Matthew Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion, explains how neutral atom quantum computing works at room temperature, and why the UK just put quantum clocks on military submarines. It's a heck of a ride.
Unlike superconducting or trapped ion systems, neutral atoms offer flexibility beyond computing: quantum sensing, atomic clocks, and RF detection all use the same underlying technology.
Matthew breaks down how lasers manipulate rubidium atoms into the coldest places in the known universe, the Rydberg state that enables entanglement, and why this modality is winning on scalability.
Key Topics:
How quantum clocks provide GPS-independent timing
Why submarines need atomic precision underwater
The difference between physical and logical qubits
Neutral atoms vs other quantum modalities (trapped ion, superconducting, spin qubits)
Hybrid classical-quantum computing workflows with NVIDIA
When quantum advantage becomes commercially useful (100 logical qubits)
Infleqtion's strategy: clocks, sensors, and computers from the same platform
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Mark and Jeremy
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Trailer
(01:50) Why coordination matters: From internal strategy to GPS timing
(04:48) What is a quantum clock and how does it link to GPS?
(07:18) Nature's metronome: How atoms keep time with laser precision
(08:14) Room temperature quantum: Why neutral atoms don't need freezers
(12:38) The Rydberg state: Making atoms sensitive to the entire RF spectrum
(14:03) Quantum clock on a UK submarine
(17:06) Quantum in space: Voyager partnership and the International Space Station
(18:48) Hybrid quantum-classical workflows: How QPUs layer above GPUs
(23:18) Software layers: From laser control to developer applications
(25:32) Drug discovery example: GPU, CPU, QPU
(29:03) The bridge between classical and quantum: Memory architecture innovations
(31:54) How Quantum Clocks & Products Lead To Quantum Computers
(33:48) Nvidia
(35:42) Quality or Quantity of Qubits
(38:00) Quantum mechanics and free will: Does wave collapse prove consciousness?
Love it.
Thanks.