Quantum Valley Investments Facilities
Quantum Valley Investments is located in Waterloo, Ontario in a state-of-the-art facility specifically designed to foster high technology research and development.
This is in addition to the 70,000 square foot Research Advancement Centre 2 (“RAC2”) also occupied by Quantum Valley Investments which is a stone’s throw away in the University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park. RAC2 benefits from significant investments made by both QVI and by the Institute for Quantum Computing (which occupies a portion of RAC2). The two organizations regularly share resources in their pursuit of quantum breakthroughs. RAC2 contains cutting edge research facilities for the development of quantum devices including sensors, actuators and processors. RAC2 houses a complete suite of tools for the design, development and application of solid-state quantum devices. These include unique tools for materials science, low temperature physics and Quiet Labs that are extraordinarily quiet from both an acoustic and vibration perspective. Quantum Valley Investments will continue to develop RAC2 which will focus on core research activities in support of the existing and future quantum technology based businesses developed by QVI.
The combination of these complimentary and strategically situated facilities provides the capacity and infrastructure to enable the Quantum Valley Investment Fund to commercialize technology and to develop the businesses that we have invested in over the past few years, as well as new businesses that we intend to establish in the future.
Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) quantum materials lab (the “Omicron”)
RAC2 is equipped with the first of its kind Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) cluster deposition system for spintronics, topological insulators and devices that rely on proximate physics. The UHV cluster tool was developed by IQC researchers with Omicron Instruments. It complements other growth systems in the lab for single crystal diamond and silicon nano-wires as well as sputtering systems for magnetic tunnel junctions.
The Quiet Labs at RAC2
QVI constructed the specialized “Quiet Labs” at RAC2. The Quiet Labs consist of four labs designed to include vibration, acoustic, magnetic and electromagnetic ratings making them one of the quietest labs in the world, and provide a unique setting in which to build scanning quantum probes whose potential applications include materials to biomedical science. Having such clean environments allows researchers to initially focus their design efforts on the heart of their device, not on environmental noise rejection.
A Brief Update on Our Fund
In March, 2013, Quantum Valley Investments announced the launch of the Quantum Valley Investment Fund. The purpose of the Fund was and continues to be the provision of funding, expertise and support to researchers including those in the Waterloo Region, in commercializing Quantum information science-based technologies. Our goal was, and continues to be, to ensure that the breakthrough technologies in Quantum science that are developed in this Region remain in Canada and the establishment of the Waterloo Region as the “Quantum Valley” of Canada, if not the world.
To date, we have established four separate operating businesses. In each case, we have partnered with world-class researchers and experienced operators with proven track-records to build transformative products for global markets using breakthrough technologies. Two of the operating companies are focused on the application of different Quantum technologies. We continue to support leading edge technologies in the “Classical domain” to help support QVI and associated research and have established two such businesses. We are also in various stages of discussion with other researchers toward the establishment of similar businesses that will be supported by the Fund.