Dilution Refrigerator
A cryogenic device that cools quantum processors to near absolute zero (around 15 millikelvin) using a mixture of helium isotopes.
A dilution refrigerator is the cooling system required to run superconducting quantum processors. It works by continuously cycling a mixture of helium-3 and helium-4 through a series of cooling stages, reaching temperatures around 15 millikelvin (0.015 Kelvin), colder than the vacuum of outer space.
At these temperatures, certain metals become superconducting, meaning electrons flow without resistance. Quantum computing circuits built from superconducting materials can only function at these temperatures; at room temperature, thermal noise overwhelms quantum states instantly.
Each dilution refrigerator costs roughly $1-2 million and requires significant expertise to operate. They are large, complex machines, roughly the size of a small car, and their cryogenic systems must run continuously. The infrastructure burden is substantial, which is exactly the problem Maybell Quantum's ColdCloud service is designed to solve.
Maybell Quantum in Denver was founded specifically around the dilution refrigerator problem. Their ColdCloud service provides shared dilution refrigerator access as a cloud product, letting quantum companies focus on algorithms rather than cryogenic plumbing. The name 'The Millikelvin' refers directly to the operating temperature of these systems.