News

Company, funding, product and policy news from across the quantum industry, as it happens.

  1. Today

    1. IBM Launches Directed Execution Model and Executor Primitive to Give Researchers Client-Side Control Over QEC Workflows

      IBM Quantum has launched a new directed execution model with the Executor primitive in qiskit-ibm-runtime v0.50.0. This framework shifts error mitigation to the client side, giving researchers greater control over quantum error correction (QEC) workflows. It allows for custom control over circuit transformations and error-correction pipelines, improving efficiency and transparency for quantum algorithm developers and QEC researchers.

    2. IBM Expands Qiskit Beyond Python with Native C API Bindings for Fortran, C++, and Julia

      IBM Quantum has expanded its Qiskit open-source software to include native C API bindings for Fortran, C++, and Julia. This allows researchers to integrate quantum circuits directly into high-performance computing (HPC) applications without Python, improving performance and interoperability. The new bindings support complex quantum-centric supercomputing workflows and hybrid algorithms.

    3. QuIC Whitepaper Calls for Industrial Scale-Up Infrastructure in EU Chips Act 2.0

      The European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC) has released a whitepaper responding to the EU Chips Act 2.0 proposal, advocating for dedicated industrialization pathways to bridge the gap between quantum chip prototyping and production. QuIC highlights the lack of mechanisms for industrial-scale manufacturing in current proposals and warns about international transactions that threaten European supply-chain resilience. They recommend extending strategic project status to quantum foundries, establishing a subsidized Multi-Project Wafer program, funding cryogenic and packaging infrastructure, expanding photonics objectives to include visible and deep-UV, and providing accessible designations for small-scale fabrication facilities.

    4. Xanadu Cuts Quantum Read-Only Memory Costs by ~4x via Dense Encoding

      Xanadu has achieved a nearly 4-fold reduction in Quantum Read-Only Memory (QROM) costs by developing an algorithmic technique that reduces the non-Clifford gate cost. This was accomplished through two innovations: Sequential Bit Packets and SelectCopy, and Dense Encoding in Z and X Bases. These advancements significantly cut hardware runtimes and qubit requirements for loading classical data into quantum computers.

    5. University of Saskatchewan Researchers Achieve Record Hyperbolic Surface Code Efficiency for Modular Fault-Tolerant Architectures

      University of Saskatchewan researchers have achieved a breakthrough in quantum error correction by developing geometry-optimized hyperbolic surface codes. This innovation significantly improves code efficiency by optimizing periodic boundary conditions, effectively doubling code distance and quadrupling efficiency without increasing physical qubit count. This advancement allows for more logical qubits to be protected with fewer physical qubits, bringing fault-tolerant quantum supercomputing closer to reality.

    6. Multi-Institutional Consortium Expands QRMI to Standardize Quantum-HPC Integration Across Major Workload Managers

      The Quantum Resource Management Interface (QRMI) is expanding to standardize quantum-HPC integration across major workload managers like Slurm, PBS Professional, and Kubernetes. This open-source middleware layer addresses challenges of integrating heterogeneous QPU hardware by providing a unified interface for abstracting and scheduling QPUs alongside classical resources. QRMI is already deployed in major supercomputing environments, including CINECA, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the STFC Hartree Centre.

  2. Yesterday

    1. Who’s News: Strategic Appointments at PQShield, VTT, QuantWare, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

      PQShield, VTT, QuantWare, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have made strategic appointments to their leadership teams. These appointments aim to strengthen their positions in quantum technology, commercial growth, and research.

    2. Quantum X Labs Expands Intellectual Property and R&D Across Neutral-Atom Hardware, Rydberg Sensing, and Circuit Security

      Quantum X Labs Inc. announced new intellectual property filings and R&D in quantum technology. This includes a patent application for structured-beam Zeeman slower and atomic push-beam systems for neutral-atom quantum computing, and a laboratory program integrating Ramsey-CPT atomic clocks with Rydberg atom RF sensors. Additionally, a patent was filed for watermarking quantum circuits using Weyl (KAK) coordinate decomposition for IP protection.

    3. University of Auckland, NIST, and UMD Demonstrate Octave-Spanning Chip-Scale Microcomb in Nature

      Researchers from the University of Auckland, NIST, UMD, and UC Santa Barbara have developed a chip-integrated optical frequency comb that addresses long-standing stability and control issues in microcomb metrology. They achieved this by inverting traditional frequency comb architectures, using two pump lasers an octave apart to generate a self-aligned, octave-spanning microcomb on a single chip. This innovation has significant implications for deployable optical atomic clocks, GPS-denied quantum navigation, and precision quantum sensing, with a provisional patent filed for commercialization.

    4. Arqit Quantum Inc. Reports Select Preliminary FY 2026 Financial Results: Annual Revenue Tops $975K, NATO Contract Win, and Cash Position Reaches $51M

      Arqit Quantum Inc. reported strong preliminary financial results for FY 2026, with annual revenue estimated between $975,000 and $1,000,000, an 84% to 89% increase from FY 2025. The company also secured a NATO contract and ended the fiscal year with a robust cash position of $51.0 million. This growth was driven by new commercial contracts and initial traction for its Encryption Intelligence solution.

    5. Quantinuum and HQS Simulate 21-Spin NMR Spectrum on 42 Qubits With 1,400+ Two-Qubit Gate Circuits

      Quantinuum and HQS Quantum Simulations successfully simulated a 21-spin NMR spectrum on Quantinuum's 42-qubit quantum computer, the H2-1. This simulation, which modeled 1,2-di-tert-butyl-diphosphane, demonstrated the viability of deep digital Hamiltonian simulation for complex NMR challenges, even reproducing a subtle double-peak structure that previous systems struggled with. This advancement, detailed in a preprint on arXiv, marks a significant step for quantum computing in scientific research.

    6. Fujitsu Partners with State of New Mexico to Establish Quantum Computing R&D Center

      Fujitsu is partnering with the State of New Mexico to establish a quantum computing R&D center, focusing on hardware, software, and algorithm design. This collaboration expands on existing research with New Mexico universities and integrates with national laboratories to develop hybrid computing workflows. New Mexico is investing significantly in quantum initiatives, including a $150 million matching fund, to support this partnership and advance fault-tolerant quantum algorithm design.

    7. Quobly and SiPearl Form Partnership to Integrate European ARM CPUs and Silicon Spin QPUs

      Quobly and SiPearl have partnered to integrate SiPearl's ARM-based Rhea1 CPU with Quobly's silicon QPU hardware, aiming for hybrid CPU-QPU co-design and HPC-quantum workload optimization. This collaboration will establish a European-sourced hardware pipeline connecting supercomputing nodes with quantum coprocessors. The companies plan to seek joint European funding to advance sovereign HPC-quantum infrastructure in Europe.

    8. IonQ Demonstrates 1 kHz Memory-Enhanced Quantum Interconnect Connecting Trapped Ions and Diamond Color Centers

      IonQ has achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing with a memory-enhanced quantum interconnect, linking a trapped ion qubit with a diamond-based quantum memory. This system operates at a record-breaking entanglement rate of over 1 kHz with high fidelity, significantly improving upon previous benchmarks. This advancement, supported by collaborations with Element Six and AWS, addresses photon-loss bottlenecks and is a crucial step towards scalable distributed quantum computing networks.

    9. NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS Partners with Classiq to Expand Enterprise Quantum Software Adoption in Japan

      NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS has partnered with Classiq to distribute Classiq's quantum software development platform in Japan, aiming to expand quantum computing adoption across various enterprise sectors. This collaboration leverages NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS's existing quantum-safe security infrastructure, including a 600-kilometer quantum cryptography communication network, to offer a comprehensive solution for quantum application development and secure communication. The partnership seeks to identify, co-develop, and validate industrial gate-based quantum computing applications for Japanese enterprises.

    1. U.S. Department of Energy Unveils Quantum Genesis Priority Applications to Guide Fault-Tolerant Scientific Utility

      The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has released the Quantum Genesis Priority Applications (QGPAs), outlining eight key scientific problems to assess the relevance of fault-tolerant quantum computers. This framework supports the federal Quantum Genesis initiative, including the $215M Q Competition and a National Quantum Computing User Facility. The QGPAs focus on areas where classical computing faces limitations, such as chemistry, materials, subatomic physics, and applied mathematics.

    2. U.S. Department of Energy Allocates $159 Million in Phase II Genesis Mission Awards for Quantum Error Correction and Materials Co-Design

      The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $159 million in Phase II Genesis Mission awards to 12 projects. These projects focus on quantum error correction, materials co-design, and custom microelectronics, leveraging AI and high-performance computing. Key initiatives include Harvard's ASQC project for quantum error correction, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's AI-Empowered Design of Functional Quantum Magnets, and Fermilab's AXESS project for accelerating chip design for extreme environments.

    3. NVIDIA Commits $1 Billion over Five Years to Accelerate U.S. Scientific Computing and Quantum Infrastructure

      NVIDIA is investing $1 billion over five years to advance U.S. scientific computing and quantum infrastructure. This commitment supports research institutions, cloud providers, and national laboratories, focusing on hybrid quantum-classical hardware integration, fault-tolerant quantum software, fusion energy, and microelectronics design. A key aspect is expanding access to high-performance computing and NVIDIA's open-source CUDA-Q platform for quantum processor simulation and control.

    4. U.S. Department of War Announces $350 Million Quantum Package, Highlighted by $150 Million OSC Loan Commitment for PsiQuantum

      PsiQuantum has secured a conditional loan commitment of up to $150 million from the U.S. Office of Strategic Capital to expand its PsiFactory in Milpitas, California. This funding will support the development of a domestic supply chain for quantum computing and follows other significant investments from DARPA and the U.S. Department of Commerce. PsiQuantum is also developing facilities in Illinois and Australia.

    5. India’s MeitY Sanctions ₹99.94 Crore ($10.3 Million USD) for IIT Madras and izmo Microsystems Silicon Photonics Program

      India's MeitY has sanctioned ₹99.94 crore (approx. $10.3 million USD) for Phase II of the SPECTRA program at IIT Madras, in partnership with izmo Microsystems. This five-year initiative focuses on developing silicon photonics for high-bandwidth data centers, AI compute clusters, and quantum communications, including chip-scale QRNG and integrated QKD photonic circuits. The collaboration aims to establish an end-to-end solution for photonic integrated circuits from fabrication to system integration.

    6. Quantum Source Introduces Memory-Assisted Photonic Interconnect to Unify Multi-Modal Quantum Computing

      Quantum Source has introduced QS-LINK, a memory-assisted photonic interconnect that unifies multi-modal quantum computing. This technology overcomes scaling limitations in multi-processor quantum networks by using a single cavity-trapped rubidium-87 atom as an asynchronous quantum memory buffer to establish remote entanglement between separate quantum processing units (QPUs). QS-LINK significantly reduces the attempts needed to achieve entanglement compared to traditional methods, operating at room temperature and supporting various hardware modalities.

    7. Universal Quantum Closes $100 Million Series A to Accelerate Modular Trapped-Ion Architecture Scaling

      Universal Quantum, a UK-based hardware developer specializing in trapped-ion quantum processors, has successfully closed a $100 million Series A funding round. This investment will fuel their international expansion, including operations in Europe, Singapore, the U.S., and Japan, and support their $77 million contract with the German Aerospace Center. Their technology utilizes modular silicon chiplets connected by micro-electric ion-shuttling links, operating at a mild cryogenic temperature of 70 Kelvin, which reduces error rates and avoids complex sub-Kelvin cooling systems.

    8. Neutral-Atom Developer Oratomic Secures $775 Million in Cumulative Funding for Fault-Tolerant System R&D

      Oratomic, a Pasadena-based quantum hardware developer, has secured $775 million in cumulative funding to advance its fault-tolerant quantum computing systems. The company focuses on neutral-atom arrays and quantum error correction, aiming for utility-scale quantum computers.

    1. DARPA Selects Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ for Final Stage C Verification under Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

      DARPA has selected Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ for Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) to verify the performance of their fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures. This stage involves direct physical testing and empirical validation of their hardware, aiming to assess their potential for utility-scale operation by 2033. The chosen companies represent diverse qubit technologies, including neutral atoms, silicon spin qubits, superconducting transmons, and trapped ions.

    2. Cisco Releases Quantum Network Controller and Network-Aware Compiler v0.2.0 for Distributed Quantum Infrastructure

      Cisco's Outshift division has launched the Quantum Network Controller and Network-Aware Quantum Compiler v0.2.0 to manage multi-node quantum networks. The Controller offers Entanglement-as-a-Service, enabling on-demand entanglement across diverse quantum hardware. The Compiler integrates circuit compilation, qubit partitioning, and distributed quantum error correction, optimizing for physical network limitations.