Pasqal CEO Wasiq Bokhari explains how quantum computing can improve the efficiency of rare earth processing and help the US and its allies strengthen critical mineral supply chains.
Quantum computing can give the US and its allies a new tool in the effort to reduce dependence on China for critical rare earth elements, with one technology company betting emerging technologies can make extracting and processing limited Western supplies more efficient.
Pasqal is collaborating with USA Rare Earth and Riven Systems to explore how quantum computing, artificial intelligence and rapid chemical testing can improve the separation and processing of rare earth elements.
Pasqal CEO Wasiq Bokhari told FOX Business that the goal is to obtain more useful rare earth materials from resources already available outside of China.
China, Bokhari explained, has significant control over the global supply and processing of rare earths, while the US and its allies are seeking to develop alternative supply chains for materials used in magnets, electronics, defense systems and advanced manufacturing.
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Pasqal is collaborating with USA Rare Earth and Riven Systems to explore how quantum computing, artificial intelligence and chemical testing can improve rare-earth separation and processing. (Victor Moriyama/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“When we have smaller reserves, it becomes more important to be more efficient in finding these elements,” he said.
Because rare earth elements are generally not found in soil alone, and are mixed with other minerals, their chemical separation can be a complex process.
Bokhari said quantum computing can model molecules and compounds containing rare earths at a deeper level, potentially helping researchers identify properties that can be exploited to separate valuable materials more efficiently.
“What we can do is we can model molecules or compounds that contain these rare earth elements … we can identify specific properties that can be exploited and then separate them more effectively from other things that are not rare,” he said.
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Pasqal CEO Wasiq Bokhari told FOX Business that quantum computing could help make the extraction and processing of the limited supply of rare earths more efficient. (FOX Business / Fox News)
Pasqal partnered with USA Rare Earth, which brought rare earth resources and processing expertise to the project, and Riven Systems, which specializes in rapid chemical experiments and testing.
Bokhari said the effort highlights how the U.S. and its allies can combine advanced technologies to reduce dependence on foreign-controlled critical supply chains.
The implications could extend beyond mines and processing facilities, Bokhari said, as rare earths are used in critical technologies ranging from defense systems to advanced electronics.
“There are these elements, these special ingredients, and now we have to buy them from China. Now let’s say we have a sensitive situation where we still need these ingredients, but now someone else can control them,” he said.
“They can shorten the supply, which means we won’t have access to these materials for defense-related or non-defense-related applications,” he said.
“During the era of COVID, we see what can be done in the global supply chain. This is even more important because it is a very large supply chain and it is a high-value component.”
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China controls a significant part of the global rare earth supply and processing chain, while the US and its allies are working to develop alternative sources. (Bert van Dijk/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Even relatively small improvements in the stages of the separation process can lead to larger results, Bokhari said.
“For every ton of rock that I put in, I want to get a certain amount of rare earth elements. And if I can increase it by a factor of two, a factor of three, a factor of 10, that’s really important.
| Ticker | Security | Finally | Change it | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSQL | PASQAL HOLDING SA | 6.99 | -0.35 |
-4.77% |
While traditional computers are great at many tasks, Bokhari says quantum systems can have advantages when it comes to modeling materials, chemicals and molecules or searching for large-scale solutions.
Bokhari compares today’s quantum computing to artificial intelligence (AI) before ChatGPT and other generative AI tools pushed the technology into mainstream consciousness.
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Rare earth elements are used in technologies ranging from advanced electronics and manufacturing to US defense systems. (iStock)
“It’s been working under the radar for the longest time,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, there’s this aha moment, ‘Oh, here’s something I can say.'”
“I would say as a comparison, quantum computing was only a few years ago,” he said. “I’m going to see the kind of impact we can make from quantum computing, the same size as the impact you’ll see from Gen AI. We’re only a few years away.”
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Bokhari rejects the notion that practical quantum computing remains science fiction.
“Don’t think of quantum computing as something in the future. For Pasqal, it’s here now,” Bokhari said. “Finally, it’s now solving a real business problem.”