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Australian quantum computing company Diraq and digital infrastructure provider Equinix are preparing an unusual experiment for the data center industry. In October 2026, the companies plan to install an eight-qubit quantum computer based on silicon spin qubits at an Equinix commercial data center in Sydney.
If completed as planned, the deployment will mark the first silicon spin quantum computer to operate inside a shared commercial data center. This is not a dedicated laboratory with conditions built around the machine. The quantum system will instead operate alongside conventional servers, CPUs and GPUs in an active data center environment.
A quantum computer without a dedicated facility
The system will feature an eight-qubit silicon chip, with its cryogenic cooling and control electronics contained within the system itself. The complete setup is designed to fit into the existing data center infrastructure and consume less than 20 kW of power.
Diraq says the surrounding infrastructure should not need to be redesigned as the number of qubits increases. Scaling up would require replacing the quantum chip rather than rebuilding the rest of the system. The Sydney deployment is intended to test whether that concept holds up outside controlled laboratory conditions.
The Diraq team outside the office. Image: unsw.edu.au
And that is where the project becomes particularly interesting. Data centers are not especially interested in how exotic a piece of hardware is. They care about power, cooling, networking, physical space and predictable operation. Diraq's quantum computer is about to face that rather less glamorous test alongside everything else in the facility.
Quantum computing alongside AI and cloud infrastructure
Diraq and Equinix plan to evaluate the system in a live commercial data center with network connectivity, remote monitoring and secure integration with conventional CPUs and GPUs. The companies will also examine how quantum computing can operate alongside the cloud and AI infrastructure already deployed at the facility.
The goal is not to replace conventional computers. Quantum systems are expected to work alongside classical infrastructure and handle specific workloads that may be difficult for today's most powerful conventional machines. The result could be a hybrid architecture in which CPUs, AI accelerators and quantum processors each handle different parts of a workload.
Image: Equinix
For Diraq, the deployment is also a test of its approach to scaling quantum hardware. The company uses silicon spin qubits manufactured with technology related to the semiconductor processes used for modern chips. That could allow quantum processors to take advantage of existing manufacturing infrastructure rather than requiring an entirely separate production ecosystem.
Diraq ultimately aims to place millions of qubits on a single silicon chip. The company sees standard data centers as potential homes for future systems and envisions facilities that could eventually host entire fleets of quantum computers.
For now, however, the story starts with eight qubits in Sydney. Installation is expected to be completed in October 2026. If the experiment succeeds, data center operators may have another type of hardware to consider when planning infrastructure. Server racks, GPUs and cooling systems are already routine. Quantum computers are apparently trying to join the list.