ScienceNov 11, 2026, 12:43 AM UTC·2 min read

Diraq Runs Silicon Spin Quantum Computer in Equinix Data Center

Diraq says it has put an 8-qubit silicon spin quantum computer into operation inside a commercial Equinix data center in Sydney, moving the technology out of the lab.

A quantum computer based on silicon spin qubits installed in a commercial data center rack in Sydney. — Image: اليوم السابع

Diraq has announced that it is running a quantum computer based on electron spin inside a commercial data center operated by Equinix in Sydney, Australia. The company says the move takes a system of this type out of the laboratory and into infrastructure that enterprises already use to host computing systems. The machine currently runs on 8 qubits, the units quantum computers use to process information.

According to Diraq's statement, the system is the first quantum computer based on silicon spin qubits to operate in a shared commercial data center. It occupies roughly 170 square feet (about 16 square meters) and draws less than 20 kilowatts of power. The company plans to scale the same system to 256 qubits next year, using manufacturing techniques derived from the semiconductor industry.

Chip-style manufacturing

Quantum computing relies on processing units that differ from the bits in conventional computers. Diraq's approach exploits the properties of electrons in silicon to build its qubits. The company is betting that fabrication processes similar to those used for ordinary electronic chips can expand processing capacity, while reducing the need to change data center components when the quantum processor is upgraded.

Not yet a practical advantage

Running the system in a data center tests whether quantum computing can be integrated with commercial infrastructure. It does not mean the machine delivers a practical advantage over classical computers in industrial applications, especially with only 8 qubits in operation.

Diraq has also published a report outlining possible future uses of quantum computing in drug and materials development. Estimates of its impact on discovering treatments or lowering their cost remain projections, not results achieved by the system that has just gone live.

The planned jump to 256 qubits within the same installation will be the next indicator of whether the silicon-based approach can scale as the company describes.

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Tags:diraqquantum computingequinixsilicon spin qubitsdata center