Oxford Ionics has delivered and installed a full-stack trapped-ion quantum computer, named QUARTET (QUantum Advantage-Ready Trapped-ion Exploration Testbed), at the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC). The NQCC, which is the UK’s national laboratory for quantum computing, funded the supply of the system in collaboration with Innovate UK to test and develop commercial use cases. QUARTET has been installed in the NQCC’s quantum data center at its Harwell campus.
QUARTET is a full-stack, trapped-ion quantum computer that leverages Oxford Ionics’ proprietary Electronic Qubit Control technology, which uses electronics instead of lasers to control its qubits. The system’s architecture, which integrates everything needed to trap and control qubits onto a standard electronic chip, supports scalability. Oxford Ionics quantum computers are field-upgradeable, allowing the existing system to be upgraded to higher-performing systems by replacing the Quantum Processor Unit (QPU) without changing the surrounding infrastructure. The company reports holding the record for two-qubit gate fidelity, single-qubit gate fidelity, and quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM).
The NQCC will leverage QUARTET for applications research and development, including as part of the UK’s Quantum Missions program. This program invests in quantum computing projects that aim to remove technology barriers to commercialization and adoption of quantum technologies. Oxford Ionics, along with Riverlane and Bay Photonics, was selected for a Quantum Missions pilot for its Q-Surge project, which will upgrade QUARTET to include 2D qubit connectivity. The successful installation of the system is viewed as a step toward building scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers and advancing the NQCC’s testbeds initiative.
Read the full announcement here.
August 13, 2025
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