The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo: Qubits, Quantum Hardware, and Future Computing

Episodes

• How Quantum Computers Are Designing Better Airplane Wings 22.06.2026 12m

  Episode 67 of The Quantum Computing Podcast explores how quantum computing is transforming aerospace engineering, specifically the design of airplane wings. Lucas and Luna break down a concrete case: how quantum optimization algorithms model airflow around wings more accurately than classical methods, reducing drag and cutting fuel costs. They discuss recent progress from a consortium involving Airbus and a quantum startup, the role of quantum annealers versus gate-based systems, and the challenge of scaling beyond simplified models. Tune in for a grounded look at how quantum advantage is taking shape in one of the most complex engineering domains. #QuantumComputing #Aerospace #AirplaneWings #Airbus #QuantumOptimization #ComputationalFluidDynamics #DragReduction #FuelEfficiency #QuantumAnnealing #GateBasedQuantum #CFD #Startup #Consortium #Technology #FutureComputing #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #QuantumHardware Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need Diamond-Based Qubits 22.06.2026 13m

  Episode 66 of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo dives into the emerging field of diamond-based qubits. Lucas and Luna explore why nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond are gaining traction as a qubit platform, offering room-temperature operation and long coherence times. They discuss recent breakthroughs from teams at Harvard and MIT, where researchers achieved record single-shot readout fidelity of 99.7% in NV centers. The hosts also compare diamond qubits to superconducting and trapped-ion systems, weighing trade-offs in scalability, error rates, and manufacturing costs. A look at how diamond defects could enable practical quantum sensors and small-scale quantum processors before fault-tolerant gate-based machines arrive. #QuantumComputing #DiamondQubits #NVCenters #QuantumHardware #QuantumSensors #Harvard #MIT #QubitReadout #CoherenceTime #RoomTemperature #SuperconductingQubits #TrappedIons #QuantumErrorCorrection #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechPodcast #QuantumFuture Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing Is Redesigning Catalysts for Cleaner Ammonia 21.06.2026 9m

  Episode 65 of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo tackles a specific industrial chemistry problem: the Haber-Bosch process, which produces over 180 million tons of ammonia annually and consumes about 2% of global energy. Hosts Lucas and Luna explore how quantum simulations are being used to design new iron-based catalysts that could lower the process's temperature and pressure requirements, reducing its carbon footprint. Lucas walks through the computational chemistry challenge — the need to model transition-state energies and reaction intermediates across hundreds of atomic configurations — and explains why classical approximations fall short when dealing with nitrogen's triple bond. He cites recent work from a collaboration between researchers at the University of Oxford and a startup called QunaSys, who used a variational quantum eigensolver on a 20-qubit superconducting processor to calculate the binding energy of nitrogen on a stepped iron surface, getting within 2 kilocalories per mole of experimental benchmarks. Luna asks whether this is a near-term use case or a decade-away moonshot, and Lucas points to the specific milestones that would make a quantum advantage plausible within a few years — specifically, the ability to simulate around 50 spin orbitals accurately. The episode closes by noting that even incremental improvements in catalyst design could save hundreds of terawatt-hours per year. #QuantumComputing #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Ammonia #HaberBosch #CatalystDesign #QuantumSimulation #QunaSys #VQE #TransitionState #NitrogenFixation #CleanEnergy #IndustrialChemistry #QuantumAdvantage #Sustainability #CarbonFootprint #MaterialsScience Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need Photonic Interconnects 21.06.2026 9m

  Episode 64 dives into the critical bottleneck of connecting quantum processors. Lucas and Luna explore why classical wiring fails at cryogenic temperatures, how photonic interconnects—using photons instead of electrons—could solve the scaling problem, and what recent experiments from a leading university lab reveal about practical entanglement distribution. They discuss the specific challenge of linking modular quantum cores without destroying fragile qubit states, and why this is the next frontier after error correction. No hype, just the physics and engineering. #QuantumComputing #Photonics #QuantumInterconnects #CryogenicComputing #QubitScaling #EntanglementDistribution #QuantumHardware #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #QuantumNetworking #SiliconPhotonics #ModularQuantum #OpticalFibers #SinglePhotonDetectors #QuantumErrorCorrection #SuperconductingQubits #ResearchLab Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing Is Rewriting Battery Chemistry 20.06.2026 10m

  Lucas and Luna dive into how quantum simulations are accelerating battery research. They focus on a specific breakthrough: a team at the University of Chicago used a trapped-ion quantum computer to model the electron dynamics of a lithium-oxygen battery cathode, achieving a 40 percent reduction in computational steps versus classical methods. The hosts discuss why battery chemistry is so hard to simulate classically, how quantum algorithms like variational quantum eigensolvers handle electron correlation, and what this means for the timeline to better electric vehicle batteries. They also touch on the partnership between automakers and quantum startups, and the role of hybrid classical-quantum workflows in getting to useful results today. A concrete look at one of quantum computing's most promising near-term applications. #QuantumComputing #BatteryTechnology #LithiumOxygen #TrappedIon #UniversityOfChicago #VariationalQuantumEigensolver #QuantumSimulation #ElectronCorrelation #ElectricVehicles #HybridComputing #BatteryChemistry #MaterialScience #QuantumAlgorithms #Technology #QuantumHardware #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing Needs a New Kind of Memory 20.06.2026 9m

  Episode 62 of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo dives into the memory bottleneck facing quantum computers. Lucas and Luna explore why today's classical RAM can't keep up with qubit error correction, and how a startup called Qunnect is building a quantum memory system using diamond defects. They break down the specific challenge: logical qubits require thousands of physical qubits, and each error-correction cycle needs to store and retrieve intermediate results faster than decoherence destroys them. The episode walks through the concept of a quantum cache, the physics of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, and the trade-offs between optical and microwave readout. A concrete look at one of quantum computing's most overlooked hardware problems. #QuantumComputing #QuantumMemory #Technology #Qubits #ErrorCorrection #DiamondDefects #Qunnect #NitrogenVacancy #QuantumCache #Decoherence #LogicalQubits #QuantumHardware #Cryogenics #RAM #QuantumComputingPodcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing Is Tackling Fertilizer Emissions 19.06.2026 8m

  Episode 61 of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo dives into the Haber-Bosch process, the 100-year-old industrial method for making ammonia fertilizer that consumes 2% of global energy and emits 450 million tons of CO2 annually. Lucas and Luna explore how quantum computers could simulate nitrogen fixation at the molecular level, potentially enabling a room-temperature, low-pressure alternative. The episode focuses on the specific challenge of modeling the iron catalyst's active site—a problem too complex for classical computers—and how companies like D-Wave and QC Ware are beginning to prototype quantum simulations. No hype, just a concrete look at a single industrial bottleneck where quantum advantage could have massive climate impact. The hosts also briefly discuss why the show stays ad-free and how listener support helps. #QuantumComputing #HaberBosch #Ammonia #Fertilizer #Emissions #ClimateTech #NitrogenFixation #CatalystSimulation #IndustrialChemistry #DQave #QCWare #QuantumAdvantage #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #QuantumSoftware #GreenChemistry Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need Better Cryogenic Memory 19.06.2026 14m

  Lucas and Luna dig into one of the quietest bottlenecks in quantum computing: memory that works at millikelvin temperatures. Classical DRAM freezes solid below about 40 kelvin. But today's superconducting qubits operate inside dilution refrigerators at roughly 10 to 15 millikelvin — a thousand times colder. Every control pulse and every measurement result currently has to be heat-carrying electrical signals traveling up and down cryostat wiring. Researchers at imec and MIT Lincoln Lab are testing cryogenic CMOS memory arrays designed to function below 4 kelvin. Lucas walks through the numbers: a 16-kilobyte cryo-CMOS test chip that draws under 1 milliwatt and can serve a 100-qubit processor without violating the system's thermal budget. Luna asks whether this is a sideline or a gating factor — and the answer is that without on-chip memory, scaling beyond a few hundred qubits becomes physically impossible. The hosts also touch on why this matters for the broader quantum timeline and how classical semiconductor fabs can adapt existing processes for cryo conditions. #QuantumComputing #CryogenicMemory #CryoCMOS #QubitScaling #SuperconductingQubits #DilutionRefrigerator #imec #MITLincolnLab #ThermalBudget #Millikelvin #MemoryBottleneck #QuantumHardware #ScalingChallenge #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechPodcast #QuantumPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• How Quantum Computing Is Tackling Supply Chain Complexity 18.06.2026 8m

  Supply chains are notoriously chaotic—disruptions ripple across continents, and traditional optimization breaks down under real-world constraints. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how quantum computing is beginning to tackle supply chain complexity, focusing on a 2025 pilot by Volkswagen that used a hybrid quantum-classical solver to route spare parts across European warehouses. They unpack why classical algorithms struggle with multi-echelon inventory problems, how quantum annealers and variational circuits offer a different approach, and what the current hardware limitations mean for deployment today. The conversation covers specific benchmarks: a 127-qubit IBM processor versus a commercial solver, cost savings in the range of 3–5 percent for logistics networks, and why the biggest wins may come from combining quantum with classical heuristics rather than going pure quantum. Listeners will come away understanding the near-term promise and the hard problems that remain—no hype, just the actual state of play as of mid-2026. #QuantumComputing #SupplyChain #Optimization #Volkswagen #Logistics #HybridQuantumClassical #QuantumAnnealing #IBM #Industry #NearTermQuantum #SupplyChainComplexity #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Technology #Podcast #Fexingo #LucasAndLuna #QuantumPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing's Next Challenge: Chip Yield and Manufacturing Defects 18.06.2026 8m

  Episode 58 of The Quantum Computing Podcast shifts focus from qubit design to the brutal economics of fabrication. Lucas and Luna explore why the industry's biggest bottleneck in 2026 isn't error correction — it's chip yield. Drawing on real numbers from Intel's tunnel-fab and IBM's Heron processor, they explain how manufacturing defects that barely matter in classical chips can kill entire quantum processors. The hosts discuss how the industry is borrowing 'known good die' strategies from classical chipmaking, the role of cryogenic wafer probing, and why the first fault-tolerant quantum computers may be assembled from a handful of working modules harvested from dozens of flawed wafers. #QuantumComputing #ChipYield #ManufacturingDefects #QuantumHardware #FaultTolerance #Intel #IBM #HeronProcessor #KnownGoodDie #CryogenicProbing #QubitFabrication #ModularQuantum #Technology #Semiconductors #QuantumEconomics #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need Modular Architectures 17.06.2026 8m

  Lucas and Luna dive into why scaling quantum computers to useful sizes demands a shift from monolithic chips to modular, networked architectures. They discuss the physical limits of packing more qubits onto a single chip, the role of photonic interconnects, and the concrete challenges of linking separate quantum modules without destroying coherence. The episode focuses on recent progress at companies like IonQ and QuTech on building modular traps and mid-circuit interconnect links. Lucas explains why module-to-module error rates must drop below 1 percent for the approach to work, and why today's best demonstrations are still about 10 times too noisy. Luna questions whether modularity adds too much latency for error correction to keep up. The hosts also touch on a listener-supported model that keeps the show ad-free. #QuantumComputing #ModularArchitecture #IonQ #QuTech #PhotonicInterconnects #QubitScaling #QuantumHardware #FaultTolerance #QuantumNetworking #TrappedIons #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #QuantumFuture #CryogenicEngineering #LogicalQubits #MidCircuitMeasurement #CoherenceTime Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need New Compilation Algorithms 17.06.2026 7m

  Episode 56 of The Quantum Computing Podcast dives into quantum compilation — the unsung layer between a programmer's code and a machine's microwave pulses. Lucas and Luna discuss why today's compilers lose 80% of qubit coherence time just scheduling operations, and how a team at the University of Chicago's new method called 'temporal slicing' cuts that overhead in half. They walk through a concrete example: a 50-qubit simulation of a lithium-sulfur battery molecule that would take a classical computer 12,000 years. With temporal slicing, the same simulation runs in 47 hours on a trapped-ion machine. The hosts also explore why hardware-native gate sets force compilers into suboptimal paths, and how the race between superconducting, trapped-ion, and photonic hardware means compilers must be hardware-agnostic. No hype, just the real bottleneck that'll determine whether quantum computing delivers on its timeline. #QuantumCompilation #QubitCoherence #TemporalSlicing #UniversityOfChicago #LithiumSulfurBattery #TrappedIon #SuperconductingQubits #PhotonicQuantum #GateSet #QuantumAlgorithms #Simulation #CompilerDesign #QuantumSoftware #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #QuantumComputing #HardwareAbstraction Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Sensors Are Mapping Underground Resources 16.06.2026 7m

  In this episode of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how quantum sensors — not quantum computers — are already delivering real-world value by mapping underground resources. They dive into a specific case: a 2025 pilot project in Canada where a quantum gravity gradiometer located a deep lithium deposit more accurately than classical methods. The hosts explain how quantum sensing leverages superposition and entanglement to measure gravitational fields with unprecedented precision, and why this technology is leapfrogging full-scale quantum computing in commercial deployment. They discuss the business implications for mining, oil and gas, and geothermal energy companies, and the startup landscape including companies like Q-CTRL and Xanadu that are commercializing these sensors. The episode also touches on the technology's limitations, including current depth constraints and the need for cryogenic cooling, and what the next five years might hold for the sector. A focused, concrete look at a technology that is quietly changing resource exploration today. #QuantumSensors #QuantumGravityGradiometer #LithiumMining #ResourceExploration #QuantumTechnology #MiningTech #GeothermalEnergy #Q-CTRL #Xanadu #QuantumComputing #Superposition #Entanglement #Cryogenics #CanadaMining #DeepDeposits #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #Technology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing Is Optimizing City Traffic Flow 16.06.2026 8m

  Episode 54 of The Quantum Computing Podcast explores how quantum algorithms are beginning to tackle one of the most frustrating urban problems: traffic congestion. Lucas and Luna examine a pilot project in a mid-sized European city where a quantum solver re-routes emergency vehicles and buses in real time. They unpack the specific combinatorial optimization challenge — the 'vehicle routing problem' — and explain why classical computers struggle beyond a few hundred nodes. The episode also discusses the hybrid quantum-classical approach used, the role of dedicated hardware from a startup called Qplanner, and what this means for smart city infrastructure. No hype, just a concrete look at where quantum optimization stands today, June 2026, and how it might scale beyond pilot projects. #QuantumComputing #TrafficOptimization #VehicleRoutingProblem #SmartCities #Qplanner #HybridQuantum #CombinatorialOptimization #CityPlanning #Logistics #QuantumAlgorithms #Startup #PilotProject #RealWorldQuantum #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Technology #QuantumTech #UrbanMobility Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Error Correction Is Becoming Practical at Last 15.06.2026 9m

  In episode 53 of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a breakthrough that's quietly shifting quantum computing from theoretical promise toward practical reality: error correction that actually works at scale. We dive into Google's recent demonstration of a logical qubit with error rates below the surface-code threshold—a milestone that many researchers thought was years away. We explain what a logical qubit is, why error correction has been the field's 'final boss,' and how Google's team used a 17-qubit superconducting processor to encode one reliable qubit. Lucas breaks down the math: physical qubit error rates near 0.1 percent, logical error rates around 0.03 percent. Luna questions whether this can scale to the thousands of logical qubits needed for useful algorithms. We also look at parallel work from IBM and Quantinuum on alternative codes. If you've been waiting for quantum computing to deliver on its hype, this episode explains why error correction might finally be the unlock. #QuantumComputing #ErrorCorrection #GoogleQuantum #LogicalQubit #SurfaceCode #IBMQuantum #Quantinuum #Qubits #QuantumTechnology #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast #Fexingo #LucasAndLuna #QuantumBreakthrough #SuperconductingQubits #QuantumScaling Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Quantum Computing Is Rewriting Drug Discovery Timelines 15.06.2026 14m

  Episode 52 of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo dives into how quantum computers are already being used to simulate molecular interactions that classical supercomputers can't handle. Lucas and Luna break down a specific case: in early 2026, a team at a major pharmaceutical company used a 127-qubit IBM system to model a protein-ligand binding pathway for an oncology target, reducing a simulation that would have taken 10,000 years on classical hardware to just under three hours. They explore what this means for drug development timelines, the limitations of current noisy qubits, and why the pharmaceutical industry is investing billions in quantum infrastructure now. No hype, just the real state of play as of June 2026. #QuantumComputing #DrugDiscovery #Pharmaceuticals #IBM #Qubits #MolecularSimulation #ProteinLigand #Oncology #ClassicalVsQuantum #NoisyIntermediateScaleQuantum #NISQ #QuantumSupremacy #TechPodcast #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #Podcast #Innovation #Healthcare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• How Quantum Computing Is Building Error-Corrected Logical Qubits 14.06.2026 12m

  Episode 51 of The Quantum Computing Podcast dives into the race to build the first error-corrected logical qubit that outperforms physical qubits. Lucas and Luna trace the recent milestone from Google's Willow chip to new surface-code experiments, explaining why logical qubits matter for fault-tolerant quantum computing and how the current 10:1 physical-to-logical ratio is shrinking. They also discuss the practical trade-offs: more qubits vs. better gates, and why 2026 might be the year the field crosses the critical 'break-even' threshold. A concrete look at the engineering challenge defining the next phase of quantum hardware. #QuantumComputing #LogicalQubits #ErrorCorrection #SurfaceCode #GoogleWillow #FaultTolerant #Qubits #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #QuantumHardware #Cryogenics #QuantumErrorCorrection #BreakEven #QuantumSupremacy #QuantumVolume #Scalability #QuantumEngineering Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need Quantum Random Number Generators 14.06.2026 12m

  Episode 50 of The Quantum Computing Podcast explores why quantum random number generators (QRNGs) are becoming essential hardware for quantum computers themselves. Lucas explains how classical random number generators based on pseudorandom algorithms or thermal noise can be predicted or biased, creating a bottleneck for quantum algorithms that rely on true randomness for sampling, optimization, and cryptography. He highlights the work of companies like Quantinuum and ID Quantique, which are integrating QRNG chips directly onto quantum processor control boards. Luna asks whether a QRNG can be considered 'quantum enough' if it's just a laser and a beamsplitter, and Lucas walks through the physics of single-photon detection and the statistical tests that validate true randomness. The hosts discuss how NIST's recent standardization of quantum-resistant cryptography is driving demand for QRNGs that can generate keys securely. The episode also touches on the irony that quantum computers, which threaten classical encryption, need quantum randomness to secure themselves. The conversation closes with the open question of whether QRNGs will become a standard component on every quantum chip, like a GPU shader core. #QuantumRandomNumberGenerator #QRNG #TrueRandomness #QuantumComputing #Quantinuum #IDQuantique #NIST #PostQuantumCryptography #QuantumHardware #RandomNumberGeneration #PhotonDetection #QuantumAlgorithms #Cryptography #Technology #FexingoTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Episode50 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• How Quantum Computing Is Securing the Power Grid 13.06.2026 12m

  Episode 49 of The Quantum Computing Podcast explores how quantum key distribution (QKD) is being tested to protect the aging U.S. power grid from cyberattacks. Lucas and Luna discuss a pilot program by the Department of Energy and a major utility company, using entangled photons to secure communications between substations. They break down how QKD differs from classical encryption, why grid operators are worried about 'harvest now, decrypt later' attacks, and what it means for energy infrastructure in 2026. Specific focus on the Tennessee Valley Authority's testbed in Chattanooga, which began transmitting encrypted grid-control signals over a quantum-secured fiber link in April 2026. The hosts also examine challenges like distance limits and the need for quantum repeaters, and whether this is a near-term fix or a long-term bet. #QuantumComputing #QuantumKeyDistribution #QKD #Cybersecurity #PowerGrid #CriticalInfrastructure #TennesseeValleyAuthority #Chattanooga #DOE #EntangledPhotons #Encryption #HarvestNowDecryptLater #QuantumRepeaters #Technology #InfrastructureSecurity #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #FutureComputing Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
• Why Quantum Computers Need a New Approach to Qubit Reset 13.06.2026 10m

  In this episode of The Quantum Computing Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the critical challenge of qubit reset — the process of returning qubits to a known initial state after each computation. They explore why reset is becoming a bottleneck as quantum processors scale beyond 1,000 qubits, using specific examples from IBM and Google. The hosts discuss two main approaches: passive reset, which relies on natural qubit decay, and active reset, which uses microwave pulses to speed up the process. They explain why active reset is essential for reducing error rates and enabling surface code error correction, and highlight the trade-offs in terms of power consumption and control electronics. The episode also touches on recent research from Delft and the University of Chicago on reset fidelity, and what it means for the roadmap to fault-tolerant quantum computing. If today's tech conversation gave you something usable, consider supporting the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. #QuantumComputing #QubitReset #QuantumHardware #IBM #Google #Delft #UniversityOfChicago #ErrorCorrection #SurfaceCode #FaultTolerant #QuantumProcessor #ActiveReset #PassiveReset #ControlElectronics #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechTrends Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo