IonQ looks to build out its quantum capabilities through acquisition
There is some consolidation happening in the quantum sector. Quantum company IonQ is looking to acquire a firm specialising in quantum-safe encryption called ID Quantique for about US$250 million. IonQ is wanting to grow beyond just its central quantum computing business by also buying the assets from US-based quantum networking company, Qubitekk.
Amazon releases quantum computing chip Ocelot
Amazon Web Services has released its quantum computing chip called Ocelot, which it believes that the chip can be scaled up into a working machine. It has not disclosed when this may happen, but Amazon thinks the chip has sped up the process for building a machine by as much as five years. Amazon Web Services sates that Ocelot only uses nine physical qubits to yield one working logical qubit, rather than about one million to yield a useful number of logical qubits.
Microsoft unveils first quantum computing chip using topological qubits
Microsoft has unveiled its first quantum computing chip and did so by creating a new state of matter, which it calls a topological state. In what it is calling Majorana 1, the chip it has a semiconductor of eight topological qubits using indium arsenide and uses aluminium as a superconductor. Microsoft achieved this by spraying atom by atom to get the materials to perfectly line up. Microsoft said that this is why we need a quantum computer, as understanding these materials is incredibly difficult. | 
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