Stuttgart As the deputy of Trumpf boss Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller, Peter Leibinger is usually somewhat in the shadow of her public. But when the head of development at the laser specialist speaks out on important future issues for German industry, it is not just the entire medium-sized mechanical engineering sector that is listening.
Thursday was another day on which the otherwise rather reluctant family entrepreneur had great things to announce: “The engineers have reached a milestone with which quantum technology could move into the world’s data centers much earlier than previously thought,” said Leibinger. Trumpf is investing a double-digit million amount in its subsidiary Q.ant. The start-up is now to start producing quantum computer chips.
With a newly developed photonic chip process, highly special light channels can be applied to common silicon chips. “With these special light channels, quanta can now be transported on conventional printed circuit boards with almost no loss – and that is a real breakthrough,” said Leibinger. With this method, established mainframe computers can be expanded to include processors with quantum technology and thus process large amounts of data much faster than before. One application example is the complex traffic coordination at airports or in rail traffic.
“The developers have succeeded in connecting the optical world of quanta to the electronic world,” said Leibinger. The 54-year-old described the investment as the next logical step to pave the way for the development and production of quantum computer chips made in Germany. “In order to be successful, we now have to act courageously, prepared to take risks and, above all, act quickly,” emphasized Leibinger. The aim is to develop a fully functional quantum chip within five years at the latest.
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Own technological way
Leibinger is convinced that the subject of quantum computing is elementary for future German competitiveness. It is also clear to him that a medium-sized company can hardly beat giants like Google or IBM. But he definitely sees opportunities in key components.
He relies on the photonic approach, while the large corporations are taking a different technological approach with the so-called ion trap and superconductors. “We’re making a bet. We know that the ice is thin and the water below it is deep. ”But when it comes to light and laser technology, nobody can fool the family business owner so easily.
Leibinger is also hardly afraid that one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers, Globalfoundries, is investing several hundred million euros in the technology. “At this point in time, it is crucial that you can spend the money sensibly,” says the entrepreneur with conviction. “We’ll then see what it will look like in two or three years and whether we will need partners.” Q.ant boss Michael Förtsch is also calm: “We feel well invested.”
He considers his chip architecture to be superior to its competitors because it neither requires particularly complex cooling nor a vibration-free environment. The manufacturing process is simple compared to other quantum computer platforms and enables the generation of many quantum bits.
Quantum computers need many of these elementary computing units in order to be particularly powerful. Quantum computing will not be used in smartphones or other consumer devices, but in large, complex computing applications. “We are currently in talks with strategic partners from various industries in order to put applications into practice as quickly as possible,” said Förtsch.
In the first step, the team is to be increased from 20 to 120 developers. The fact that the Swabians get by with less money at first is also due to the fact that the clean rooms of the Trumpf sensor subsidiary Photonic Components in Ulm can be used for the next steps. “We thus offer the ideal conditions for the production of quantum computer chips,” said Berthold Schmidt, head of Trumpf Photonic Components.
By the end of June 2022, Q.ant should succeed in developing chip components for quantum computers, each of which can generate, guide and manipulate quanta. The first prototype of a quantum computer chip will then be created.
Trump does not want to reveal all the details
However, Trumpf does not want to be looked at exactly in the cards. Which materials are used and what the details of the technology look like remain a secret for the time being. “We only want to say something about this when the next steps are successful and we can precisely determine our competitive advantage and time advantage,” emphasized Q.ant boss Förtsch. Start-ups in North America and China are also currently working on the topic.
Trumpf is strategically driving quantum technology forward and is one of the companies that maintain close contact with politics. Leibinger led the commission of experts that developed a roadmap for quantum technology for the federal government. The federal government has now launched a program worth two billion euros so that Germany can keep up with the topic of quantum computing.
Ten months ago, the Ditzinger team and the sensor manufacturer Sick presented the first industrial-grade quantum sensor. And it is not the only topic in which the medium-sized company has a nose ahead of the world when it comes to key technologies in the chip sector – without being able to invest even nearly as much as the big tech companies.
Another example is the systems from the Dutch system manufacturer ASML for exposing the latest generation of chips to extreme ultraviolet light. The systems only work with Trumpf lasers. The chip giants Samsung, TSMC and Intel, in turn, depend on the ASML systems.
With its monopoly, ASML has become one of the most valuable companies in Europe. Even if the development of the technology took almost twenty years, for Leibinger it is proof that Germany can also be successful in critical areas in the semiconductor industry.
Leibinger believes that similar successes are possible in quantum technology. The family company’s strategic decision to get involved here bears Peter Leibinger’s signature. Leibinger does not see the danger that Trumpf, which recently made around 3.5 billion euros in annual sales, could take over: “The investment is a bet, but not one that Trumpf can ruin.”
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