Xanadu Quantum Technologies and ASML on September 9, 2026 opened a joint collaboration to develop advanced lithography processes for Xanadu's photonic quantum hardware, targeting one of the industry's stubbornest hurdles on the path to utility-scale quantum computing.
Attacking Optical Loss With Better Lithography
Fault-tolerant photonic quantum processors need very low optical loss to run error-corrected computations at scale. A meaningful share of that loss traces back to line-edge roughness on chip patterning, itself a function of lithography process control. Xanadu and ASML said they will explore lithography-enabled process approaches that could deliver tighter patterning control and lower-loss photonic structures on Xanadu's chips.
Semiconductor Muscle Meets Photonic Quantum
"Fault tolerance and error correction are arguably the most important technical objectives for the quantum computing industry," said Dr. Christian Weedbrook, founder and chief executive of Toronto-based Xanadu. "Collaborating with ASML gives Xanadu the opportunity to explore advanced, industry-leading lithography processes that will support the continued development of our photonic quantum hardware." Stan Baron, Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Team EU-US at ASML, said the collaboration lets the Dutch lithography giant explore how its process expertise can support next-generation photonics applications as the technology matures.
Building A Quantum Supply Chain
The deal deepens Xanadu's position inside the semiconductor supply chain following its CAD $195 million Ottawa manufacturing package and mirrors moves such as SEEQC's cryo-chip MoU with Taiwan's QITPO and Jülich's JION trapped-ion computer. Xanadu is developing PennyLane and room-temperature photonic hardware, and is the first pure-play photonic quantum company to list on public markets (Nasdaq/TSX: XNDU).
What Comes Next
The two companies said the collaboration marks another step toward Xanadu's ambition to build quantum computers useful and available to people everywhere. Neither disclosed a financial value; the announcement frames the work as joint R&D on process approaches rather than a manufacturing purchase order.
Reporting based on coverage from HPCwire and Xanadu.