Modular distributed cryogenic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416950-B2
Application number	US-202318864314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2023
Priority date	May 12, 2022
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A modular distributed cryogenic distribution system, comprising: a common chamber housing cryogenic fluid conduits; and a plurality of cryochambers connected to the common chamber. A method of operating a modular distributed cryogenic distribution system comprising a common chamber housing cryogenic fluid conduits, and plural cryochambers connected to the common chamber, includes raising one the plurality of cryochambers room temperature while a second one of the plurality of cryochambers operates at a cryogenic temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular distributed cryogenic distribution system, comprising:
a common chamber housing cryogenic fluid conduits; a plurality of cryochambers connected to the common chamber; and
valves configured to fluidly isolate each cryochamber from the cryogenic fluid conduits in the common chamber,
wherein a first one of the plurality of cryochambers is raisable to room temperature while a second one of the plurality of cryochambers continues to operate at a cryogenic temperature.

2. A modular distributed cryogenic distribution system, comprising:
a common chamber housing cryogenic fluid conduits; a plurality of cryochambers connected to the common chamber; and
a vacuum pump which is configured to maintain the common chamber and the plurality of cryochambers at vacuum during operation.

3. The modular distributed cryogenic distribution system of claim 2 , wherein the common chamber comprises a loop, and the vacuum pump is located in a central hub chamber surrounded by the loop.

4. The modular distributed cryogenic distribution system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of cryochambers are connected to the loop via respective bulkheads comprising feedthroughs.

5. A modular distributed cryogenic distribution system, comprising:
a common chamber housing cryogenic fluid conduits; and
a plurality of cryochambers connected to the common chamber, wherein each of the plurality of cryochambers comprises a quantum computing chip.

6. A modular distributed cryogenic distribution system, comprising:
a common chamber housing cryogenic fluid conduits; and
a plurality of cryochambers connected to the common chamber, wherein each of the plurality of cryochambers further comprises a liquid helium chamber in thermal connection with a quantum computing chip and fluidly connected to the cryogenic fluid conduits.

7. The modular distributed cryogenic distribution system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of cryochambers further comprises:
a vacuum plenum enclosing the liquid helium chamber and the quantum computing chip; and
a liquid nitrogen chamber at least partially enclosing the vacuum plenum and fluidly connected to the cryogenic fluid conduits.

8. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of different cryogenic coolants to a common chamber that comprises cryogenic fluid conduits to circulate the plurality of different cryogenic coolants;
providing the plurality of different cryogenic coolants from the cryogenic fluid conduits to a plurality of cryochambers that are connected to the common chamber, each cryochamber comprising a quantum computing chip that are cooled to a cryogenic temperature by the plurality of different cryogenic coolants;
maintaining a vacuum in the common chamber and the plurality of cryochambers using a vacuum pump that pumps the common chamber;
determining, using one or more processors, that a particular quantum computer chip in one of the cryochambers is malfunctioning;
actuating valves to fluidly isolate the one of the cryochambers;
venting, using a vent, the one of the cryochambers such that the one of the cryochambers is set to ambient pressure;
opening an access door to the one of the cryochambers to replace the particular quantum computing chip with a replacement quantum computing chip;
closing the access door;
creating a vacuum in the one of the cryochambers using the vacuum pump that manages the vacuum in the common chamber; and
actuating the valves to provide the plurality of different cryogenic coolants to the one of the cryochambers to lower a temperature of the one of the cryochambers to the cryogenic temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each cryochamber comprises a bulkhead interface to the common chamber to couple pressure between the common chamber and each cryochamber, and to further transmit data between quantum computing chips in different cryochambers of the plurality of cryochambers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the bulkhead interface of a cryochamber of the plurality of cryochambers comprises: a vacuum interface to control fluid coupling between the common chamber and the cryochamber, an optical signal interface to transmit optical signals between cryochambers, and an electrical signal interface to transmit electrical signals between the cryochambers.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrical signal interface comprises radio frequency (RF) electrical connections and direct current (DC) electrical connections; wherein the vacuum interface comprises a vacuum feed through, and wherein the vacuum interface is operable to isolate the cryochamber from the common chamber.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical signal interface comprises a plurality of optical fiber couplers.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the common chamber comprises a plurality of optical interconnects that optically couple to optical signal interfaces to connect different cryochambers of the plurality of cryochambers.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the common chamber comprises a plurality of electrical interconnects that electrically connect to electrical signal interfaces to connect different cryochambers of the plurality of cryochambers.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the optical interconnects comprises optical fibers.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrical interconnects comprises electrical cables.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of optical interconnects transmit photonic qubits between different cryochambers.

18. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
activating heaters inside the one of the cryochambers to raise a temperature of the one of the cryochambers, wherein the heaters are activated after the valves are actuated to fluidly isolate the one of the cryochambers from the different cryogenic coolants.

19. The method of claim 8 , wherein creating a vacuum in the one of the cryochambers comprises:
individually pumping, using a rough pump, the one of the cryochambers after the access door is closed to place the one of the cryochambers at a pressure that is nearer to a pressure of the common chamber.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein creating a vacuum in the one of the cryochambers comprises:
opening a vacuum valve to fluidly couple the one of the cryochambers to the common chamber; and
pumping, using the vacuum pump of the common chamber, the common chamber and each cryochamber that is fluidly coupled to the common chamber.

21. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of different cryogenic coolants are provided from a cryoplant.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a cryogenic loop system comprises the common chamber and the plurality of cryochambers, wherein the cryogenic loop system further comprises a hub that includes the vacuum pump, wherein the hub is connected through a pressure bulkhead to manage pressure for the common chamber and the plurality of cryochambers.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the hub further comprises a plurality of coolant storage tanks to receive and store the plurality of different cryogenic coolants from the cryoplant, the plurality of coolant storage tanks further connected to the cryogenic fluid conduits to provide the plurality of different cryogenic coolants to the plurality of cryochambers, wherein the hub further comprises one or more hub valves to fluidly isolate the cryogenic loop system from the cryoplant for maintenance of the cryogenic loop system without

Assignees

• Psiquantum Corp

Inventors

• Schiff David
• Mendoza Gabriel
• Najafi Faraz

Classifications

• G06N10/40

  Physical realisations or architectures of quantum processors or components for manipulating qubits, e.g. qubit coupling or qubit control · CPC title

• G06F2200/201

  Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid · CPC title

• B01L2200/028

  Modular arrangements · CPC title

• B01L7/50

  Cryostats · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title