Vishal Chatrath, CEO and co-founder of QuantrolOx, is interviewed by Yuval.
Key points are:
- Background and Journey: Vishal has a diverse tech background, from semiconductors to working at Nokia, and has been an entrepreneur focused on deep tech since 2010. He co-founded QuantrolOx in 2021 with a team from the University of Oxford.
- Company Focus: QuantrolOx aims to automate the tuning of qubits in quantum computers through machine learning-based software, effectively serving as an "autopilot" for these complex systems.
- How It Works: The software operates in real-time and makes decisions at microsecond intervals based on the quantum computer's readouts. It adjusts the shape of the pulses sent back to the quantum computer for optimal performance.
- Software vs Hardware: While it is a software product, it integrates closely with the control hardware at the FPGA level, setting it apart from higher-layer solutions like Qiskit.
- Market Strategy: Initially, the focus is on superconducting qubits due to market volume. However, the software is designed to be hardware-agnostic in the future.
- Real-Time Calibration: The software operates continuously, making real-time adjustments to keep the qubits in an optimal state, and is designed to scale as quantum systems grow in complexity.
- Machine Learning: Bayesian optimization and Gaussian processes are employed for efficient learning, given the high cost and scarcity of data in quantum systems.
- Future Plans: QuantrolOx aims to extend its software to control the entire quantum computer end-to-end and is considering future integration with the openQASM layer.
- Company Details: The company has raised over $5 million in venture funding and received over $3 million in grants. It operates out of Finland and Oxford and has a team of 19 people.
- Learnings and Aspirations: Vishal emphasizes the need for more comprehensive automation in the fragile world of quantum systems. He envisions QuantrolOx becoming a software layer that controls the entire quantum computer.
