Infleqtion, the Boston‑based pioneer of neutral‑atom quantum computing, announced on Monday a partnership with Silicon Light Machines (SLM), a Silicon Valley micro‑electro‑mechanical systems (MEMS) company. The deal will embed SLM’s novel Displacement Phase Modulator (DPM™) into Infleqtion’s laser‑tweezers platform, promising to slash operation times and pave the way for the next generation of scalable quantum processors. The collaboration follows Infleqtion’s own announcement that it will go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp X, positioning the company for a rapid expansion of its commercial footprint.

How SLM’s MEMS Tech Speeds Up Quantum Operations

SLM’s DPM™ is a silicon‑germanium (SiGe) MEMS device that acts as a piston‑style phase modulator, moving a reflective element without physical contact. By integrating this modulator directly onto CMOS drivers, the system can change the optical phase of a laser beam in nanoseconds, orders of magnitude faster than conventional acousto‑optic or electro‑optic modulators. The high‑speed, non‑contact design eliminates mechanical wear and reduces thermal drift, two common culprits that limit the fidelity of quantum operations.

In a neutral‑atom quantum computer, each qubit is a single atom trapped by a tightly focused laser beam, an optical tweezer. To perform a quantum gate, the tweezer’s intensity or phase must be altered precisely and rapidly for the target atom while leaving neighbours untouched. The DPM™’s rapid phase swings enable sub‑microsecond addressing of individual qubits, effectively tightening the time budget for each logical operation. Faster phase modulation also benefits optical multiplexing, where multiple laser beams are routed through a single optical path, and scalable laser‑processing tasks such as parallel qubit loading or re‑tweezing.

“The SLM DPM device represents a breakthrough in fast and scalable atom addressing, our neutral atom quantum computing platform,” said Paul Morton, CTO Photonics at Infleqtion. , Paul Morton, CTO Photonics, Infleqtion

By reducing the latency between command and action, the DPM™ directly translates into shorter runtimes for complex quantum algorithms, a critical metric for any company moving toward practical, fault‑tolerant computation.

Infleqtion’s Laser Tweezers Breakthrough for Scalable Qubits

Infleqtion’s architecture relies on arrays of laser‑based optical tweezers to trap and manipulate thousands of atoms. Each tweezer is generated by a tightly focused laser beam that can be steered rapidly across a two‑dimensional grid. The company’s dual‑species arrays, typically combining rubidium and potassium atoms, allow for low‑overhead mid‑circuit measurement. In practice, one species serves as the data qubits while the other acts as ancillae for error detection, enabling efficient error correction without excessive measurement time.

The laser tweezers’ speed is a function of both the beam‑steering mechanism and the phase‑modulation capability of the underlying optics. With SLM’s MEMS phase modulators, the system can switch beam paths in under a microsecond, preserving the coherence of the trapped atoms. This rapid reconfiguration is essential for implementing multi‑qubit gates that involve moving atoms together, performing entangling operations, and then separating them again.

“Infleqtion leads the field in scaling neutral atom quantum systems,” said Thomas Noel, Vice President of Quantum Computing, Infleqtion. , Thomas Noel, Vice President of Quantum Computing, Infleqtion

The combination of high‑density atom arrays and swift optical control places Infleqtion at the forefront of neutral‑atom research, positioning it to deliver practical quantum processors that can handle the error‑correction overhead required for fault tolerance.

Why Silicon‑Germanium Is Key to Faster Phase Modulation

Silicon‑germanium alloys offer a unique blend of mechanical flexibility and electronic compatibility. In the DPM™ design, a SiGe membrane acts as a piston that moves in response to voltage applied across a CMOS driver. The alloy’s lower stiffness compared to pure silicon allows for larger displacements at lower drive voltages, which translates into higher modulation speed and lower power consumption. Moreover, SiGe can be integrated directly onto standard CMOS wafers, simplifying fabrication and reducing cost.

The non‑contact piston approach also mitigates the problem of acoustic ringing that plagues conventional MEMS resonators. By avoiding physical contact between moving parts, the device experiences less mechanical damping and can achieve a higher quality factor, meaning it can cycle more rapidly without losing amplitude. In practice, this yields phase modulation bandwidths that exceed 100 MHz, comfortably meeting the demands of contemporary neutral‑atom experiments.

The reliability gains are equally significant. Traditional optical modulators suffer from long‑term drift and degradation under high optical power. SiGe MEMS modulators, by contrast, are immune to photothermal effects because the moving element does not absorb light. This stability is critical when operating a quantum computer for extended periods, as even tiny phase errors can accumulate and degrade gate fidelity.

The Strategic Merger Fueling Neutral Atom Quantum Advances

Infleqtion’s decision to merge with Churchill Capital Corp X, a special purpose acquisition company listed on NASDAQ, signals a clear intent to accelerate its commercial trajectory. The merger will provide the capital necessary to scale production, expand research and development, and build out the infrastructure required for a global customer base. It also places Infleqtion in a position to attract strategic partners and institutional investors who are increasingly interested in quantum technologies.

The partnership with SLM is a logical extension of this strategy. By integrating cutting‑edge MEMS phase modulators, Infleqtion can demonstrate tangible performance improvements that will resonate with potential customers in finance, pharmaceuticals, and materials science, industries that demand rapid, high‑fidelity quantum simulations. Moreover, the joint technology stack underscores a broader industry trend: the convergence of photonics and quantum computing, where integrated optics are becoming as vital as superconducting circuits.

“Quantum computing is transitioning from theoretical to transformational,” said Lars Eng, CEO of Silicon Light Machines. , Lars Eng, CEO, Silicon Light Machines

The merger also dovetails with Infleqtion’s broader vision of miniaturizing laser systems, frequency controls, and atom‑addressing optics into photonic integrated circuits (PICs). As the company moves toward a fully integrated platform, the DPM™ will serve as a cornerstone component, ensuring that speed and scalability remain at the heart of its design philosophy.

The collaboration between Infleqtion and Silicon Light Machines illustrates how material science, micro‑fabrication, and quantum physics can converge to deliver real‑world performance gains. By marrying high‑speed SiGe MEMS phase modulators with laser‑tweezers technology, the two firms have carved a path toward faster, more reliable neutral‑atom quantum processors. With a public listing on the horizon, Infleqtion is poised to translate these laboratory breakthroughs into commercial products that could reshape the computational landscape in the coming decade.