memQ™, a Chicago-based quantum networking startup and a spin-out of UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, has announced results on integrating matter qubits onto a commercial foundry platform. This approach blends quantum science and novel materials with commercial-scale foundry processes to support the production of quantum networking components.
The integration involves large-scale 300 mm silicon wafer processing to deliver single photon sources supporting the telecom C-band. The work leverages advanced silicon photonics to create a manufacturable, C-band compatible quantum memory platform, which aims to provide cavity performance and uniformity. A new paper in Nano Letters details this approach. The tapeout of the wafer was performed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Rome, New York, and executed by AIM Photonics through NY CREATES’ NanoTech Complex. Additionally, memQ has recently released a paper on arXiv demonstrating monolithic integration of solid-state quantum memories with commercial foundry photonics using back-end-of-line (BEOL) deposition. This platform utilizes erbium-doped titanium dioxide (Er:TiO2) thin films on silicon nitride waveguides, demonstrating optical coherence (64 µs), second-long electron spin lifetimes, and electrical control of Er emission, establishing Er:TiO2 on foundry photonics as a manufacturable platform for both ensemble and single-ion quantum memories.
This development illustrates the potential for traditional photonics industry players to engage in the quantum market. In related news, memQ has secured two U.S. government awards: one from NASA for Integrated Photonics Control, intended for next-generation photonic integrated circuits (PICs) using advanced materials for controlled light delivery to qubits, and another from the Navy for Cryogenic Modulators, focusing on PIC-based control systems operating at cryogenic temperatures.
The integration of quantum computing components with commercial foundry processes aims to accelerate the delivery of quantum technologies by enabling reliable production at scale. This capability is intended to be integral to implementing quantum networking architectures that can preserve the quantum state both locally and at a distance. These initiatives align with efforts to advance new technology and capabilities into products and systems for national defense and economic priorities.
Read the full announcement here. The Nano Letters paper can be found here. Explore the memQ LinkedIn post on government awards here, and the arXiv paper here.
July 31, 2025
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