In the rapidly evolving realm of quantum computing, one of the most formidable challenges has been bridging the gap between laboratory prototypes and scalable, manufacturable quantum processors. This week, UNSW Sydney’s nano-technology startup Diraq has announced a groundbreaking milestone that could redefine the pathway to practical quantum computing. Their silicon-based quantum chips have maintained an impressive fidelity exceeding 99% even after transitioning from experimental lab environments to real-world semiconductor manufacturing workflows. This achievement is pivotal because it signifies that high-performance quantum processors can be mass-produced using existing industrial processes, thereby accelerating the commercialization of quantum computing technology.
Diraq’s breakthrough was realized through a collaborative effort with the renowned European nanoelectronics hub, Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (imec). By leveraging imec’s state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication infrastructure, the teams demonstrated that quantum chips initially designed and validated in UNSW’s laboratories could sustain their exceptional operational accuracy when produced in a commercial foundry setting. This compatibility between design and manufacture is a crucial leap forward, as previous high-fidelity quantum devices were predominantly limited to bespoke academic environments that lack the reproducibility and scalability demanded by the industry.
Professor Andrew Dzurak, UNSW Engineering’s distinguished figure and the CEO of Diraq, highlighted that until now, the conversion of lab-grade quantum fidelity into a reproducible manufacturing process had not been conclusively proven. “It’s clear now that Diraq’s silicon spin-qubit chips are not just scientific curiosities but are fully amenable to decades-old semiconductor manufacturing techniques,” he stated. This aligns quantum device fabrication with the silicon microelectronics industry’s long-optimized workflows, offering potential for massive scaling in the number of qubits fabricated without compromising performance.
The team’s comprehensive study, published in the latest issue of Nature, describes silicon spin-qubit unit cells fabricated at imec that exhibit operation fidelities above the critical 99% threshold for two-qubit operations. This figure is widely regarded as essential to achieving fault tolerance in quantum computation. Fault tolerance is the ability of a quantum computer to correct its own errors, which are inevitable owing to the fragile and noisy nature of qubits. Without reaching this fidelity level, scaling quantum processors to millions of qubits—which is necessary for solving practical problems beyond classical reach—is not feasible.
This fidelity achievement holds special significance within the framework of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, a strategic program spearheaded by DARPA. The initiative aims to evaluate the readiness of various quantum computing architectures in the race to reach utility scale—the point where quantum processors outperform classical supercomputers at economically meaningful tasks. The goal requires not only hardware stability but also cost-effective mass production. Here, Diraq’s silicon-based qubits stand out by virtue of their compatibility with industry-standard CMOS manufacturing processes, which underpin modern electronics and benefit from decades of refinement.
Achieving “utility scale” quantum computing is often described as the holy grail that could unlock transformative capabilities, from drug discovery to cryptographic breakthroughs and complex optimization problems. However, this requires processors that manage and manipulate quantum information across millions of qubits to circumvent the high error rates intrinsic to quantum systems. Diraq’s demonstration, therefore, suggests a tangible path to overcoming these obstacles by integrating quantum designs within the ecosystem of silicon semiconductor fabrication—arguably one of the most technologically advanced and economically optimized industries globally.
One of the remarkable features of silicon qubits is their intrinsic compatibility with established semiconductor industry manufacturing protocols. Silicon’s material properties provide a pristine environment for qubit operation, and the ability to exploit traditional transistor-scale patterning techniques means that scaling up beyond thousands to millions of qubits may be performed at a pace unattainable by other quantum materials. This convergence of quantum technology with mature silicon fabrication processes leverages existing infrastructure worth trillions of dollars, thus lowering the barriers to commercial quantum computer production.
Earlier, Diraq researchers had succeeded in fabricating qubits within academic laboratory settings that demonstrated superior performance in executing two-qubit logic gates—the fundamental building blocks for complex quantum algorithms. However, skepticism remained about whether these precision metrics could be replicated beyond the carefully controlled lab environments, especially in foundries where industrial constraints and yield considerations often impact device quality. The current findings dispel such doubts, showcasing a consistency in device performance that is unprecedented.
According to Professor Dzurak, the ability to fabricate qubits using semiconductor foundry processes that meet—and even exceed—the fault-tolerance fidelity threshold is a major breakthrough because it opens a commercially viable route to quantum computing. Unlike many other approaches that rely on exotic materials or bespoke fabrication techniques, Diraq’s strategy integrates naturally with the enormous semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, ensuring cost-effectiveness, scalability, and high device yields. This positions the company at the forefront of the race towards realizing practical quantum hardware.
Previous demonstrations by the Diraq-imec collaboration established that single-qubit gate operations could achieve extraordinary fidelities of 99.9%, exploiting CMOS processes identical to those found in everyday microchips. However, two-qubit interactions, which are far more complex, had not yet reached this high accuracy in a foundry setting. The latest research fills this gap, proving that critical two-qubit operations can not only be performed reliably but can meet the tight tolerances necessary for fault-tolerant quantum logic. This coherence between single and two-qubit gate fidelities is essential for building large-scale quantum processors.
The implications of these results extend beyond Diraq’s own research. By demonstrating that industry-compatible silicon spin-qubit unit cells can surpass 99% fidelity, this study reinforces silicon as the most promising platform for quantum computing’s future. It sets new standards for integrating quantum technology into the existing semiconductor supply chain, which remains a prerequisite for bringing quantum advantage to real-world applications. It also raises expectations that quantum computing, once an esoteric and highly experimental field, is beginning to embrace mature, scalable processes that will impact industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to cybersecurity.
Professor Dzurak emphasized that this latest success removes significant technical and economic roadblocks holding back the development of fully fault-tolerant quantum computers. Unlike alternative qubit platforms that may be hampered by complex manufacturing or stability issues, Diraq’s silicon spin-qubits combine high fidelity with the potential for mass production at a lower cost. This synergy is crucial in a global quantum race where time-to-market and production scale will determine which technologies will dominate future computing paradigms.
As the quantum computing community moves from laboratory proofs of concept to commercially viable products, Diraq’s achievement signals that the foundational technical challenges are being thoughtfully addressed. The integration with imec’s semiconductor foundry capabilities offers a glimpse into a future where quantum processors with millions of high-fidelity qubits can be fabricated on silicon wafers alongside classical microelectronics. This hybrid future could unlock unprecedented computational power, addressing problems that today remain beyond the reach of even the most powerful classical supercomputers.
In summary, Diraq’s demonstration of industry-compatible silicon spin-qubit unit cells exceeding 99% fidelity marks a historic step toward truly practical quantum computing. By aligning the quantum chip design with mature semiconductor manufacturing, the startup is poised to lead the transition from cutting-edge research to mainstream quantum technology. As the race to achieve utility-scale quantum computers intensifies, these findings underscore the transformative potential of silicon quantum processors to become the backbone of next-generation computing infrastructures.
Subject of Research: Quantum Computing, Silicon Spin-Qubits, Semiconductor Manufacturing
Article Title: Industry-compatible silicon spin-qubit unit cells exceeding 99% fidelity
News Publication Date: 24-Sep-2025
Web References:
https://diraq.com
https://www.imec-int.com/en
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09531-9
https://www.darpa.mil/news/2025/companies-targeting-quantum-computers
References:
Dzurak, A. et al. “Industry-compatible silicon spin-qubit unit cells exceeding 99% fidelity.” Nature, 24 September 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09531-9
Keywords: Quantum computing, Silicon spin-qubits, Fault tolerance, Semiconductor manufacturing, CMOS processes, Quantum fidelity, Quantum processors, Utility-scale quantum computing, Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, Diraq, imec
