Mohamed Abdel-Kareem

Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, has inaugurated a new laboratory dedicated to exploring quantum effects in carbon-based materials. The CarboQuant project, supported by the Werner Siemens Foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), aims to develop sustainable quantum technologies, including components for quantum computers. The lab, opened on January 30, 2025, focuses on nanographenes and graphene nanoribbons, carbon nanostructures whose atomic precision allows targeted manipulation of quantum effects. At the heart of the lab are two state-of-the-art scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs), equipped with high-frequency microwave radiation to control quantum states such as electron spins. These spins, which can exist in superposition states of “up” and “down,” are [...]

NanoQT, a quantum hardware startup, has opened a new office in College Park, Maryland, to enhance its R&D capabilities and accelerate commercialization efforts in the U.S. The expansion is supported by a partnership with the Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF) and funding from the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Global Gateway Program. Additionally, NanoQT has initiated a collaboration with Professor Mario Dagenais at the University of Maryland, focusing on the development of CMOS-compatible Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for integration into its cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) systems. The collaboration, funded through the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, aims to advance innovations in cavity engineering and explore fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures for modular quantum systems. NanoQT’s presence in Maryland leverages [...]

The University of Calgary (UCalgary), through its Quantum City initiative, has partnered with Switzerland-based QAI Ventures to establish Calgary’s first quantum technology accelerator. The program aims to strengthen Canada’s role as a global quantum innovation hub by bridging the European and North American quantum ecosystems. Startups in the accelerator will gain access to funding, mentorship, and advanced quantum infrastructure, enabling cross-border collaboration and market expansion. The first cohort includes five startups: Qubic (quantum-amplified microwave sensing), SynthBits Inc. (quantum microscopes for medicine), Bosonic (trapped-ion quantum computing), Super Quantique Karma (quantum computing lab-as-a-service), and QuantaSense (quantum-AI imaging and sensing). These startups will benefit from Calgary’s strong research funding and entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as Canada’s $360 million National Quantum [...]

Rigetti Computing has announced its Q4 2024 financial results. A summary of key financial metrics comparing Q4 2024 with Q3 2024 and the year-ago quarter of Q4 2023 is shown in the table below. From a financial standpoint, Rigetti reported $2.3 million in revenue for Q4 2024, reflecting a 4.2% decline from Q3 2024 and a 32.4% drop compared to Q4 2023. The company’s operating expenses rose to $19.5 million, a 4.8% increase from Q3 2024 but a slight 1.0% decrease from Q4 2023. Operating loss stood at $18.5 million, up 6.9% from Q3 2024 and 7.6% from Q4 2023. Notably, [...]

Oxford Instruments NanoScience has launched the TeslatronPT Plus, an open-architecture low-temperature measurement system designed for advanced electrical transport measurements in high magnetic fields. The system integrates Lake Shore’s flagship measurement instrumentation with an upgraded TeslatronPT cryomagnetic platform, featuring Cryofree® superconducting magnets and automated workflows for system cool-down and sample exchange. Its open architecture allows researchers to use Python programming via Jupyter Notebook, Grafana for real-time data visualisation, and the QCoDeS driver framework for third-party instrument integration. The TeslatronPT Plus supports a wide range of measurements, including low and high resistance, Hall effect in Hall bar and van der Pauw geometries, and I-V characterisation. Key features include fine filament Nb₃Sn superconducting wire for minimal field hysteresis and flux jumping, an integrated variable [...]

IonQ, in collaboration with the Australian National University (ANU), has achieved a significant advancement in trapped-ion quantum computing by developing high-speed, mixed-species quantum logic gates. The research, detailed in a new paper, introduces a novel approach using ultrafast state-dependent kicks (SDKs) delivered via nanosecond laser pulses to achieve two-qubit gate speeds in the megahertz (MHz) range. This represents an orders-of-magnitude improvement over traditional mixed-species gates, which typically operate at kilohertz (kHz) speeds. The research focuses on mixed-species gates, which involve quantum operations between ions of different atomic elements, such as Barium (Ba) and Ytterbium (Yb). These gates are critical for scalable quantum networks, enabling efficient entanglement distribution and linking computational qubits [...]

The Regional Government of Madrid has invested €16 million ($17.3 million USD) in the MadQuantum-CM project, aimed at expanding MadQCI, Europe’s largest quantum communications network. The project, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), involves key participants such as IMDEA Networks, 5TONIC, Telefónica, and Universidad Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M). The initiative focuses on developing next-generation quantum communication protocols and integrating Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technologies into existing fiber optic networks. IMDEA Networks leads the development of advanced quantum communication protocols, while 5TONIC and UC3M validate and test new technologies, including a cloud-native solution for secure end-to-end key distribution. The project leverages Telefónica’s fiber infrastructure to implement QKD protocols, ensuring secure communications based on quantum mechanics. [...]

IonQ has commissioned a trapped-ion quantum networking system at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Rome, New York. The system, designed for research and development, leverages trapped-ion technology to enhance precision, flexibility, and scalability in quantum networking methodologies and algorithms. This deployment is part of IonQ’s collaboration with AFRL, supported by contracts totaling over $94.4 million since 2022, aimed at advancing quantum computing and networking capabilities for national security and scientific research. The system will support AFRL’s efforts to address complex challenges in fields such as materials science and optimization. It builds on IonQ’s growing global presence, including recent deployments in Washington D.C., Seattle, and Basel, [...]

The PQC4eMRTD (Post-Quantum Cryptography for electronic Machine-Readable Travel Documents) project, funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe Programme, has officially launched to address the security challenges posed by quantum computing. Coordinated by Infineon Technologies AG, the project includes partners such as Thales, CryptoNext Security, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and the Institute for Comparative Law in Slovenia. The initiative aims to standardize and promote quantum-resistant (QR) cryptographic protocols for electronic travel documents (eMRTDs), such as electronic passports, which are vulnerable to quantum threats. The project will focus on advancing existing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) research toward international standardization, ensuring the adoption of QR protocols. It will also foster cross-sector collaboration to address [...]

NanoQT, a Japanese quantum hardware startup, and QuEra Computing, a U.S.-based leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, have announced a collaboration to integrate quantum networking interfaces with neutral-atom Quantum Processing Units (QPUs). The partnership aims to develop a scalable, networked quantum computing architecture, combining NanoQT’s expertise in quantum networking with QuEra’s advanced neutral-atom QPU technology. The collaboration will focus on designing and implementing an integration testbed to explore the potential of networked QPUs. NanoQT’s quantum networking interface will be tested on QuEra’s hardware platform, enabling the development of distributed quantum computing systems. This initiative seeks to unlock new applications and operational scales for quantum [...]