Mohamed Abdel-Kareem

Lockheed Martin, in collaboration with Q-CTRL and AOSense, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit (DIU) to prototype a quantum-enabled Inertial Navigation System (INS). The system, called QuINS, uses quantum sensing technology to provide precise navigation and positioning without relying on GPS. This initiative is part of DIU’s broader Transition of Quantum Sensing (TQS) program, which aims to demonstrate the military utility of quantum sensors across five critical areas: inertial sensors, gravimeters, magnetic anomaly detection, magnetic navigation, and component development. QuINS employs motion-sensitive quantum sensors to calculate position, speed, and orientation. Q-CTRL contributes expertise in quantum system stabilization, while AOSense provides advanced quantum sensor development. Lockheed Martin focuses on [...]

Infleqtion has been awarded $6.2 million by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E to develop quantum computing solutions for energy grid optimization. The funding supports the ENCODE project, a collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, EPRI, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The project aims to integrate quantum algorithms into grid optimization workflows to address challenges posed by renewable energy integration and rising power demands. The global energy grid faces increasing complexity due to the rise of renewable energy sources and the growing power demands of AI data centers. Traditional optimization methods, such as Mixed Integer Programming (MIP), often rely on approximations that reduce accuracy and increase costs. Infleqtion’s [...]

Researchers from the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA), including teams from TU Delft, QuTech, the University of Innsbruck, INRIA, and CNRS, have developed QNodeOS, a programmable operating system designed for quantum networks. Published in Nature, this system aims to simplify the development of quantum network applications by abstracting hardware complexities, enabling developers to focus on application logic rather than low-level hardware details. QNodeOS is compatible with multiple quantum hardware platforms, including trapped ions and diamond color centers, demonstrating its versatility. Unlike previous systems that required hardware-specific coding, QNodeOS provides a unified framework for programming quantum networks, making it easier to create and deploy applications. The system also addresses the unique challenges of coordinating [...]

Nu Quantum, a quantum entanglement startup, has partnered with the University of Sussex, Cisco, and Infineon Technologies to advance the scalability of trapped ion quantum computers through Project HyperIon. Funded by an Innovate UK Quantum Missions Pilot grant, the project focuses on developing Nu Quantum’s Qubit-Photon Interface (QPI), a critical component for interconnecting quantum computing nodes. The initiative aims to deliver a 50x increase in entanglement rates and improve remote fidelity, paving the way for scalable, distributed quantum computing systems. The collaboration leverages expertise from each partner: the University of Sussex contributes ion-photon interface research, Cisco provides commercial exploitation support, and Infineon applies its high-volume manufacturing capabilities to develop scalable ion trap hardware. [...]

ConScience AB has introduced two new quantum devices, QiB1 and QiB2, designed to advance superconducting qubit research and development. The QiB1 device supports versatile testing of single qubits, including fixed-frequency and flux-tunable qubits, while QiB2 focuses on two-qubit coupling studies, featuring both fixed and tunable frequency couplers. Both devices are packaged in ConScience’s new Box16 enclosure, ensuring durability and seamless integration into research setups. The QiB1 and QiB2 devices contain 6 and 7 qubits, respectively, and build on the success of ConScience’s earlier product, QiB0, released in 2024. The devices are tailored for researchers developing calibration techniques and benchmarking tools, with QiB1 offering redundancy characterization for shunted and floating transmon qubits and QiB2 enabling advanced coupling studies. These devices are expected to support advancements [...]

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) has demonstrated quantum supremacy on a useful, real-world problem, as detailed in a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Science. The study, titled “Beyond-Classical Computation in Quantum Simulation,” shows that D-Wave’s Advantage2 annealing quantum computer outperformed the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in simulating quantum dynamics of magnetic materials. The quantum computer solved the problem in minutes, while the supercomputer would require nearly one million years and more than the world’s annual energy consumption to achieve the same result. The research, conducted by an international collaboration of scientists, focused on simulating programmable spin glasses, a class of magnetic materials with applications in materials discovery, electronics, and medical imaging. D-Wave’s quantum computer accurately modeled the [...]

QuamCore, an Israel-based quantum computing startup, has unveiled a patented superconducting quantum processor architecture capable of integrating 1 million qubits into a single cryostat. The company, supported by $9 million in seed funding from Viola Ventures and Earth & Beyond Ventures, addresses the scalability challenges of superconducting quantum systems by reducing cabling requirements by a factor of over 1,000. This innovation enables compact, energy-efficient quantum computers, overcoming the limitations of traditional systems that require massive facilities to scale beyond 5,000 qubits per cryostat. The architecture leverages superconducting digital logic to minimize heat generation and eliminate the need for millions of external cables, a major bottleneck in current quantum systems. QuamCore’s design also incorporates built-in error [...]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has selected HQC (Hamming Quasi-Cyclic) as a backup algorithm for post-quantum encryption, supplementing the primary ML-KEM algorithm standardized in 2024. HQC, based on error-correcting codes, provides a mathematically distinct alternative to ML-KEM, which relies on structured lattices. This selection ensures a second line of defense in case vulnerabilities are discovered in ML-KEM. NIST plans to release a draft standard for HQC in 2026, with finalization expected in 2027. HQC joins NIST’s portfolio of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, which includes FIPS 203 (ML-KEM), FIPS 204, and FIPS 205 for digital signatures. These standards are designed to protect sensitive data from future quantum computing threats. HQC’s selection follows a rigorous [...]

IonQ, a company specializing in trapped-ion quantum computing, has raised approximately $372.6 million through its at-the-market (ATM) equity offering program, netting $360 million in proceeds. The company sold 16,038,460 shares of common stock, bringing its pro forma year-end cash balance to over $700 million. Following the completion of the offering, IonQ has terminated the ATM Program, citing sufficient capital to meet its anticipated needs and recent market conditions. The funds will support IonQ’s ongoing development of quantum computing systems, including its IonQ Forte and IonQ Forte Enterprise platforms, which feature 36 algorithmic qubits. These systems are designed to address complex commercial and research use cases, leveraging IonQ’s expertise [...]

Oxford Ionics, a leader in trapped-ion quantum computing, has been selected by the UK’s Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSIT) and Innovate UK for the Quantum Missions pilot programme. The Q-Surge project will upgrade the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) testbed with advanced 2D ion trap technology, addressing critical challenges in qubit routing and quantum error correction (QEC). The consortium includes Riverlane, a leader in QEC, and Bay Photonics, specializing in advanced packaging solutions. The project builds on Oxford Ionics’ Electronic Qubit Control technology, which uses electronics—not lasers—to manipulate qubits, enabling high computational throughput as qubit counts scale. Innovations in packaging and QEC will further enhance scalability and performance. Riverlane will optimize the 2D ion trap architecture for error correction, while [...]