The Race to Build the First Scaled Quantum Computer with Jeff Thompson from Logiqal
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Episode Description
World quantum expert and professor Jeff Thompson, founder of Logiqal, shares his journey from academia (at Yale, Harvard, MIT, and Princeton) to now building the first scaled quantum computer. He explains why the world needs this breakthrough, how Logiqal’s neutral atom technology makes it possible, and what it could unlock for medicine, materials, and the future of innovation.
What You’ll Learn:
- What is quantum?
- Why the world needs a scaled quantum computer
- Jeff’s journey through Yale, Harvard, MIT, and now running a lab at Princeton
- Why failure drives scientific discovery
- How Logiqal is using neutral atom technology and ytterbium
- What quantum could unlock for medicine and materials
- How Jeff balances academia and entrepreneurship
- How he sees the global race for quantum computing
Chapters:
01:58 Intro
08:04 Quantum 101: Bits, Qubits, and Schrödinger’s Cat
09:40 The State of Quantum Today: Early Days, Big Potential
13:19 What Really Counts as a Quantum Computer?
14:35 How Many Qubits Does It Take to Change the World?
19:11 The Quantum Hardware Wars
24:00 Why Yttrium is the Chosen Atom
26:33 Rydberg Gates: Turning Interactions On and Off
28:39 Founding Logiqal: The Challenge of a Lifetime
31:01 Unlocking Quantum: From Pharma to Materials to Mars
37:05 Quantum + AI: Partners, Not Competitors
40:28 What Gets Jeff Out of Bed Every Morning
41:07 Books That Shaped a Quantum Founder
42:17 The Time for Quantum is Now
Follow Jeff and Logiqal:
- Jeff Linkedin: http://bit.ly/46fkFav
- Logiqal Linkedin: http://bit.ly/48aizLA
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