Singapore's Latest Quantum Milestone: NQFF and Qolab Forge Ahead on Cryogenic Filters

Singapore continues to solidify its position as a global quantum technology hub with a groundbreaking collaboration between the National Quantum Federated Foundry (NQFF) and quantum computing startup Qolab. Announced on February 23, 2026, during the NQFF Industry Day event, this partnership targets the development of wafer-scale cryogenic low-pass filters essential for advancing superconducting quantum chips. The agreement, witnessed by Minister Josephine Teo, underscores Singapore's strategic push in quantum hardware amid surging international interest.

At its core, the initiative addresses a critical bottleneck in quantum computing: protecting delicate qubits from environmental noise. Superconducting qubits, the workhorses of many leading quantum systems, operate at temperatures near absolute zero—around 10-20 millikelvin. High-frequency microwave noise can disrupt these quantum states, leading to decoherence and limiting scalability. Traditional filters are bulky, discrete components that consume valuable space in cryogenic dilution refrigerators. This collaboration aims to integrate compact, manufacturable filters directly onto the same silicon wafers as the qubit circuits themselves, paving the way for denser, more reliable quantum processors.

Decoding Cryogenic Low-Pass Filters: Engineering Quantum Resilience

Cryogenic low-pass filters are specialized components that allow low-frequency control signals to pass while blocking harmful high-frequency noise above a cutoff point, typically in the GHz range. In quantum setups, this cutoff must be precisely tuned—often below 10 GHz—to shield qubits without impeding operations.

The development process unfolds step-by-step: First, NQFF's nanofabrication experts design filter circuits using superconducting materials like niobium or aluminum on silicon wafers. These include inductors, capacitors, and resonators patterned via electron-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. Next, the wafers undergo cryogenic testing in dilution refrigerators to measure insertion loss (signal attenuation), rejection ratio (noise blocking), and thermal performance. Qolab iterates on designs informed by real-world qubit deployment data, optimizing for low crosstalk between adjacent filters on densely packed chips. Finally, the filters will be fabricated at scale, compatible with 200mm or 300mm semiconductor processes familiar to Singapore's chip industry.

• Noise reduction: Up to 40 dB attenuation at key frequencies, minimizing qubit error rates.
• Footprint savings: From bulky off-chip modules to on-wafer integration, freeing dilution fridge real estate.
• Scalability: Supports 1000+ qubits per chip, a stepping stone to fault-tolerant systems.

This innovation draws on Singapore's semiconductor prowess, home to giants like GlobalFoundries and Micron, now extending to quantum realms.

NQFF: The Backbone of Singapore's Quantum Fabrication Ecosystem

The NQFF, incubated at A*STAR's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), operates as a federated platform without its own cleanroom. Instead, it leverages Singapore's world-class infrastructure: A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME) for fabrication, NUS's Centre for Advanced 2D Materials (CA2DM) and E6 Nanofab for specialized processes, and NTU facilities. This network has already produced superconducting qubits, ion traps, photonic circuits, and cryogenic electronics for local researchers.

Principal Investigators (PIs) from NUS and NTU, including those at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT)—a Research Centre of Excellence jointly hosted by NUS and spanning NTU—actively collaborate with NQFF. CQT, with over 260 staff and students across three universities (NUS, NTU, SUTD), pioneers quantum science from fundamental theory to applications in computing, sensing, and communications. For aspiring quantum engineers, programs like NUS's Quantum Engineering undergraduate degree and NTU's quantum-focused PhD fellowships provide hands-on access to these facilities.

Qolab: Nobel-Driven Innovation in Superconducting Quantum Hardware

Co-founded by 2025 Physics Nobel Laureate John M. Martinis (CTO, ex-Google Quantum AI lead on supremacy experiment), CEO Alan Ho (ex-Google product head), and Prof. Robert McDermott (UW-Madison), Qolab targets utility-scale superconducting quantum computers. Their approach emphasizes high-coherence qubits, low-crosstalk gates, and semiconductor-scale manufacturing—300mm wafers for consistency.

"Singapore’s strong capabilities in advanced semiconductor manufacturing makes it an ideal partner for Qolab," Martinis noted, highlighting the synergy. Backed by $16M+ Series A from Applied Ventures, Western Digital, and others, Qolab also leads DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking hardware.

Singapore Universities Fueling the Quantum Revolution

Higher education anchors Singapore's quantum ambitions. NUS hosts CQT headquarters and Quantum Engineering Labs, training over 200 PhD students annually in qubit design and nanofab. NTU's quantum node contributes to NQFF processes, with PIs like Prof. Rainer Dumke advancing ion-trap tech. Recent spin-offs, like NTU-NUS quantum control systems, commercialize university IP.

The National Quantum Computing Hub (NQCH), pooling NUS, NTU, and A*STAR, simulates hybrid quantum-classical systems. Students gain real-world experience via NQFF internships, positioning Singapore unis among global leaders—NUS ranks 8th, NTU 12th in QS 2026.Singapore universities QS rankings

Budget 2026: S$37 Billion Supercharges Quantum Talent and Research

Singapore's Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan commits S$37 billion—a 32% hike—elevating quantum as a strategic pillar. This funds NQFF expansions, CQT nodes at NUS/NTU/SUTD, and scholarships for 500+ quantum postgrads yearly. Impacts include 2,000 new jobs in quantum R&D by 2030, many at universities.

• Enhanced PhD stipends: S$3,000/month plus fees for quantum engineering.
• Industry attachments: Mandatory for NTU/NUS quantum majors.
• Facilities upgrade: S$100M for NUS nanofabs tied to NQFF.

For career seekers, this boom opens doors in academia and startups. Check research jobs or postdoc positions for quantum roles.

Overcoming Quantum Hardware Hurdles with Collaborative Ingenuity

Challenges persist: Qubit coherence times hover at 100 microseconds, far from million-qubit needs. Cryogenic scaling demands ultra-low power dissipation to avoid fridge overloads. This NQFF-Qolab effort mitigates via on-chip integration, reducing wiring complexity—a notorious scaling killer.

Stakeholder views: NQO's Ling Keok Tong praises it as a supply chain win; academics at CQT see accelerated prototyping. Real-world case: Similar filters boosted IBM's 433-qubit chip yields by 20%.Learn more on NQFF

Global Deployment and Singapore's Supply Chain Ascendancy

Prototypes target deployment in UCLA quantum systems by late 2026, validating Singapore-fabbed components internationally. This builds on partnerships like France-Singapore (Pasqal-NQFF) and Quantinuum's Helios access via NQO.

Singapore's edge: 50% of global advanced packaging capacity, now quantum-ready. Unis like NUS train talent for this chain, with alumni at Rigetti, IonQ.

Careers in Quantum: Opportunities Abound at Singapore Institutions

The sector demands physicists, nanofab engineers, and cryogenic specialists. NUS/NTU postdocs earn S$60K+, with paths to professorships. Actionable insights:

• Pursue CQT internships for NQFF access.
• Leverage SkillsFuture credits for quantum certs.
• Network at NQFF Industry Days for startups like Qolab.

Explore openings at university jobs, academic CV tips, or professor ratings.

Photo by Logan Voss on Unsplash

Looking Ahead: Fault-Tolerant Quantum on the Horizon

By 2030, this could enable 1M-qubit systems for drug discovery, optimization. Singapore aims for 10% global quantum market share, with unis leading talent export/import. Challenges like talent retention persist, but initiatives like bonded scholarships mitigate them.

In summary, the NQFF-Qolab pact exemplifies how higher education, government, and industry converge for quantum supremacy. Aspiring researchers, now's the time to dive in—Singapore's quantum wave is just building.

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