In a milestone for India’s quantum-computing hardware ecosystem, Amaravati Quantum Valley (AQV) has achieved indigenous dilution refrigerator successfully, reaching 4 Kelvin, or minus 269 degree centigrade, at the Quantum Reference Facility at Medha Towers, Amaravati.
According to sources, this is one of the coldest temperatures achieved in a research facility in India with more than 80 per cent domestically sourced components.
Operating at 4 Kelvin enables testing and characterising technologies that are building blocks of future quantum computers, secure communication systems, advanced sensing platforms, and next-generation scientific innovation.
“The positive thing about this achievement is that we have done it with more than 80 per cent domestic components. This is a boost for ‘Make in India’ initiatives,” said C V Sridhar, mission director, Andhra Pradesh State Quantum Mission, and one of the architects of the Amaravati Quantum Valley (AQV).
In September last year, scientists, researchers, startups and industry leaders met Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and presented an assessment showing that nearly 85 per cent of the components required for quantum computing infrastructure could be developed within India.
Recognising the scale of the opportunity, the government and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh called for creating an indigenous quantum hardware ecosystem on the vision: “Made in Amaravati for the World.”
Amaravati Quantum Valley partnered Qbit Force and Qubitech to map India’s quantum hardware supply chain and identify opportunities for indigenous development, particularly in cryogenic technologies.
In April, this effort led to the establishment of India’s first Quantum Reference Facilities at Medha Towers and SRM University, also in Andhra Pradesh.
These facilities were created to provide startups, researchers, academic institutions, national laboratories and industry partners access to advanced testing and validation infrastructure for quantum hardware developed in India.
“This is a welcome development. Though lower temperatures have been clocked before, most of them were achieved through imported components,” said Gopi Balasubramanian, chief executive officer and founder of XeedQ, a company that makes room-temperature diamond quantum computer.
The Quantum Reference Facility serves as a national testbed and validation platform for quantum technologies. It enables the development, integration, testing and validation of critical components across cryogenic systems, vacuum engineering, control electronics, processor technologies and quantum control systems. Several indigenous technologies, including precision power supplies, quantum control software, electronic modules and other critical hardware components, are being evaluated and validated on the platform.
