Disrupting Quantum Scale: Poolad Imany Says Bigger Machines May Be the Wrong Answer
On Disruption Interruption, Poolad Imany explains why quantum computing's next scaling breakthrough may depend on connecting smaller systems rather than larger machines. Through Icarus Quantum, Imany is developing room-temperature photonic interconnects designed to help quantum processors scale beyond today's cryogenic limits.
TAMPA BAY, Fla., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced more than $2 billion in planned federal incentives for nine quantum companies, targeting engineering challenges that still stand between today's systems and utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing. Quantum computers are being developed for complex problems in areas such as drug discovery, materials science, optimization, and artificial intelligence (AI), but reaching that potential requires more quantum bits, or qubits. As those systems grow, so do the cooling, wiring, and infrastructure for stability.
On this episode of Disruption Interruption, host Karla Jo Helms (KJ) speaks with Poolad Imany, Founder and CEO of Icarus Quantum, about why quantum computing may need to become modular. "We know how to make decent-sized quantum computers," Imany says. "But we can't make them the size of a football field."
Why Bigger Quantum Computers Hit a Cooling Wall
The quantum processor itself can be small, but these systems are highly sensitive to heat and environmental noise. Depending on the technology, quantum processors may need to operate extremely close to absolute zero. "For superconducting qubits, for example, it's tens of millikelvin," Imany says. "This is colder than deep space."
Much of the visible size of a quantum computer comes from the cryogenic equipment surrounding the chip. Wiring must travel through that environment to control individual qubits, and as the number of qubits increases, so does the amount of wiring and the heat those components introduce.
Useful large-scale quantum systems could eventually require 100,000 to 1 million qubits, Imany says, while the largest systems today are closer to 1,000. "We're a couple of orders of magnitude away," he says. Reaching that scale with the same architecture would mean running far more cables through the cryogenic environment, adding heat that becomes increasingly difficult to remove as the system grows.
For Imany, that makes building a larger machine impractical. "If you want to scale something, you modularize," he says. "This happened in the semiconductor industry."
The Modular Path to Quantum Data Centers
Icarus Quantum grew out of research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where Imany worked in the Quantum Nanophotonics Group before founding the company. That research helped shape Icarus Quantum's approach to connecting quantum processors without extending the cooling system.
The company is developing photonic interconnects designed to link separate quantum processors using light. The processors remain inside their cryogenic environments while the connections between them can operate at room temperature. "If you want to build a quantum data center, then inevitably it has to be modularized," Imany says. "Then you can scale the system without an exponential cryogenic overhead."
This kind of interconnect infrastructure could become important as quantum systems grow, regardless of which processor technology leads the market. The goal is to make it possible for many smaller quantum systems to operate together rather than forcing all of the computing power into one machine.
For Imany, even if different quantum technologies ultimately coexist, he expects modularity to remain part of the architecture. "Ten years from now, I imagine that one of these modalities is going to end up being the winner, or maybe a couple of them," Imany says. "But modularity is going to be there nevertheless."
Links
Disrupting the Quantum Scaling Trap: Turning Quantum Computers into Modular Systems with Poolad Imany
Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today's biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/poolad-imany
Company Website: https://www.icarusquantum.com
About Disruption Interruption™
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About Poolad Imany
Poolad Imany is the Founder and CEO of Icarus Quantum, a Boulder, Colorado-based quantum technology company developing interconnects for scalable quantum computing and networking. An expert in quantum light generation and quantum networking, Imany received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University and later conducted postdoctoral research at NIST. He founded Icarus Quantum to commercialize quantum technologies originating from NIST research for scalable quantum networking and computing systems.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
References
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2026, May 21). Department of Commerce announces letters of intent with 9 companies for $2 billion to accelerate U.S. leadership in quantum computing. nist.gov/news-events/news/2026/05/department-commerce-announces-letters-intent-9-companies-2-billion
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (n.d.). Quantum Networking and Transduction Group. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from nist.gov/ctl/quantum-communications-division/quantum-networking-and-transduction-group
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