PsiQuantum, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Mitsubishi Chemical announce partnership to design energy-efficient materials on PsiQuantum’s fault-tolerant quantum computer

Through its Qlimate partnership, PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) will support  Mitsubishi Chemical research to model and analyze energy-efficient materials towards a low-carbon  society.  

PALO ALTO, Calif. – January 24, 2024 – PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group today  announced that they are beginning work with Mitsubishi Chemical Group on a joint project to simulate  excited states of photochromic molecules which have widespread industrial and residential potential  applications such as the development of smart windows, energy-efficient data storage, solar energy  storage and solar cells, and other photoswitching use cases. 

Qlimate, a PsiQuantum-led initiative that includes MUFG as a partner, focuses on using fault-tolerant  quantum computing to crack the most challenging computational problems and accelerate the development of scalable breakthroughs across climate technologies, including more energy-efficient  materials.  

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is committed to supporting the world’s transition to a  sustainable future, and to encourage industry access to the most promising breakthrough technologies.  By pioneering PsiQuantum’s Qlimate solutions with industry leader Mitsubishi Chemical, MUFG is at the  forefront of quantum computing for sustainability. 

This joint project will determine whether high-accuracy estimates of excited state properties are feasible  on early-generation fault-tolerant quantum computers, specifically focusing on diarylethenes used for  energy-efficient photoswitching applications. The project will allow Mitsubishi Chemical to gain early  insights into how and when fault-tolerant quantum computing can be deployed in support of critical,  scalable, sustainable materials. 

Because predicting the optical properties of materials requires complex analysis of excited states,  standard algorithmic techniques for simulating these molecules (such as the Density Functional Theory,  or DFT) often produce qualitatively incorrect results. The project will bring together Mitsubishi  Chemical’s deep experience of computational chemistry and PsiQuantum’s leading expertise in fault tolerant quantum computing to push the boundaries of approaching the complex physics in these systems and pave the way to developing new, more powerful energy-efficient photonic materials.  

Philipp Ernst, Head of Solutions at PsiQuantum, said: 

“PsiQuantum has dedicated teams who identify, describe and solve complex problem sets with best-in class quantum algorithms. These are designed specifically to run on fault-tolerant quantum computers 

and will tackle previously-impossible computational challenges. This partnership will leverage our team’s  unique know-how and Mitsubishi Chemical’s expertise in photochromic materials. We are grateful for  MUFG’s visionary support in our mission to deploy high-impact quantum computing solutions to fight  climate change.”  

Suguru Azegami, Managing Director, Sustainable Business Division, MUFG said: “We are excited to partner with PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi Chemical on our journey to explore  possibilities of quantum computing technologies to solve the imminent global challenge. PsiQuantum’s  vision to develop the first utility scale quantum computer before the end of the decade has inspired us,  which led our initiative to participate in the Qlimate partnership as the first and sole member from  Japan. Mitsubishi Chemical is leading efforts to use the cutting-edge technology to develop next  generation materials and we are honored to support the company as its long term financial partner. 

Qi Gao, Senior Chief Scientist, Mitsubishi Chemical said: 

“We are pleased to be part of the partnership and are grateful for MUFG’s support. Mitsubishi  Chemical’s over 40 years background in computational chemistry and PsiQuantum’s domain specific  knowledge for quantum control is a great fit with the collaboration effort of improving calculation  accuracy on quantum device. We hope the partnership will accelerate the innovation of revolutionizing computational studies in chemistry and materials science.” 

About PsiQuantum 

PsiQuantum is a private company, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The  company’s only mission is to build and deploy the world’s first useful, large-scale quantum computer.  Many teams around the world today have demonstrated prototype quantum computing systems, but it  is widely accepted that much larger systems are necessary in order to unlock transformational  applications across drug discovery, climate technologies, finance, transportation, security & defense and  beyond. PsiQuantum’s photonic approach enables rapid scaling via direct leverage of high-volume  semiconductor manufacturing and cryogenic infrastructure. The company is partnered with the SLAC  National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University and Sci-Tech Daresbury in the United  Kingdom. Learn more at www.psiquantum.com 

Follow PsiQuantum: LinkedIn 

Media Contact: Alex Mack media@psiquantum.com 

© 2023 PsiQuantum. PsiQuantum and the PsiQuantum logo are registered or pending registration  trademarks of PsiQuantum, Corp., in the United States and other countries. 

About Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) 

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups.  Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with  approximately 2,000 locations in more than 50 countries. The Group has about 160,000 employees and  offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance,  asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group”  through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial  needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world.  MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. For more information,  visit https://www.mufg.jp/english.

About the Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation 

Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation (TSE: 4188) is a specialty materials group with an unwavering  commitment to lead with innovative solutions to achieve KAITEKI, the well-being of people and the  planet. We bring deep expertise and material science leadership in core market segments such as  mobility, digital, medical and food. In this way, we enable industry transformation, technology  breakthroughs, and longer, more fruitful lives for us all. Together, around 70,000 employees worldwide  provide advanced chemistry-based solutions to deliver the core elements of our slogan — “Science.  Value. Life.” For further information, please visit our website: https://www.mcgc.com/english/

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