Photonic quantum computing developer PsiQuantum has signed a $125 million expanded tasking agreement with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). The performance-based award represents PsiQuantum’s most valuable U.S. government contract to date.
The agreement funds verification and validation tasks for PsiQuantum’s utility-scale hardware architecture, custom integrated photonic manufacturing processes, and supporting cryogenic infrastructure as the company advances through Stage C—QBI’s final assessment phase focused on independent technical verification.
Expanding On-Site Verification and Component-Level Testing
Building on a $31.8 million Stage C award from September 2025, the new $125 million tasking broadens DARPA’s hands-on evaluation framework. Under QBI Stage C, DARPA-led technical audit teams receive direct access to PsiQuantum’s internal design pipelines, manufacturing lines, and algorithm verification engines.
The expanded testing scope focuses on four key operational areas:
- Advanced Material Manufacturing: On-site inspection and yield auditing of barium titanate (BTO) thin-film electro-optic modulators produced at the PsiFactory facility in Milpitas, California.
- Photonic Edge Coupling & Assembly: Hands-on testing of automated, high-volume chip-to-fiber optical packaging and cryogenic interconnect assemblies.
- System-Level Cryogenic Validation: Verification of custom cabinet-scale cryogenic cooling infrastructure engineered to maintain photonic routing and detector arrays.
- Algorithmic Resource Benchmarking: Live verification of fault-tolerant algorithm resource estimates using Construct, PsiQuantum’s proprietary software platform for fault-tolerant compilation.
Capital Stacking and Manufacturing Buildout
The expanded DARPA tasking follows a May 2026 Letter of Intent signed between PsiQuantum and the U.S. Department of Commerce for $100 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. Combined with state-level capital commitments in Illinois—including its anchor role at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) in Chicago—PsiQuantum is scaling up domestic manufacturing capacity for its silicon-photonic quantum chips. By subjecting its photonic QPU designs to DARPA’s independent scrutiny, PsiQuantum aims to validate its roadmap toward deploying a commercially useful, fault-tolerant quantum computer before 2033.
Review the official corporate press release on PsiQuantum here.
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