ORCA Computing has introduced the PT-2, the latest model in its photonic quantum computing series, aimed at advancing quantum-enhanced generative AI capabilities. Building on the PT-1, the PT-2 is designed for seamless integration with high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, enabling quantum-enhanced machine learning on platforms like NVIDIA CUDA-Q. This positions the PT-2 to support industries incorporating quantum technology into generative AI and optimization workflows.
The PT-2 supports 32 qumodes which is four times the size of the previous PT-1. (Photonic systems tend to use qumodes which are continuously variable rather than qubits which are not.) The company is able to perform a field upgrade of the PT-1 to the PT-2 for those customers who want it. Deliveries of the PT-2 for new orders can be shipped starting in March 2025. Orca also offers its own SDK to help customers program the processor. Also, the company is focusing on on-premise sales of the computer and is not planning on providing any cloud service access for it.
As part of its recent projects, ORCA Computing will establish a quantum computing testbed for the UK National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC). This testbed integrates GPU processing to support various quantum computing approaches, with a focus on hybrid quantum/classical neural networks. The goal is to expand the applicability of photonic quantum systems, especially in machine learning and optimization.
Current applications of ORCA’s technology span manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Examples include the use of quantum-enhanced AI for generating chemical formulations, designing peptides in vaccine development, and biological imaging, demonstrating the system’s potential to solve computational challenges across sectors.
The PT-2 offers a scalable entry point for organizations, minimizing investment by allowing system upgrades within ORCA’s modular architecture. ORCA will showcase its technology at the IQT Quantum+AI event in New York on October 30, 2024, and the SC24 Supercomputing Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 17-22, 2024.
A news release announcing the introduction of the PT-2 system has been posted on the Orca website here.
October 29, 2024
