology and create a pathway for a better world. This grant from the DOE is a clear indication that quantum computing is a vital part of the world’s future.”

Through the SBIR/STTR program across the federal government, small business powers the U.S. economy and generates thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly, the DOE notes. DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards aim at transforming DOE-supported science and technology breakthroughs into viable products and services. The awards also support the development of specialized technologies and instruments that aid in scientific discovery.

“Supporting small businesses will ensure we are tapping into all of America’s talent to develop clean energy technologies that will help us tackle the climate crisis,” said Steve Binkley, Acting Director of the DOE’s Office of Science. “DOE’s investments will enable these economic engines to optimize and commercialize their breakthroughs, while developing the next generation of science leaders and ensuring U.S. scientific and economic competitiveness that will benefit all Americans.”

More information about all the projects announced by DOE today is available at the following link: https://science.osti.gov/sbir