As part of the ‘HectoQubit/2 (HQ/2)’ collaboration, Dutch quantum computing research institute QuTech has teamed up with four quantum startups to construct full superconducting quantum computing systems that will be made accessible to the general public via the QuTech’s Quantum Inspire cloud platform. The new systems would represent a major improvement over the Starmon-5 system, which has been in production since 2020.
HectoQubit/2 is funded by Quantum Delta NL under its Cat-1 program. Quantum Delta NL is a national program in the Netherlands with the purpose of fostering the development of quantum technology and innovation across the fields of research, industry, and education. This could be a critical first step on the path towards the development of a 100-qubit quantum computer in Delft, the Netherlands, as planned within the European Flagship consortium OpenSuperQPlus, where TU Delft is one of the three demonstration sites.
Quantum technology research organization QuTech, a partnership between Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), is in charge of project coordination. All four businesses - QuantWare, Qblox, Delft Circuits, and Orange Quantum Systems - are near the Delft campus and will provide a crucial component of the whole quantum computing stack.
Each organization has a similar goal of advancing quantum computing to a reliable and useful state and has historical connections to both TU Delft and TNO's quantum programs.
Prof. Leonardo DiCarlo of TU Delft, who oversees HectoQubit’s scientific coordination, emphasizes this: “We are the ones adhering to the 100-qubit target within the European flagship. We are, in fact, the only ones. We’ve taken quite a risk with this.”
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Seamless Integration for Full-Stack Quantum Solution
Each of the participating start-ups’ contributions - control electronics from Qblox, quantum chips from QuantWare, automated calibration software from Orange Quantum Systems, and cryogenic cabling from Delft Circuits - must seamlessly combine into a full-stack quantum computing solution.
The CEO and co-founder of Qblox, Niels Bultink, elaborates: “We have always believed that quantum computing should be seen as a value chain in which universities and businesses choose certain subproblems to specialize in and become the best at. This strategy is uniquely shown by the HectoQubit/2 project, which also shows that cutting-edge full-stack quantum computers may be constructed by integrating the various components of the stack.”
OrangeQS is a spin-off from the Quantum Inspire project. One of its founders, Amber van Hauwermeiren, describes their role in this value chain as follows: “We will support the effort with a framework to automate and maintain calibration, as well as device performance monitoring. This enhances the functionality and performance of our automated testing software, a crucial part of our high-throughput test apparatus that we provide to companies using quantum processors with a 100-qubit size.”
Delft Circuits’ founder and CCO, Daan Kuitenbrouwer, expresses his excitement about taking part in the HQ/2 project, saying, “We are very excited to be part of this great team building a quantum computer in Delft. We are an I/O firm, hence we usually work on I/O design for quantum systems. However, this study gives us a thorough grasp of the complete construction process of a quantum computer. This knowledge is crucial for enhancing our roadmap and I/O solutions.”
Billion-euro Push for Europe’s Quantum Tech Leadership
TNO is in charge of the online interface that the general public will be able to see via the Quantum Inspire platform, while TU Delft, and more especially the DiCarlo lab, is playing a crucial role in HQ/2 by integrating the inputs from each participant. In 2020, QuTech launched Quantum Inspire, the first free online quantum computing system in Europe that allowed users to test their quantum algorithms on transmon qubits, a separate spin-based quantum processor, and emulators.
Matthijs Rijlaarsdam, CEO of QuantWare, stated, “This project is a fantastic example of partners in our ecosystem building larger and larger quantum computers more quickly using our QPUs and Crescendo-S amplifiers. Being in a consortium with these outstanding partners who have supported us from the beginning is fantastic. HectoQubit/2 is a further extension of QuantWare-powered devices that end users may access via the cloud, expediting the development of quantum computing software.”
The HQ/2 consortium efforts would align with the billion-euro European Quantum Flagship initiative, which aims to establish Europe as a global leader in quantum technology. While the European program supports HectoQubit/2's unique value-chain approach to quantum development, it might also serve as a template for other programs to adopt.
“With support from the National Growth Fund, we're bringing quantum technology to a higher level and improving both the knowledge and technology position of the Netherlands,” said Richard Versluis, Principal Systems Engineer at TNO and leader of the Cat-1 initiative. “We do this by fostering partnerships between businesses, RTOs, and academic institutions. One project that demonstrates the strength of this process is HectoQubit/2.”
