IBM on Wednesday announced that it has successfully joined and cooled two cryogenic quantum "fridges," demonstrating a modular architecture designed to eventually link hundreds of quantum chips into more powerful quantum computers. Big Blue cast the development as a milestone on the company's path to delivering IBM Quantum Starling in 2029, which IBM expects will be the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computer and will integrate advances across error correction, processor design, decoding and systems engineering. "Bringing fault-tolerant quantum computers to industries depends on several fundamental advances," Jay Gambetta, director of IBM research and IBM fellow, said in a statement. "The successful connection and operation of these cryogenic modules signals a leap forward in that direction," he continued, "and will accelerate our progress alongside continued innovation in quantum hardware, software, and algorithms." Scaling Up in the Deep Freeze IBM explained that the quantum fridges, which are more than eight feet tall and eight feet wide, can be jointly cooled down to 4 Kelvin (the temperature of liquid helium) in under five days and reach a final temperature below 15 millikelvin shortly thereafter. "Temperature is a challenge because materials that are superconducting are only stable at extremely low temperatures," explained Luke Wang, an equity analyst with Morningstar Research Services in Chicago. "Qubits are also fragile, and temperature is one of the factors that can impact their performance," he told TechNewsWorld. IBM also noted that each module’s vacuum enclosure offers up to 12 times more wiring space than the most widely used IBM quantum systems, enabling more chip-to-chip connections both within and between modules. The company plans to install Nighthawk processors in the modules later this year for additional testing and aims to use the architecture to support at least 1,000 programmable qubits by 2027. "Superconducting qubits have to sit at a few
Aug 19, 2026 · via technewsworld.com
IBM has successfully integrated and cooled two cryogenic modules within a single shared environment, a step the company calls critical to scaling quantum systems that can eventually link hundreds of quantum chips. The achievement supports IBM’s stated timeline for delivering IBM Quantum Starling in 2029, a system the company expects to be the first fault-tolerant quantum computer, incorporating advances in error correction, processor design, decoding, and overall systems engineering. The combined two-module setup measures more than 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. During initial testing, the modules cooled together to 4 Kelvin, the temperature of liquid helium, in under five days, then reached below 15 millikelvin shortly afterward, more than 180 times colder than deep space. Each module’s vacuum enclosure provides up to 12 times more wiring space than the most widely used IBM quantum systems, a design change intended to support a higher density of chip-to-chip connections both within individual modules and across linked modules. The modules use a box-shaped design that allows multiple units to connect in a tight row. This layout, combined with the added internal wiring space, enables direct linking of quantum processors through IBM’s L-coupler technology. L-couplers connect separate quantum chips, enabling them to exchange information and function together as components of a larger quantum computer. Linking 1,000 Qubits IBM’s roadmap calls for L-couplers to connect multiple processors into a combined system of at least 1,000 programmable qubits by 2027. Programmable qubits are those that can be directly applied to computations. As part of this effort, IBM plans to install its Quantum Nighthawk processors into the cryogenic modules later this year to continue performance testing. When Starling reaches deployment, IBM intends for each cryogenic module to house thousands of qubits. IBM first outlined its plans for Starling last year, introducing an error-correction code designed
Aug 19, 2026 · via storagereview.com
The hardest idea in quantum mechanics to hold in a non-physicist’s head is that a thing can be in two states at once. Not flickering between them too quickly to see but both, genuinely, at the same time, until someone measures and it settles into one. That contradiction turns out to be the best way to describe the decades-old argument over the state of quantum computing itself. Quantum has been a technology that the Nobel Committee, the National Security Agency and half of Silicon Valley agree will rewrite what a computer can do. It is also, simultaneously, a thing so far from finished that it’s been safe to file away along with cold fusion and, until recently, artificial intelligence as technological marvels that are always at least 30 years beyond the horizon. An ordinary computer stores information in bits, which are switches with exactly two states: on or off, one or zero. A quantum computer uses quantum bits, or qubits, which can be both at once. String enough of them together and the number of states they can hold simultaneously grows so fast that a few hundred of them can represent more possibilities than there are atoms in the observable universe. What you could do with a computer that runs on qubits has been a promise that science has been chasing for a very long time. It has moved from theory into practice. Real-world commercial applications are no longer the stuff of imagination—from high-speed magnetic-levitation trains to quantum-powered navigation systems without GPS, and from better batteries and climate-friendly fertilizer to personalized drugs and precise tornado predictions. The people on the front line of the technology say this is the year it is really starting to happen. “Useful quantum computing is here right now,” Jay Gambetta, IBM’s director of research, told
Aug 19, 2026 · via newsweek.com
IBM builds a better fridge for its quantum computers IBM on Wednesday announced that it has built and cooled the first two modules of a new cryogenic dillution refrigerator designed to house the processors in its future fault-tolerant quantum computers. One major caveat: those refrigerator modules don’t actually house any quantum processors yet, but IBM says plans to install one Nighthawk processor in each unit later this year. This will be the first test of whether processors will work inside the new refrigerator and can communicate across the connection between its modules. That’s a crucial next step for IBM’s quantum ambitions, given that its plans for future quantum computing systems hinge on its ability to efficiently connect multiple individual processors and cryogenic modules into a single system. Why build a better fridge? To work, superconducting quantum processors need to operate at a fraction of a degree above absolute zero to reduce noise, which is, after all, one of the main enemies of stable, long-running quantum computers. At this point in the development of quantum computers, it’s all about building larger, more fault-tolerant machines, but building larger systems isn’t just about adding more qubits. Each processor needs control and readout wiring, shielding, cooling, and electronics. All of that has to fit inside or around the refrigerator without producing too much heat to disrupt the qubits. “It’s really about all the infrastructure and the supporting pieces around it as well in the system,” Jerry Chow, IBM fellow and chief technology officer for quantum-centric supercomputing, pointed out in a press briefing ahead of the announcement. IBM’s new design splits that refrigeration infrastructure into rectangular cells that can be connected to create a shared ultra-cold environment for the quantum processors. The first two modules together measure about 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide
Aug 19, 2026 · via thenewstack.io
Quantum first puts Queensland industry on front foot Australia’s first open access quantum testbed is positioning Queensland as a leader in developing quantum technologies, capability and businesses, while giving industry access to world-class infrastructure. The $10.8 million facility at The University of Queensland removes a hardware roadblock facing industry, technology startups and researchers. UQ project lead Professor Arkady Fedorov said the National Quantum Computing Testbed is a game changer for innovation in Australia. “This testbed will give independent developers and researchers affordable access to cutting-edge quantum hardware for early-stage testing of their ideas,” Professor Fedorov said. “Its small-scale processors will test new technologies before they’re ready to use large-scale quantum hardware – helping to bridge the gap between early-stage development and commercial innovation. “Lowering a barrier to proof-of-concept testing in quantum research puts Australia on the front foot for quantum hardware development and ensures our people are building valuable skills for the future.” Now open for business, the testbed is a 5-qubit quantum computer built on a superconductor platform with potential to upgrade capacity in the future. Qubits or quantum bits are the basic unit of information used to encode data in quantum computing, similar to a bit in everyday computers. The quantum processors, held on a gold-plated frame, are chilled to minus 273 degrees Celsius by 2 dilution refrigerators, protecting them from electrical noise interference. Minister for Science and Innovation Andrew Powell said the Crisafulli Government was backing Queensland’s emerging quantum technology sector. “Queensland innovation and science is among the best in the world, and facilities like the National Quantum Computing Testbed are helping position our State as a leader in this rapidly emerging field,” Minister Powell said. “Quantum technology is creating new opportunities for industry, entrepreneurs and researchers, and investments like this help drive local innovation, economic growth
Aug 18, 2026 · via news.uq.edu.au
Quantum Startup Qarakal Takes Lessons From Classical Systems With Pangaea Architecture Advancements in quantum computing continue to pile up in areas from error correction and infrastructure to software and algorithms, sharpening the view of what the once-theoretical compute paradigm will look like when it reaches its full fault-tolerant, useful, and practical potential. Architecture will play a central role in all of this, and as we have seen in past months, the focus on this aspect of quantum computing is accelerating. Recently, that’s included the work that D-Wave scientists – they of the annealing quantum systems – are doing with the vendor’s dual-rail superconducting architecture, as well as QuiX Quantum’s introduction of the Dedalo architecture for its fault-tolerant photonics-based systems, taking a significant step forward with its Carina commercial system. The effort being put into developing the architecture around quantum computing shouldn’t be a surprise, says Nadav Katz, co-founder and chief technology officer for Qarakal Quantum, a startup founded in 2024 in Israel. The architecture work signals a growing maturity in the quantum space, “a realization that quantum computers are computers, not a pile of qubits that you make and then hope that by some sort of magic programming, it will converge to a full computational system,” Katz tells The Next Platform. Architecture will be key in shifting quantum computing from institutional and vendor labs and cloud environments into the commercial space, creating modular, scalable, and efficient systems that can fit in datacenters alongside classical enterprise and supercomputers. Focusing on architecture and hardware also touches on a deeper question of how information is handled and how the industry will need to think about how to program a real quantum system. “The current boogeyman of quantum computing is this sort of monolithic architecture in which you just say, 'Let's just have this
Aug 18, 2026 · via nextplatform.com
Ruo Cheng Huang of the Nanyang Technological University and colleagues from Beyond Institute for Theoretical Science (BITS) and Institute of Advanced Intelligence and Computing (IAIC) have defined time-ordered free energy (TOFE) as the maximum work obtainable from temporally correlated quantum systems, constrained by knowledge of only past events. The team developed a dynamic programming algorithm with linear time complexity relative to sequence length. This algorithm reveals that maximising energy gain at each step is not always optimal, with the key value identified as kBT ln 2. TOFE is a new metric quantifying the potential work obtainable from quantum systems evolving over time. The measurement accounts for an agent’s inability to foresee future states, limiting actions to responses based on past observations. The team demonstrated that consistently maximising energy gain at each step does not guarantee the highest overall energy harvest; instead, a different approach proves more effective. This measurement considers an agent’s limitations, acting only on past events, mirroring scenarios where future prediction is impossible. The team’s approach uses dynamic programming, solving complex problems by breaking them into simpler, overlapping subproblems. This finding challenges conventional approaches to sequential energy harvesting and opens questions about designing agents for temporally correlated quantum environments. Linear time complexity unlocks analysis of temporally correlated quantum systems A dynamic programming approach achieved linear scaling of time complexity with sequence length, a substantial improvement over previous exponential methods. This advancement enables the analysis of quantum state sequences previously considered intractable due to computational limitations, as sequences exceeding a few steps were beyond the reach of existing algorithms. Defining time-ordered free energy (TOFE) established a new benchmark for quantifying the maximum work obtainable from temporally correlated quantum systems operating under causal constraints. Work at Nanyang Technological University and A*STAR’s Centre for Quantum Technologies showed that enforcing temporal causality,
Aug 18, 2026 · via quantumzeitgeist.com
MOU establishes IonQ as a listed provider for the FABrIC Quantum Computing Sandbox, accelerating quantum research and enterprise adoption TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum platform company, today announced a collaboration with Canadian Microelectronics Corporation, operating as CMC Microsystems. This collaboration integrates IonQ’s commercial trapped-ion quantum computing systems into Canada's FABrIC Quantum Computing Sandbox (QCS). The framework for this initiative is covered under a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), which designates IonQ as a listed cloud quantum computing access provider for the QCS. The QCS is operated through FABrIC, an initiative backed by funding from the Government of Canada's Strategic Response Fund (SRF) and managed by CMC Microsystems. The program aims to strengthen the nation's semiconductor and quantum industries by providing engineering support and cloud quantum computing access to Canadian academics and small-to-medium sized enterprises. “Innovation moves faster when researchers and businesses can work with frontier quantum computing systems,” said Lisa Lambert, Vice President, Global Strategy & Managing Director, Canada at IonQ. “The FABrIC Quantum Computing Sandbox expands access to IonQ’s commercial technology so more Canadian researchers and businesses can start building quantum expertise and real capability now.” “This is FABrIC's mandate in action: pairing a leading commercial quantum computing platform with the expertise to use it, so Canadian innovators can move from access to application,” said Gordon Harling, CEO of CMC Microsystems. “That's the outcome FABrIC was built to deliver." About IonQ IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum platform and foundry - delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems. Earlier systems have helped customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve a 20x performance increase over previous quantum
Aug 18, 2026 · via investors.ionq.com
IonQ and CMC Microsystems Announce Collaboration to Expand Cloud Quantum Computing Access in Canada MOU establishes IonQ as a listed provider for the FABrIC Quantum Computing Sandbox, accelerating quantum research and enterprise adoption TORONTO — Aug. 18, 2026 — IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum platform company, today announced a collaboration with Canadian Microelectronics Corporation, operating as CMC Microsystems. This collaboration integrates IonQ’s commercial trapped-ion quantum computing systems into Canada's FABrIC Quantum Computing Sandbox (QCS). The framework for this initiative is covered under a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), which designates IonQ as a listed cloud quantum computing access provider for the QCS. The QCS is operated through FABrIC, an initiative backed by funding from the Government of Canada's Strategic Response Fund (SRF) and managed by CMC Microsystems. The program aims to strengthen the nation's semiconductor and quantum industries by providing engineering support and cloud quantum computing access to Canadian academics and small-to-medium sized enterprises. “Innovation moves faster when researchers and businesses can work with frontier quantum computing systems,” said Lisa Lambert, Vice President, Global Strategy & Managing Director, Canada at IonQ. “The FABrIC Quantum Computing Sandbox expands access to IonQ’s commercial technology so more Canadian researchers and businesses can start building quantum expertise and real capability now.” “This is FABrIC's mandate in action: pairing a leading commercial quantum computing platform with the expertise to use it, so Canadian innovators can move from access to application,” said Gordon Harling, CEO of CMC Microsystems. “That's the outcome FABrIC was built to deliver." About IonQ IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum platform and foundry - delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems. Earlier systems have helped
Aug 18, 2026 · via ionq.com
Physics faculty awarded Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission funding for AI-based projects Six physics faculty from CU Boulder are leading or contributing to new projects awarded more than $1.6 million in highly competitive U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission grants, the agency announced on July 22. Nationwide, only 278 phase-one projects were funded out of over 5,000 proposals. Yuan Shi and Keith Ulmer are principal investigators on their respective projects, Dennis Perepelitsa is a co-principal investigator on two projects, Jamie Nagle is a co-principal investigator on another, and Xun Gao and Scott Parker are collaborators on the project led by Shi. The Genesis Mission is a historic national initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is building the world’s most powerful integrated science discovery platform. By uniting government, industry, academia, and philanthropy, it is accelerating breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery, and national security through a new platform that combines AI, supercomputing, quantum systems, and advanced scientific instruments. “Having six CU Physics faculty involved across four Genesis Mission projects is incredibly impressive,” says Tobin Munsat, professor and chair of physics. “This reflects the broad strength of our department and demonstrates how our faculty are leading the way in putting AI and quantum technologies to work on some of the most challenging questions in fundamental science.” AI for analyzing particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider Ulmer, with collaborators from the University of California San Diego, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University, will use AI to analyze largely untapped datasets of particle collisions from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Each day, the LHC produces about 4,000 petabytes, or 4 billion gigabytes, of particle collision data used by physicists around the world to better understand the fundamental nature of the universe. Because of the enormous amount of
Aug 18, 2026 · via colorado.edu
Key Points - Nvidia's NVQLink platform enables quantum computers to operate in a hybrid platform with classical supercomputers. - Rigetti Computing is partnering with Nvidia. - One validation of Rigetti's technology came from the federal government, which invested $100 million in it this year. Quantum computers hold the potential to transform the computing industry in as dramatic a fashion as artificial intelligence, perhaps more so. The promise of these machines is that they will harness quantum mechanics to solve extremely complicated calculations in minutes that would take today's best supercomputers centuries. That potential was a contributing factor to shares of Rigetti Computing(NASDAQ: RGTI) soaring to a 52-week high of $58.15 last year. Since then, though, the stock has tumbled, reaching a 52-week low of $12.53 in March. It still trades near the lower end of that range, despite working with semiconductor chip leader Nvidia to bring quantum computing capabilities to AI supercomputers. Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again.In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue » The situation appears poised to change, however. The company has made strides that point to a rebound in share price ahead. How Rigetti stands out among competitors The potential power of quantum computers has attracted a number of enterprises, large and small, to the field. What sets them apart are their distinct approaches to constructing quantum devices. At the heart of every quantum computer are qubits -- fundamental units of information that serve the same role as binary bits do in a classical computer. But there are numerous ways to make those qubits, each with advantages and disadvantages, and various players in the
Aug 18, 2026 · via theglobeandmail.com
Quantum computers could be a cybersecurity nightmare. This researcher is helping fend off that risk Northeastern professor Yunsi Fei will be working on making post quantum cryptography systems more resilient to cyberattacks. In the next five to 10 years quantum computers are predicted to be capable of decrypting everything from personal health records to national defense contracts. That’s because these machines are poised to be extremely adept at breaking encryption codes. The mathematical algorithms found throughout the web help keep our precious data safe from hackers, explained Yunsi Fei, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University. It would take upwards of a million years for today’s computers to solve the mathematical formulas underlying today’s encryption techniques, she said. But quantum computers could solve them in a fraction of the time. The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, estimates that “quantum computers have a better than 50% likelihood of breaking widely used cryptographic algorithms by 2035.” To safeguard against this, governments and developers throughout the world have begun the process of developing new post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms and techniques. In June, the White House even issued an executive order on the development of PQC technologies. The order directs federal agencies to dedicate time and resources to accelerate the transition to PQC technologies, highlighting their importance for preserving “critical infrastructure and (the) digital economy” against potential quantum computing threats. Now Fei, with the support from the National Science Foundation, will spend the next few years improving the resilience of a post-quantum computing encryption standard against a few of the most common ways hackers could intercept these systems in the future. “If quantum computers come out within the next five years, we cannot wait until then to start looking for alternative algorithms,” she said. PhFor the three-year project,
Aug 18, 2026 · via news.northeastern.edu
Deepens Colorado investment with new global headquarters and celebrates alongside government and community leaders LOUISVILLE, Colo., August 18, 2026 — Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ), a global leader in quantum computing and quantum sensing powered by neutral-atom technology, is celebrating the grand opening of the Colorado Quantum Innovation Center (CQIC), its new facility in Louisville, Colorado at 1315 W. Century Drive. The grand opening coincides with growing recognition of the Boulder–Louisville–Broomfield corridor as “America’s Quantum Peak,” recognizing the region’s concentration of quantum research, talent, and industry. “Colorado is leading America’s quantum future, and Infleqtion’s new Quantum Innovation Center is further proof that our growing technology sector draws more businesses to our state and strengthens our economy,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Quantum is no longer a future technology, it’s becoming foundational to national security, scientific discovery, advanced sensing and space systems,” said Matt Kinsella, CEO at Infleqtion. “Neutral-atom technology was born out of research happening right here in Colorado, and it’s fueling a new generation of jobs, companies and breakthroughs. We see our new headquarters as both a reflection of our roots in Colorado and a convening point for the quantum ecosystem, including our partners across industry, national laboratories, research institutions and academia.” The Colorado Quantum Innovation Center will serve as Infleqtion’s global headquarters and anchor facility in the region, supporting the company’s work across quantum computing and quantum sensing, including deployments with the U.S. Department of War, NASA, and the UK Royal Navy. The opening reflects the broader shift underway in the quantum industry, from scientific discovery toward industrial deployment at scale. “Colorado is the epicenter of America’s quantum future, and Infleqtion’s new Quantum Innovation Center is proof of what’s possible when we invest in research, talent, and industry together,” said Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07). “From our national laboratories to our universities
Aug 18, 2026 · via infleqtion.com
Quantum computers hold the potential to transform the computing industry in as dramatic a fashion as artificial intelligence, perhaps more so. The promise of these machines is that they will harness quantum mechanics to solve extremely complicated calculations in minutes that would take today's best supercomputers centuries. That potential was a contributing factor to shares of Rigetti Computing (RGTI -5.14%) soaring to a 52-week high of $58.15 last year. Since then, though, the stock has tumbled, reaching a 52-week low of $12.53 in March. It still trades near the lower end of that range, despite working with semiconductor chip leader Nvidia to bring quantum computing capabilities to AI supercomputers. The situation appears poised to change, however. The company has made strides that point to a rebound in share price ahead. How Rigetti stands out among competitors The potential power of quantum computers has attracted a number of enterprises, large and small, to the field. What sets them apart are their distinct approaches to constructing quantum devices. At the heart of every quantum computer are qubits -- fundamental units of information that serve the same role as binary bits do in a classical computer. But there are numerous ways to make those qubits, each with advantages and disadvantages, and various players in the space are trying different ones. Rigetti uses superconducting qubits as the technology behind its quantum processing units (QPUs), which act as the brain and perform calculations in its machines. Superconducting qubits have the advantage of leveraging existing semiconductor chip manufacturing processes such as optical lithography. Rigetti is pursuing a chiplet-based architecture. This strings together a number of small chips to create the QPU, allowing for faster and more scalable quantum computers. Those attributes make them a compelling choice to combine with Nvidia's proprietary quantum platform, NVQLink. With NVQLink,
Aug 18, 2026 · via fool.com
'Beyond human intuition': AI designs chip components 500 times smaller than what engineers could ever imagine Three new AI-designed chip components are just a few micrometers long and go beyond what human engineers have previously envisaged. Scientists have successfully shrunk three components used in photonic microchips by up to 500 times, leaving considerably more space for other on-chip functionality. The achievement was made possible with an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that generated these tiny designs, which the researchers described as "beyond human intuition." Whereas conventional microchips use electrons to transmit and process information, photonic microchips utilize particles of light (photons). They can therefore process and transmit data much faster than electronic chips can, because photons can carry information at the speed of light. They also offer higher bandwidth, as different wavelengths can carry distinct data streams, and they lose less energy as heat. As a result, photonic chips are used where fast, high-bandwidth data transmission is essential, such as in fiber-optic communications, data centers, AI, lidar systems for autonomous vehicles, and quantum computing. Instead of metal wires, micrometer-wide channels called waveguides direct light across the photonic chip. These chips also contain wavelength splitters, spatial mode sorters and mirrors — all of which are essential for separating and directing different wavelengths and light patterns within a footprint a fraction of the width of a human hair. In the new study, the scientists used AI-generated designs to fabricate these three components on an ultracompact scale. They published their findings May 28 in the journal Nature Communications. The newly available on-chip space could allow engineers to "unlock new functionalities" by packing on more components, the researchers wrote in the study. Notably, the work demonstrates that AI can produce boundary-pushing chip designs that are also practical to manufacture. AI worked backward to generate the
Aug 18, 2026 · via livescience.com
U.K.-based silicon quantum computing company Quantum Motion has established a new U.S. operational hub in the University of Maryland’s Discovery District in College Park. The site will support the company’s commercial expansion and public-sector operations, placing Quantum Motion close to U.S. federal research and defense entities, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). [ Quantum Motion US Operational Architecture ] │ ┌─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┐ ▼ ▼ ▼ Silicon CMOS Hardware Stack Federal Defense Integration Regional Hub Co-Location • Standard Fab Spin-Qubit QPUs. • DARPA QBI Program Support. • UMD Discovery District Complex. • Mass-Manufacturable Silicon. • ARLIS Research Initiatives. • Capital of Quantum (CoQ) Hub. • Scalable Control Electronics. • Public-Sector Commercialization. • Co-located with IonQ & Microsoft. The expansion leverages Quantum Motion’s core technical approach—developing spin-qubit quantum processing units (QPUs) using standard silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing processes. By utilizing existing semiconductor foundry fabrication infrastructure, Quantum Motion aims to manufacture high-density quantum chips at scale. Key operational objectives for the Maryland facility include: - Government and Defense Collaboration: Supporting U.S. defense initiatives, including participation in DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) to evaluate scalable hardware metrics and fault-tolerant architectures. - Regional Ecosystem Integration: Joining College Park’s quantum cluster alongside IonQ, Microsoft Quantum, IQM Quantum Computers, and NanoQT. - State Initiative Alignment: Supporting Maryland’s Capital of Quantum (CoQ) initiative, a state-backed program launched in 2025 to expand public-private quantum infrastructure across the region. Led by President and Chief Commercial Officer Hugo Saleh, Quantum Motion’s expansion integrates silicon-based hardware development into the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region’s defense and enterprise markets. Review local reporting via Maryland Commerce here and CityBiz here. August 18, 2026 Leave A Comment
Aug 18, 2026 · via quantumcomputingreport.com
New UAlbany Faculty to Explore AI, Quantum Tech and the Human Brain ALBANY, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2026) — UAlbany researchers are studying how to combine the enormous power of quantum computing with the unparalleled adaptability and energy-efficiency of the human brain thanks to a new endowment from the Simons Foundation to the State University of New York. The endowment of UAlbany’s Neuromorphic Quantum Computing Constellation will fund four Simons Empire Faculty Fellows — two focused on neuroscience and one each in mathematics and computer hardware engineering. SUNY announced the fellows Tuesday. The fellows joining the campus this month will work at the frontier of two so-far distinct computing fields whose integration may be essential to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence. Despite the dizzying pace of recent advances in AI and quantum computing, our own brains remain the most powerful processors known to humans. The goal of this new cluster is to model, simulate and build next-generation intelligent systems inspired by the complex organization and function of the brain. “As a research university, we know the incredible potential of the human mind. Now, thanks to the Simons Foundation, University at Albany researchers are leveraging expertise from across the university to develop AI computing systems that mimic the adaptability, efficiency and processing power of the human brain,” UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez said. “We are so grateful to the Simons Foundation for funding this initiative and for their tireless support of scientific research.” Four new faculty members The Simons Foundation’s support will fund four new tenure-track faculty members in UAlbany’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. The newly hired faculty members are: - Assistant Professor Kristyn Lizbinski, Department of Biological Sciences - Assistant Professor Tahereh Jabbari, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering - Assistant Professor Kent
Aug 18, 2026 · via albany.edu
In-space infrastructure is the invisible backbone of our society that provides the timing, navigation, communication and sensing capabilities that underpin nearly everything we do on Earth. Today, there are more than 16,000 active satellites in orbit, supporting navigation, communications, weather forecasting, financial synchronization, national security systems and more. And this orbital footprint will continue to grow: The World Economic Forum and McKinsey estimate the global space economy will expand from approximately USD 630 billion in 2023 to USD 1.8 trillion by 2035. Meanwhile, for all its extraordinary promise to accelerate scientific discovery and transform industries, quantum computing carries a profound potential risk. Decades ago, mathematicians proved that in the future, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could use Shor’s algorithm to break the public key cryptography that protects today’s digital world. If attackers applied this capability to critical space systems, it wouldn’t just threaten satellites—it would threaten every Earth-based system that depends on their integrity. Just a handful of compromised space systems could trigger widespread, systemic failures. They can potentially disrupt stock markets, cause payment systems to fail, fracture supply chains, expose sensitive data and intellectual property and cause governments to face immediate crises. Discover emerging research in AI, quantum, hybrid cloud, and more from IBM’s experts with the monthly Future Forward newsletter. The risk is no longer theoretical. It is now a matter of US national policy. On 22 June 2026, the President’s office issued Executive Order 14412, “Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks,” which states: “It is the policy of the United States to safeguard national security and maintain technological leadership by responsibly and effectively executing the transition of Federal information systems to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-approved Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), and to assist critical infrastructure owners and operators with
Aug 18, 2026 · via ibm.com
AI + quantum computing: Quantinuum, NVIDIA, and Pfizer have combined transformer-based generative AI with quantum computing to automatically generate high-quality quantum chemistry circuits more efficiently than traditional optimization methods. Practical pharma impact: The approach was used to prepare molecular ground states and validated on Quantinuum’s Helios hardware, demonstrating a path toward larger-scale computational chemistry and drug discovery. Long-term vision: The team aims to build quantum foundation models that learn from increasingly complex quantum data, eventually enabling AI to design circuits for molecules too large for classical simulation. Quantum computing has long promised a future that expands what we can do with compute — for example, in molecular simulation, materials discovery, or pharmaceuticals development. But between that promise and practical utility sits a stubborn bottleneck: quantum state preparation. To run any algorithm on a quantum computer, you must first put the qubits in the right starting state. Think of it like setting up a Rube Goldberg machine- except in this case, you’re not sure exactly which initial setup will give you the results you want. This is what makes quantum state preparation so important: your choice of initial state dictates the accuracy and cost of the rest of the calculation. We teamed up with NVIDIA and Pfizer to tackle this problem, with an eye towards developing meaningful industrial workflows. The result is a new generative quantum AI framework, called ADAPT-GQE, which we consider to be a canonical instance of GenQAI. ADAPT-GQE uses quantum data to train transformer models that ultimately synthesize quantum chemistry circuits faster, with better outcomes, in a sort of ‘virtuous cycle’. Ultimately, this means we have developed a new interface between quantum computing and AI. By treating quantum circuit generation as a language modelling problem, we now have a system that can generate high-quality ground-state preparation circuits -
Aug 18, 2026 · via quantinuum.com
Exclusive look inside Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park development in South Chicago A new development under construction in South Chicago will specialize in quantum computing. It's a massive priority for Gov. JB Pritzker, who pushed for the big bucks going into it, hoping to transform vacant space on the lakefront and position Illinois to become the next Silicon Valley. The future is taking shape on South DuSable Lake Shore Drive on property that's been vacant since 1992, when the 128-acre U.S. Steel South Works Plant permanently closed. Quantum computing and technology will run where those mills once did. From old to new, replacing the economic engine of Chicago's past with the park that will drive it into the future on an international scale, according to Harley Johnson, CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. "A lot of the people working on the project have parents or grandparents who worked at the steel mills," said Johnson said. "There's no other place like this in the world." Johnson gave CBS News Chicago an exclusive first look at the campus that's now taking shape after being greenlit by city council back in 2024. "This is, I think, a technology that we think will change the world. And what we're trying to do here is create a critical mass of companies and talent that fuels that industry," he said. In the tech space, Illinois is already establishing itself as a global leader — a hub for quantum computing and technology dubbed the Quantum Prairie or the next Silicon Valley. What is quantum computing and its relation to the future? Quantum computing is a new form of computing. It is a technology that uses the principles of quantum physics to process information in a way that's different than what classical computers do. With quantum
Aug 18, 2026 · via cbsnews.com