Google Expands into Neutral-Atom Quantum Computing

Google Quantum AI appointed Dr. Adam Kaufman (JILA Fellow, University of Colorado Boulder) to lead a new neutral-atom quantum computing team - a second hardware modality alongside its superconducting program. Neutral-atom arrays already exist at 10,000 qubits with reconfigurable "any-to-any" connectivity.

Why This Matters: Google's dual-modality strategy directly hedges the fast-clock vs. slow-clock uncertainty outlined in its own whitepaper. Neutral-atom platforms scale efficiently in the "space dimension." Google's cryptocurrency whitepaper notes that slow-clock (neutral-atom/ion-trap) CRQCs will be able to launch at-rest attacks even before on-spend attacks become feasible - and the Oratomic paper published the same week demonstrates this path is more accessible than previously thought.