Photon Queue, a quantum technology company building high-efficiency quantum storage for next-generation quantum computing systems, today announced it has received $500,000 in grant funding to establish a presence in New Mexico.
The funding includes support from the New Mexico Economic Development Department and Roadrunner Venture Studios, and will help Photon Queue expand its operations into Albuquerque, where the company plans to hire locally, lease space in Roadrunner’s quantum lab, and build out assembly, testing and verification capabilities for its quantum memory devices.
“New Mexico is quickly becoming one of the most important places in the country for quantum technology,” said Nathan Arnold, founder and CEO of Photon Queue. “As our technology moves from the lab into real-world quantum systems, this grant enables us to grow in a state that understands both deep science and commercialization. Albuquerque offers the technical talent, infrastructure and ecosystem support we need as we turn high-performance quantum memories into scalable products.”
Photon Queue, which was founded in 2024 and spun out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is developing free-space quantum memories that store photons using linear optics at room temperature without cryogenics, vacuum systems or complex transduction. The technology is designed to help solve one of the biggest challenges in scaling quantum computers: ensuring photons arrive at exactly the right place and time.
New Mexico will serve as a future hub for device assembly, testing, verification and manufacturability work, with a focus on supporting customers and partners working to scale quantum computing systems.
“Photon Queue is exactly the kind of high-growth, high-impact company New Mexico is working to attract and support,” said Nora Meyers Sackett, Director of EDNM’s Technology & Innovation Office. “The company’s decision to establish operations here reflects the strength of New Mexico’s emerging quantum ecosystem and our commitment to investing in the next generation of advanced technology jobs.”
As quantum computing moves toward commercially meaningful scale, the ability to connect processors and precisely manage the movement of photons across systems will become increasingly important. Photon Queue is developing quantum memory technology designed to address this synchronization challenge with a simpler, more scalable architecture that delivers high efficiency, high bandwidth and broad compatibility while operating at room temperature.
Roadrunner Venture Studios, which supports deep tech startups in New Mexico and across the country, will also play a key role in Photon Queue’s expansion through lab space and commercialization support.
“Photon Queue is building foundational infrastructure for the quantum computing industry, and we are excited to bring that work to New Mexico and the Roadrunner Quantum Lab,” said Adam Hammer, CEO and Co-Founder at Roadrunner Venture Studios. “By locating key operations here, Photon Queue is adding to the state’s growing quantum cluster and creating a pathway for more advanced technology companies to build in New Mexico and ultimately in America.”
About Photon Queue
Photon Queue is a leader in building high-efficiency quantum memories for the quantum computing era. Founded in 2024 and spun out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Photon Queue develops free-space quantum memories. The company is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, and is expanding operations into New Mexico. Photon Queue is a graduate of the Duality Quantum Accelerator, a corporate partner of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, and its founder and CEO Nathan Arnold is a fellow at Chain Reaction Innovations at Argonne National Laboratory.
About Roadrunner Venture Studios
Roadrunner is the nation’s first venture studio purpose-built for hard science company creation. The studio works with national labs, research institutions, and venture capital firms to turn research in advanced energy, robotics, and quantum into scalable, venture-backable companies. For more information, visit roadrunnerventurestudios.com.
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