Pictured: Infleqtion Sqale quantum computer’s optical table, showcasing the intricate network of lenses and precision components (left); Chief Technology Officer Pranav Gokhale (right)
Infleqtion is an award-winning technology company with a nearly 20-year history of innovation that includes the first ultracold atom chip developed with a Nobel Prize-winning team.
Today, Infleqtion is on a mission to commercialize neutral atom–based quantum products that provide orders of magnitude improvements representing revolutionary change in computing and sensing applications. The company recently announced a $50 million public-private initiative to invest $50 million to establish its next-generation neutral atom quantum system, and is moving its global quantum computing operations to Illinois as a future tenant of the IQMP.
Chief Technology Officer Pranav Gokhale describes Infleqtion’s vision as “bold and energizing.” He is a leading quantum researcher and tech entrepreneur who co-founded Chicago-based quantum software company Super.tech Labs in 2020, which was acquired by Infleqtion (formerly ColdQuanta) in 2022.
Let’s take a deep dive into Infleqtion’s quantum universe with one of its principle thought leaders.
Why does Infleqtion see neutral atoms as the path to advancing quantum R&D?
Neutral atoms are at the core of what we do on the hardware side. People often talk about quantum as the next big thing. But, in fact, quantum technologies are already here for neutral atoms. That’s because one quantum product that’s already permeating our everyday lives is the atomic clock. The time on your laptop, for example, is synchronized through a system of atomic clocks—the same kind that power GPS satellites. Those satellites send out signals from their atomic clocks, and the timestamps are multiplied by the speed of light to tell us our position. Why this is so interesting is that neutral atoms are an example of quantum that’s here now. Every time you pull out Google Maps, every time you take a flight, you’re using neutral atom quantum products for sensing that are unlocking new frontiers of precision and, importantly, new frontiers of computing.
Infleqtion is taking in the same technology that underlies atomic clocks and transitioning it into next generation quantum computers. In just the past five years, we’ve gone from a dark horse candidate for quantum computing to one of the clear front-runners in the field. It’s an incredibly exciting time for neutral atoms, especially because of the wide range of applications they enable.
What initially attracted you to this field of study?
It started with Professor Fred Chong at the University of Chicago. In 2017, I moved to Chicago for grad school because I was drawn to Fred’s scholarship. At the time, he was basically the only person in the U.S. leading in software for quantum systems. After completing my PhD, Fred and I co-founded a company called Super.tech in 2020, which was acquired by Infleqtion in 2022. Now, eight years into my time in Chicago, those initial research seeds have matured to commercial relevance. We’re at this amazing cusp with dozens of companies and billions of dollars of investment coming into the field.
What energizes you to “come to work” everyday?
What keeps me excited about this work is the transformative potential of quantum technology. Every major technological revolution in human history has been driven by a new understanding of physics — from classical mechanics powering early civilization, to thermodynamics fueling the industrial age, to electromagnetism enabling today’s information era. The next frontier is quantum physics, and we’re only just beginning to unlock its possibilities. And I have to say, the Chicago and Illinois ecosystem has been an incredible place to do it — the collaboration and momentum here are unparalleled.
Which potential application of this technology excites you most?
One of the quantum applications I’m most excited about is in materials science. In December 2024, Infleqtion partnered with NVIDIA to demonstrate, for the first time, a real materials science application on “logical qubits” using our Sqale quantum computer. Specifically, we ran what’s known as the Anderson Impurity Model, a computation that serves as a gateway to potential breakthroughs towards better batteries, solar cells, fertilizers, catalysts and perhaps even room-temperature superconductors — the kinds of discoveries that could reshape humankind. For decades, these problems have been beyond the limits of classical computing, but quantum technology is beginning to break through that barrier. Think about next generation materials that are much stronger, much lighter, much more energy efficient. That is what quantum computing will enable.
And the pace of progress is accelerating: in the past eight months, we have advanced from demonstrating two logical qubits — the foundation of error-corrected quantum computing — to twelve, a sixfold leap in a matter of months after decades of incremental progress.
What led Infleqtion to become a future tenant of the IQMP?
When it comes to our decision to become a tenant at the IQMP, two things that immediately come to my mind are workforce and network effect. As I went through my PhD, It became increasingly apparent that Chicago was the best place for me to simultaneously attract the right workforce, the right scientific collaborators and the right end users. In fact, what started as a no-brainer to return to California quickly became a no-brainer to build in Chicago. We have a lot of unfair advantages here in terms of the workforce, the national labs — Argonne, Fermilab — and the universities. There are now hundreds of people who are trained in quantum software, quantum computing and quantum sensing in the broader Illinois and Midwest ecosystem.
The network effect is that we build software that works for all gate-based quantum computing hardware, whether it’s superconducting technologies like IBM’s, or trap ion technologies, or silicon spin qubits. Being in an environment where others are also participating is great for us because, in Chicago and at the IQMP, a lot of our customers will be in close proximity — that’s huge for a differentiated advantage in business.
We also appreciate the opportunity provided to first operate via the IQMP’s on-ramp program while construction is underway. That approach allows us to hit the ground running much sooner, even as the larger campus takes shape.
What kind of job opportunities will Infleqtion create at the IQMP?
We anticipate bringing dozens of quantum computing and ancillary components jobs. There are a lot of diverse skill sets that are needed to bring a quantum computer of the scale that we’re talking about to not just Illinois but to the world.
What’s one quantum-related concept that you wish people understood and why?
One of my favorite phenomena about quantum mechanics is called contextuality. This principle stems from the fascinating observation that quantum bits, or qubits, seem to have long-term “memory” in a way that conventional bits do not. In quantum mechanics, just measuring a quantum state affects it. Contextuality goes even deeper: it means quantum states don’t just react to being measured, they also react to the sequence of measurements that came before. It’s a bit like an elephant that never forgets; if you measure a set of qubit 50,000 times in a row, its behavior can depend on all those previous measurements. It’s a mind-blowing concept — qubits that ‘remember’ — and we’re now turning it into real-world applications through a new field called Contextual Machine Learning.
Why is Infleqtion a company to watch?
I think we’re quite unique in the quantum world because, as I mentioned earlier, we’re already delivering what’s known as quantum advantage — real quantum value today, not just sometime in the future. Many others in this space are still waiting for that breakthrough moment when their products start to make an impact. For Infleqtion, that moment is already here. We’re deploying quantum sensing products into customer environments and powering technologies that underpin systems like GPS — things that affect our daily lives right now.
PRANVAV: INSTANT INSIGHTS
What is one word to describe Infleqtion? Pioneering.
If you weren’t working in quantum, what field would you be in? Pizza making. I trained in Naples, Italy.
Finish this sentence: Quantum technologies will change the world by . . . supercharging how we compute and sense.
