Quantum Design Acquires Oxford Nanoscience to Create Major Quantum Equipment Company

At a glance

US company Quantum Design has acquired the nanoscience business of UK company Oxford Instruments, launching Quantum Design Oxford. The merger makes the two companies the world's largest supplier of materials measurement equipment and large cryogenic devices.

Key points

1. 1

   Oxford Instruments tried to sell its nanoscience business in 2024, and the acquisition was completed in January 2026.

2. 2

   The company has technology to make cryogenic equipment (technology for handling extremely low temperatures) and strong magnets of up to 20 tesla.

3. 3

   Dilution refrigerators (devices that cool temperatures down to a few millikelvin) have become essential equipment for building and testing quantum computers.

4. 4

   Quantum Design plans to use its global sales and customer support network to reach industrial quantum computer customers faster.

Why it matters

Building quantum computers requires cryogenic equipment, so who supplies this equipment affects the speed of progress in quantum technology.