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COMPANY RESEARCH / 6728.T

ULVAC

Quantum dilution refrigerators and pulse-tube coolers

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Where it fits in a quantum computer

With ULVAC CRYOGENICS, developed a dilution refrigerator for quantum computers that holds about 10 mK; the first unit was installed at the University of Osaka on Apr 4, 2025 and cools the ‘fully Japan-made’ superconducting quantum computer that began operating there on July 28, 2025. It is also developing a next-generation unit to IBM’s specifications for superconducting-qubit computers, with evaluation at IBM’s Poughkeepsie quantum data center in 2025 and industry deployment scheduled for early 2026 (Mar 21, 2025). ULVAC makes the dilution refrigerators, pulse-tube cryocoolers and vacuum components in house, and the unit won the Japan Vacuum Industry Association’s grand prize for vacuum equipment (May 2026).

What the evidence establishes

Quantum-computing evidence

Disclosed: ULVAC’s releases describe its quantum dilution refrigerator, the Osaka installation and the IBM-specification development, with a quote from IBM’s Jay Gambetta.

An explicit quantum-computing product, design-in, supply role, program or partnership, such as a part sold for quantum computers or a named quantum-computer customer. For a maker, it means the company’s own quantum computers or processors. This does not establish revenue, market share, volumes or future sourcing.

Component roleQuantum dilution refrigerators and pulse-tube coolers
EvidenceDisclosed: ULVAC’s releases describe its quantum dilution refrigerator, the Osaka installation and the IBM-specification development, with a quote from IBM’s Jay Gambetta.
How we knowDisclosed The company’s own filing, release, annual report, product page or investor record describes the quantum-computing role. Where customers are unnamed, the listing says so.
Primary sourceULVAC — supporting disclosure
Company or official disclosure; vendor claims are attributed to their source.
Checked. This is the research review date, not the source publication or quote time.

Keep in perspective

No sales volumes, prices or customers beyond the University of Osaka and IBM’s evaluation are disclosed, and the sources captured do not confirm that the IBM-specification unit entered deployment in early 2026. ULVAC does not break out quantum revenue within its vacuum-equipment businesses.

Diversified business exposure. This describes the breadth or role of the business; it is not an investment rating. A quantum-computing product, design-in or partnership does not by itself establish material quantum revenue, market share, or future returns.

Connections to the assembly

These links explain the technology relationship. The model is illustrative and does not represent an actual manufacturer’s bill of materials.

Mixing chamber & still

The dilution unit. In the mixing chamber, helium-3 crossing from a concentrated into a dilute phase absorbs heat; the still above evaporates it off, and heat exchangers of sintered silver precool the returning stream.

Scope of the company links: The dilution unit is built by the refrigerator maker. ULVAC’s dilution refrigerator cools the University of Osaka’s all-Japanese superconducting quantum computer (running since July 28, 2025), and ULVAC is developing a 10 mK-class model to IBM’s specifications for launch in 2026; QuantumCTek’s ez-Q Fridge F500–F1500 are designed for 100- to 1,000-qubit superconducting machines; FormFactor sells the HPD Flatiron benchtop dilution refrigerator (30 mK); Nippon Sanso has sold e-Dilution refrigerators since 2003 and is developing a larger dilution stage under NEDO; Air Liquide acquired 80% of French maker Cryoconcept in 2020 (current range not verified); and Rigetti’s 10-K says Quanta Computer may develop dilution refrigerators for it under a 2025 collaboration. Private makers include Bluefors, Quantum Design Oxford (the former Oxford Instruments NanoScience), Maybell, Leiden Cryogenics, Zero Point Cryogenics and ICEoxford. Quanta is not mapped here: the collaboration allows statements of work, and Rigetti discloses no delivered refrigerator.

Temperature stages

Gold-plated copper plates at about 50 kelvin, 4 kelvin, 0.8 kelvin (the still), 0.1 kelvin (the cold plate) and 10 millikelvin (the mixing chamber), held apart by thin supports that conduct little heat.

Scope of the company links: The copper stages come with each dilution refrigerator, so the listed refrigerator makers (ULVAC, QuantumCTek, FormFactor, Nippon Sanso) are mapped; stage sizes are published only for some systems, such as the 590 mm sample space of QuantumCTek’s F1100 and the 530 mm plate of private Quantum Design Oxford’s ProteoxLX. Mitsubishi Materials is mapped upstream because it says its high-purity copper (residual resistivity ratio above 3,000) is used in cryogenic-refrigerator components. No source names the copper or gold-plating supplier of any quantum cryostat, and Aurubis (Cu-OFE copper with no cryogenic use cited) is not mapped.

Vacuum can & shields

The outer vacuum can that seals the insert, and the radiation shields nested inside it, each bolted to its own stage, that stop warmer surfaces from shining heat onto colder ones.

Scope of the company links: The outer vacuum can and radiation shields are part of each maker’s cryostat, and no listed company documents cans or shields as a separate product for quantum cryostats, so only the listed dilution-refrigerator makers are mapped. Bluefors (private) sells additional radiation shields and magnetic shielding as options; the magnetic shields around the chip belong to the processor sector.

Pulse-tube cold head

The cold head: a rotary valve that switches the helium flow, regenerators packed with fine metal or rare-earth material, and thin pulse tubes, with a first stage at about 40 kelvin and a second at about 3 kelvin.

Scope of the company links: SHI sells RP-series 4 K pulse tubes (up to 2.0 W at 4.2 K) and says they pre-cool dilution refrigerators; ULVAC makes the pulse tubes for its own dilution refrigerators. The other main maker, Cryomech, has belonged to private Bluefors since Mar 28, 2023, and its PT310-RM is built into Bluefors refrigerators. QuantumCTek uses an unnamed Chinese-made pulse tube, and IHI’s turbo refrigerator for a 10,000-qubit-class system is still in development, so neither is mapped here.

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