USA Rare Earth, Pasqal, and Riven Systems partner on quantum AI for mineral separation

USA Rare Earth, Pasqal, and Riven Systems have formed a strategic partnership to develop advanced separation technologies for the rare earth value chain. The collaboration integrates quantum machine learning, AI-driven industrial chemistry, and automated experimentation to identify new molecules that bind more effectively to rare earth elements.

The project aims to create smaller, more cost-effective, and less energy-intensive processing facilities. Riven Systems will utilize a self-driving minerals separation laboratory to conduct thousands of automated experiments, generating data to build machine learning models. Pasqal will then use its neutral-atom quantum processing unit (QPU) to benchmark these quantum models against classical computing models.

This initiative seeks to address a significant challenge in the rare earth industry outside of Asia: the separation of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) into individual oxides. Currently, China maintains a dominant position in this capability, particularly regarding heavy rare earths such as dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium. By accelerating the discovery of improved separation chemistry, the partners aim to support a more secure and competitive Western supply chain.