UofG partners with Oxford Instruments NanoScience on quantum computing

Published: 21 January 2021

The University of Glasgow is using Oxford Instruments’ next generation Cryofree® refrigerator, Proteox, as part of its research to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum computing in the UK.

The University of Glasgow, a pioneering institution at the leading edge of quantum technology development and home of the Quantum Circuits Group, has announced it is using Oxford Instruments’ next generation Cryofree® refrigerator, Proteox, as part of its research to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum computing in the UK.

“We’re excited to be using Proteox, the latest in cryogen-free refrigeration technology, and to have the system up and running in our lab,” commented Professor Martin Weides, Head of the Quantum Circuits Group at the James Watt School of Engineering.An image of the Proteox refrigerator installed in the Quantum Circuit Group's laboratory

“Oxford Instruments is a long-term strategic partner and today’s announcement highlights the importance of our close collaboration to the future of quantum computing development. Proteox is designed with quantum scale-up in mind, and through the use of its Secondary Insert technology, we’re able to easily characterise and develop integrated chips and components for quantum computing applications.”

The University of Glasgow, its subsidiary and commercialisation partner, Kelvin Nanotechnology, and Oxford Instruments NanoScience are part of a larger consortium supported by funding from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, granted in April 2020. The consortium partners will boost quantum technology development by the design, manufacture, and test of superconducting quantum devices.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the major contribution Oxford Instruments is making towards pioneering quantum technology work in the UK,” said Stuart Woods, Managing Director of Oxford Instruments NanoScience. “With our 60 years of experience of in-house component production and global service support, we are accelerating the commercialisation of quantum to discover what’s next – supporting our customers across the world.”

Proteox is a next-generation Cryofree® system that provides a step change in modularity and adaptability for ultra-low temperature experiments in condensed-matter physics and quantum computing industrialisation. The Proteox platform has been developed to provide a single, interchangeable modular solution that can support multiple users and a variety of set-ups or experiments. It also includes remote management software which is integral to the system design, enabling, for example, the system to be managed from anywhere in the world. To find out more, visit 


First published: 21 January 2021

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