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NVIDIA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Irish quantum computing company Equal1 to collaborate on quantum technology use cases, business models, and proof of concept. This partnership will focus on integrating quantum-classical infrastructure for cloud and data center deployments. Equal1, known for its silicon-powered quantum computing solutions, brings its UnityQ quantum system-on-chip (QSoC) to the collaboration. The UnityQ combines quantum and classical computing components on a single chip, enabling more efficient and scalable quantum systems. This technology will be integrated with NVIDIA's CUDA-Q software platform, a leading hybrid quantum-classical solution, to enhance performance in quantum computing applications. The collaboration [...]

BlueQubit has launched a new plugin for Pennylane, Xanadu’s quantum machine learning library, designed to enhance the capabilities of large-scale quantum simulations. The partnership allows users to access BlueQubit's advanced simulation tools directly through Pennylane, enabling simulations with up to 33 qubits. This collaboration aims to support researchers and developers in running more complex quantum experiments, with key applications in quantum chemistry, optimization, and machine learning. BlueQubit's simulators, recognized for their precision and scalability, now empower Pennylane users to explore quantum algorithms at a scale previously unreachable. In quantum chemistry, the plugin facilitates detailed simulations of molecular structures, which can aid [...]

IQM Quantum Computers has secured a €5 million ($5.6M USD) contract to deliver the Czech Republic’s first quantum computer to the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Centre in Ostrava. The system, a 24-qubit "Radiance Star" quantum computer based on IQM’s proprietary star topology, will be integrated into the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking's high-performance computing (HPC) initiative and will be integrated with the Karolina supercomputer. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in advancing quantum technology in Central Europe. The installation of the system will start in 2025.  The system runs on IQM’s next-generation superconducting chip, utilizing a proprietary star topology QPU. This architecture, where [...]

by Amara Graps Dis-Entangling the Quantum Future The European Commission rarely takes budgetary risks for its 27 member states. Its former ‘Future Emerging Technologies’ funding program a decade ago was an unusual beacon of high-risk, cutting-edge ideas that was popular enough to develop further, spawning the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support the commercialization of high-risk, high-impact technologies in the EU. It’s no surprise, then, that the EIC has developed a Futurist mindset. The report by Mochan et al., 2024, (Dis)Entangling the Future - Horizon scanning for emerging technologies and breakthrough innovations in the field of quantum technologies is a useful [...]

This contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will cover a four year period and will focus on research for creating hardware that can scale, network, and deploy multiple quantum systems. Part of the company's strategy is to scale larger quantum systems by using photonic networking and optical switching technologies to connect multiple computing modules together. It is the largest quantum contract awarded in the U.S. in 2024. Specific technologies included in this research include down conversion to convert the wavelengths of light used internally inside a quantum computer to a different wavelength more compatible with standard telecommunications equipment [...]

IBM has added an improved quantum computer to its fleet of machines installed at its data center in Poughkeepsie, New York. This processor is named Heron r2 and is an improvement to the predecessor version called Heron r1. The new Heron r2 contains a few more qubits, 156 versus 133, than the previous version. It also has better gate fidelities providing an Error per Layer Gate (EPLG) measurement of 0.4% versus the previous version's 0.7%. Besides these two Heron processors, the IBM Cloud also offers 10 additional units of the 127 qubit Eagle processors. However, not only do those Eagle systems [...]

D-Wave Quantum Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Sophie Ames as Chief Human Resources Officer, enhancing its executive leadership team. With over 25 years of HR experience across notable technology firms, Ames will spearhead global human capital innovation at D-Wave, driving alignment between company performance, people, and processes. CEO Dr. Alan Baratz expressed excitement about her expertise, which will be vital as the company continues to differentiate its employee value proposition in the rapidly evolving quantum landscape. A news release from D-Wave announcing her joining the company can be accessed here. Welinq has established a prestigious Scientific Advisory Board, [...]

Figure. Spin qubit device in 28Si: optical microscope image, overlaid gate structure.  Source: Laboratory for integrated quantum systems https://www.iqslab.net/  Image Courtesy: Mr. Jaemin Park by Amara Graps Scaling Semiconductor Spin Qubits This article begins with a scaling message, We need these machine learning techniques to accelerate the scaling of these quantum devices.  spoken by Natalia Ares (Professor, University of Oxford), at the panel discussion: Challenges When Going Towards 1000 qubits. The June 14, 2022 panel was part of the three-day Quantum Technology User Meeting 2022 in Munich, a quantum technology cluster. See our QCR article about Germany’s Quantum Technology Ecosystem, here. [...]

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, along with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and EeroQ, announced new investments in EeroQ’s quantum headquarters in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. EeroQ’s $1.1 million investment, supported by a Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) for Startups agreement and the Illinois Innovation Venture Fund (INVENT), aims to develop the team and tools needed to build a quantum computer. In 2022, EeroQ announced it was moving its corporate headquarters to Chicago, partly to take advantage of the strong quantum ecosystem that already existed there through the University of Chicago, the Chicago Quantum Exchange, the Fermi [...]

Alpine Quantum Technologies (AQT) has successfully installed a 20-qubit ion-trap quantum computer at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre’s (LRZ) Quantum Integration Centre, marking the first operational ion-trap quantum computer in a data center environment. The system, developed by AQT, is part of a collaboration with Munich Quantum Valley (MQV) and will support quantum software development and research activities at LRZ. Funded by the Bavarian government under the Hightech Agenda Bavaria, the €9.8 million ($10.7M USD) quantum system will be accessible to researchers starting in October as part of an early user program. The quantum computer, which leverages ion-trap technology, utilizes laser-controlled qubits [...]