Bitcoin developers are trying to build quantum defenses. Your coins could pay the price. A proposal has been updated on Bitcoin's official repository, calling for freezing of quantum-vulnerable coins. What to know: - The BIP-361 would require bitcoin holders to migrate their coins to quantum-resistant addresses or risk having them permanently frozen by the network. - The plan, prompted by warnings that future quantum computers could crack Bitcoin’s current cryptography, would phase out vulnerable address types over several years and ultimately invalidate legacy ECDSA and Schnorr signatures. - The proposal has sparked backlash from parts of the Bitcoin community, who argue that freezing coins violates the cryptocurrency’s core promise of sovereign, permissionless control, while developers frame it as a necessary defensive measure. Bitcoin That promise is now, for the first time in Bitcoin's 16-year history, being challenged from the developer community itself, as a part of measures to build defenses against future quantum computers that could compromise Bitcoin's blockchain and steal your coins. The proposal Jameson Loop, one of the outspoken bitcoin contributors, and other cryptographers, have proposed a move that could force bitcoin holders to migrate their coins to new quantum-resistant addresses or face having their coins frozen permanently by the network itself. In that scenario, holders would technically still “own” the coins, but lose the ability to move them. It is called Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP)-361 and was updated in Bitcoin's official proposal repository Tuesday with the title "Post Quantum Migration and Legacy Signature Sunset." This comes as a recently released Google report warned that a sufficiently powerful quantum machine could require significantly less firepower to compromise the Bitcoin blockchain than initially estimated. This prompted some observers to cite 2029 as the quantum deadline for bitcoin. To understand the need to freeze coins, you need to know what
Apr 15, 2026 · via coindesk.com
For the fourth day in a row, IonQ (IONQ +20.83%) stock is flying. Shares of the biggest name in quantum computing systems (IonQ is worth more than $13 billion, nearly as much as Rigetti Computing (RGTI +13.28%), D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +22.45%), and Quantum Computing (QUBT +15.91%) combined) soared 16.2% through 10:50 a.m. ET Wednesday on a slew of good news. First up: DARPA As my fellow Fool Keith Noonan pointed out yesterday, IonQ just won a contract to develop advanced quantum-computing systems for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA -- the Pentagon's mad scientists division). IonQ didn't say how much the Heterogeneous Architectures for Quantum (HARQ) program will be worth to it, and admittedly, DARPA contracts can be very small to start with. They can also get very big over time, however. DARPA, if you recall... invented the Internet. Next up: Nvidia The other big news moving IonQ stock this week comes straight out of Nvidia (NVDA +1.31%), which yesterday unveiled its Nvidia Ising AI model for controlling quantum computers. Nvidia says its new AI can correct quantum computer output errors up to 3x faster than traditional approaches. NYSE: IONQ Key Data Points What does this mean for IonQ stock? Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's goal is to make Nvidia's AI semiconductor chips "essential to making quantum computing practical," and thereby shoehorn Nvidia into a quantum computing market estimated to be worth $11 billion annually by 2030. That's good news for Nvidia investors. But if Nvidia Ising can also reduce errors and make quantum computing more reliable, it may be great news for quantum stocks like IonQ as well. Tune in to find out just how good things may get after market close on May 6, when IonQ is due to report its Q1 2026 earnings.
Apr 15, 2026 · via fool.com
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Apr 15, 2026 · via youtube.com
How Columbus is leading the way on World Quantum Day - World Quantum Day is an annual observance on April 14 to highlight the science shaping the future of technology. - The Ohio State University has become a major player in quantum research, positioning Columbus as a technology hub. - The university has also launched one of the nation's first graduate programs in quantum information science and engineering. It's World Quantum Day, an annual global observance meant to spotlight the science shaping the future of computing, communications and cybersecurity. While the April 14 observance began as a grassroots effort to raise public awareness around quantum science, researchers say it now comes amid a broader global push to mark roughly 100 years since the birth of quantum mechanics. In Columbus, the day underscores the work that has helped make Ohio State University a major player in quantum research and central Ohio a growing hub for next-generation technology. At the center of that work is Ohio State's Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering, known as CQISE, co-led by Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin, a physics professor, and Ronald M. Reano, a professor of electrical and computer engineering. The center brings together researchers across physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering to advance work in quantum computing, sensing, networking and secure communications. Johnston-Halperin said the field is now entering what researchers call a second quantum revolution, one centered on how quantum information can reshape the same kinds of systems people already rely on every day— computers, communication networks and sensors. "The name uses the word 'information' the same way we use the word in 'information technology,'" Johnston-Halperin said, referring to computers, networks and digital sensors. "What the field is discovering is that there’s a second quantum revolution about how quantum mechanics can fundamentally affect those areas of
Apr 15, 2026 · via dispatch.com
Rigetti Computing (RGTI +11.50%) stock has risen 81% over the past year at the time of writing, significantly outperforming IonQ (IONQ +20.16%), whose shares are up 31%. This is despite IonQ scaling much faster over the past two years, generating substantially higher revenue. However, Rigetti’s recent launch of its new, more capable quantum computing system could be a catalyst for accelerating growth and narrowing the gap with IonQ over the next few years. Rigetti Computing: Struggling to Grow Revenue Rigetti primarily builds quantum computers and the superconducting quantum processors that power them, integrating these machines into various public, private, or hybrid clouds through its centralized services. Despite launching its largest quantum system and selling a new processing unit to the University of Saskatchewan, it recorded an operating loss of $22.6 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025. NASDAQ: RGTI Key Data Points IonQ: Accelerating Revenue Trajectory IonQ develops general-purpose quantum computing systems and generates revenue by selling access to these machines through several major commercial cloud providers and its own dedicated service. It expanded operations by acquiring SkyWater Technology, a pure-play semiconductor foundry, and reported an operating loss of $228 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025. NYSE: IONQ Key Data Points Why Revenue Matters for Investors Revenue is an important measure of how much cash a business collects from selling goods and services. Growth in revenue, or lack thereof, reflects a company's ability to attract customers, deliver its services, and expand its core business operations over time. Image source: The Motley Fool. Quarterly Revenue for Rigetti Computing and IonQ | Quarter (Period End) | Rigetti Computing Revenue | IonQ Revenue | |---|---|---| | Q1 2024 (March 2024) | $3.1 million | $7.6 million | | Q2 2024 (June 2024) | $3.1 million | $11.4 million | |
Apr 15, 2026 · via fool.com
IonQ (IONQ +20.16%) published a press release today announcing that it had won a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The contract news had a huge bullish impact on the company's share price. IonQ stock closed out the day's trading up 20.2%. DARPA has been at the center of pushing U.S. defense technologies forward since its founding, and the vote of confidence from the agency is a significant development for IonQ. The quantum computing specialist has won a contract with DARPA's Heterogeneous Architectures for Quantum (HARQ) program, and the bigger picture may be even more exciting. IonQ's latest tech update could have big implications IonQ's announcement of its HARQ deal with DARPA wasn't the only catalyst that sent its share price higher on Tuesday. In conjunction with the DARPA news, IonQ also published a very promising update on its partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and broader tech capabilities. The quantum company revealed today that it had successfully photonically interconnected two independent trapped-ion quantum systems. The announcement is significant because the company is reporting that it has completed the first successful demonstration of commercial quantum computers working together on shared processing loads. The ability to combine the computational powers of multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) has been central to driving the artificial intelligence revolution, and data suggesting that multiple quantum computers can work in tandem has major implications for the scalability of the tech. If IonQ has a forefront position when it comes to interconnecting trapped-ion quantum systems, it's possible that the company could deliver big technological leaps forward as its quantum capabilities continue to develop. NYSE: IONQ Key Data Points Has IonQ turned a crucial corner? The pairing of the DARPA contract announcement with news that IonQ has potentially achieved a major technological milestone by
Apr 14, 2026 · via fool.com
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Apr 14, 2026 · via youtube.com
Today is World Quantum Day. Google Doodle marks the day with visualizing the Bloch Sphere - the state space of a qubit, and our Google Quantum AI team is answering some of the top trending questions about quantum. Quantum mechanics is all around us - it’s in plants, cells, and even electrons. In a way, nature is quantum mechanics. My favorite part of this video is the team’s reminder that we are currently in the "12-second flight" era of quantum, performing key demonstrations that pave the way for an exciting future. We are making great strides in moving from experimental physics toward stable, error-corrected systems necessary to enable these breakthroughs. The future of Quantum is incredibly exciting.✨ Will quantum computers ever work well? Hey, welcome to Google Quantum. Come on in. Welcome to our office. Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm a researcher here with the Google Quantum team, and I'm Jenna and I'm a quantum fabrication engineer, and we're here to answer your top trending quantum questions. Top trending quoting questions, save quantum questions. What is quantum mechanics in real life? So there's a boring answer to this question. Quantum mechanics is like the math that describes what fundamental particles do. But there's also a fun answer. Connor, mechanics is all around us. It's like the cells in your body. It's plants. It's electrons. I always like to think that nature is quantum mechanics in a way. Yeah. What is quantum computing? There's this famous physicist Richard Feynman, and he was describing how the world is quantum mechanical. So if you wanted to make some computer that could simulate the world with maximal accuracy, you would want that computer to behave quantum mechanically. And so that sparked the quantum revolution. People are trying to make that thing. What is a cubit?
Apr 14, 2026 · via linkedin.com
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Apr 14, 2026 · via instagram.com
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore celebrated World Quantum Day at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 110,000-square-foot headquarters for the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland Discovery District. The $65 million capital project will advance national defense technology and solidify the state’s status as a global leader in quantum. The event also highlighted quantum investments in the State’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which directs tens of millions of dollars to bolster Maryland’s Capital of Quantum Initiative, hire specialist faculty members at the University of Maryland, and support ongoing quantum capital projects. “Quantum is changing the world, and Maryland is the best place in the world to change the world,” said Gov. Moore. “By investing in quantum and partnering with ARLIS, the State of Maryland is creating new opportunities for the student with the skills to succeed in this field, uplifting the family that now has access to good-paying work, and supporting the entrepreneurs who will solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.” The new four-story, Class A office development is a partnership with COPT Defense Properties and is scheduled for shell completion in the second quarter of 2027. ARLIS, based in the University of Maryland Discovery District, is one of only 15 U.S. Department of War-designated University Affiliated Research Centers nationwide, and the only one exclusively focused on intelligence and security missions. The lab, which currently employs more than 260 personnel, conducts research in artificial intelligence, information engineering, human systems and quantum applications. “Emerging technologies like quantum computing are key to the future of our economy and our national security,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “That’s why I’ve worked alongside Team Maryland to deliver $48 million in federal investments to support the University of
Apr 14, 2026 · via governor.maryland.gov
What is 'World Quantum Day?' Google Doodle April 14 explained The latest "Google Doodle" to adorn the Google search engine home page is celebrating achievements in quantum physics - and aiming to spread interest in the field. Google's Doodle webpage explains that the April 14, 2026, Doodle features the Bloch Sphere, a visualization of how a qubit - a simple two-level quantum mechanical system - works. "While a classical computing bit is strictly 1 or 0, a qubit can exist in a blend of both, called a superposition," Google explained. "By harnessing superposition, along with other quantum properties, quantum computers can solve specific, complex problems that are out of reach for today’s supercomputers to solve." The Doodle falls on April 14, which marks "World Quantum Day." Here's everything to know about the latest Google Doodle and the goals of those behind the yearly date celebrating quantum science. World Quantum Day Google Doodle The April 14, 2026, Google Doodle design celebrated World Quantum Day. What is World Quantum Day 2026? Why is World Quantum Day celebrated? Quantum business news website TheQuantumInsider.com explains that World Quantum Day is designed to translate developments in quantum research into public engagement. The website points toward open lectures, lab tours, and demonstrations held by many universities and research institutions in honor of the date, with many such offerings "designed for non-specialists, with hands-on activities that explain concepts such as superposition using accessible analogies." The website suggests starting with foundational knowledge when learning about quantum research, including basic physics concepts, introductory programming, and familiarizing oneself with emerging quantum software platforms. "The broader goal of World Quantum Day is not just awareness, but participation in shaping the future," TheQuantumInsider.com stated on the date. "It’s a way, for example, for people to learn lessons that can help them make
Apr 14, 2026 · via citizen-times.com
Quantum stocks rip as IonQ discloses new contracts, hits benchmark milestones It’s also World Quantum Day. It’s World Quantum Day, so why wouldn’t quantum stocks be ripping? Shares of IonQ and its quantum computing peers surged Tuesday as IonQ disclosed new contracts and a new set of benchmarks, investors poured back into retail traders’ favorite stocks, and the mood in the markets was decidedly risk-on. IonQ was up over 20% at points in midday trading, with today marking its best day since February 26, when it jumped 21.7%. D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, and Quantum Computing also rose sharply. All of them are still down by more than 50% from their peaks in October. IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi said in a CNBC appearance that the company made four recent announcements that are boosting the stock: “First one was an increase of our partnership with Air Force Research Lab — meaningful contract win. Second one was an increase in our partnership with the University of Maryland — meaningful contract win. Third one was of course the DARPA contract.” And the fourth, he said, was the company’s new benchmark results. “We released our benchmarks, which is really probably the most important thing for the sector, around the cost dissolution and time dissolution using our quantum computers, which we believe lead the industry on both metrics considerably.” Of course, he also acknowledged, “Our stock’s up partially because of World Quantum Day.”
Apr 14, 2026 · via sherwood.news
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) has secured a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of the Heterogeneous Architectures for Quantum (HARQ) program. This initiative focuses on the development of networked quantum architectures that integrate diverse qubit modalities—such as trapped ions, neutral atoms, and superconducting qubits—into a unified, high-performance system. The program seeks to utilize the technical strengths of each modality while leveraging advancements in photonic integration to enable reliable communication between different qubit species. Simultaneously, IonQ has achieved a foundational technical milestone by photonically interconnecting two independent trapped-ion quantum systems. This demonstration, conducted in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), marks the first time two commercial quantum computers have been networked via quantum entanglement at a distance. The achievement validates the generation, transmission, and detection of photons required to link separate processors while maintaining the quantum coherence necessary for distributed computational operations. IonQ’s contribution to the HARQ program centers on the development of specialized quantum memories fabricated from quantum-grade synthetic diamond. These memories serve as the core components for the company’s interconnect systems and are designed to meet DARPA’s high-speed and high-fidelity targets for long-distance entanglement distribution. This work builds upon IonQ’s 2025 milestone of achieving the first qubit-to-photon frequency conversion in a field-deployable system, which allows quantum networks to operate over standard commercial fiber-optic infrastructure. The program includes 19 performer teams from 15 organizations working across two specialized workstreams. - The MOSAIC (Multi-qubit Optimized Software Architecture through Interconnected Compilation) stream focuses on software frameworks and compilers to optimize performance across diverse qubit types, with participants including Infleqtion, memQ, Q-CTRL, and the Universities of Michigan and Pennsylvania. - The Quantum Shared Backbone (QSB) stream, which focuses on the hardware required for cross-platform communication, includes IonQ, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, the Australian National University, and EPFL,
Apr 14, 2026 · via quantumcomputingreport.com
Beyond Qubit Counts: Introducing IonQ’s Application-Centric Benchmarking Framework Quantum computing needs better benchmarks. Whether evaluating quantum for today's workloads or tomorrow's, every serious decision in quantum computing eventually comes down to one question: how do you measure real progress, and at what cost? The industry produces no shortage of numbers to answer it. Qubit counts, gate fidelities, circuit depths, coherence times. These figures are published constantly, but none of them actually answers the question. That is the problem this framework is built to solve. Our Benchmarking White Paper introduces a structured, application-centric framework for evaluating quantum computing systems. The framework is designed for the industry, not just IonQ. It covers 13 benchmarks across optimization, quantum chemistry, machine learning, data loading, simulation, and foundational algorithms. While this paper reports results on IonQ hardware, the framework is built to support evaluation across any quantum system, using metrics that connect directly to the value of the obtained solution. A Framework Built on Well-Informed Lessons The framework is inspired by MLPerf, the established standard for AI benchmarking (managed by NVIDIA, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Qualcomm, AMD, Intel, Arm, and many more). The structure is clear yet flexible: “Closed benchmarks” fix the implementation so that cross-platform comparison is a fair test of the system, not the algorithm. “Open benchmarks” fix the success criterion and permit algorithmic innovation, allowing teams to demonstrate advances without disclosing proprietary methods. In both cases, each benchmark has to disclose critical information to give the results the necessary context. The primary metrics are Time-to-Solution (TTS), Energy-to-Solution (ETS), and solution quality. TTS is the total wall time to reach a result that meets a predefined quality threshold, encompassing pre-processing, compilation, execution, and post-processing. In TTS benchmarks, that quality threshold is the figure of merit for the problem: it defines what constitutes a valid
Apr 14, 2026 · via ionq.com
Quantum computing: A tech race Europe could win? In a lab on the western edge of Paris, where the River Seine flows wide and trams slide past glass-fronted buildings and blossoming cherry trees, a technician called Rémi makes some adjustments with a spanner. The machine, a cascade of gold and silver-coloured cylinders descending through a cloud of wires, is a cryostat, a device that cools so much it slows activity even at the molecular level. Minus 273 degrees Celsius in the cylinder at the bottom. A temperature at which even the tiniest particles are still. Isolation from the outside world is complete. In this cylinder is placed a small case, again of gold and silver colour, in which is inserted a chip. This chip is another, tinier box inside of which takes place the phenomenon discovered by Albert Einstein and other physicists that seems to defy the mechanics of the world we live in: the quantum leap, when particles change energy levels in ways that are predictable, reproducible and apparently impossible. Around us there are several vertical cylinders like so many different-sized water heaters. They all contain cryostats like the one Rémi is tinkering with. Oh, and these machines have another name. They are quantum computers. This is the French quantum computer company Alice & Bob. In the next few months it will also open a much larger facility north of Paris, costing $50m (£37m), with a test and run facility to try out bigger and bigger machines, and a clean room where it will make its own chips. Alice & Bob may sound like an ice-cream company, but the 200-strong team of 20 and 30-somethings you see buzzing around this hive of a start-up do some very serious science, and will soon, says co-founder and CEO Théau Peronnin, be
Apr 13, 2026 · via bbc.com
Even on a campus like the University of Washington’s — home to particle accelerators, wave tanks and countless other bespoke pieces of equipment — the machinery in the Quantum Technologies Training and Testbed lab stands out. Take the dilution fridge, a large, white, cylindrical device that can cool a small chamber to one hundredth of a kelvin above absolute zero — the coldest possible temperature in the universe. “This is the coldest fridge money can buy,” said Max Parsons, a UW assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and the former director of the lab, which goes by the nickname QT3. “When it’s running, the chamber inside this device is about 100 times colder than outer space. At that temperature, it’s much easier to study and manipulate a material’s quantum properties.” The lab also houses a photon qubit tabletop lab: a nondescript set of boxes, lasers and lenses that can demonstrate the “spooky” — a term scientists actually use — phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, where two particles appear to communicate instantaneously with each other despite being physically apart. Or there’s the lab’s latest acquisition, the scanning tunneling microscope, which can image individual atoms within a solid material, allowing researchers to study the structure of materials at the smallest scales. An interdisciplinary group of researchers has been marshalling resources and expertise to create QT3 for three years, and now, the lab is opening its doors as a unique one-stop shop resource for quantum researchers and educators at the UW. “The idea of this lab is to improve access to quantum hardware,” Parsons said. “It’s rather hard to acquire equipment like this. And there are a lot of researchers that may have good ideas that they want to test, but don’t have the resources yet for their own equipment. So we’re
Apr 13, 2026 · via washington.edu
Breadcrumb Innovation & AI Models & research Quantum computing News from Google Quantum AI about how we're building quantum computing for unsolvable problems. Follow Us Safety & Security Quantum frontiers may be closer than they appear An overview of how Google is accelerating its timeline for post-quantum cryptography migration. All the Latest
Apr 13, 2026 · via blog.google
The News The USâ quantum opportunity isnât just in developing the first large-scale, usable quantum computer, but in building the supply chain behind it, according to Pete Shadbolt, co-founder and chief scientific officer at quantum company PsiQuantum. âThatâs a thrilling opportunity that comes with the novelty of the technology, but also I think itâs really important to treat it seriously,â Shadbolt said at Semafor World Economy on Monday. Quantum computing has often been compared to AI. Both are moonshot technologies that scientists have been working on for decades. AI has for a large part been realized, and experts anticipate sophisticated quantum computers are a few years away. However, components that power AI â from the China-based rare earth metals that go into chips to the manufacturing of those chips in Taiwan â rely on a global supply chain that the US is working to bring onshore. Meanwhile, quantumâs big âChatGPT momentâ is still years out, and the supply chain is still being built. PsiQuantum is manufacturing chips at a GlobalFoundries facility in New York, manufacturing refrigeration tech called cryostats in Minnesota, and opening a computing facility in Chicago, he said. Know More PsiQuantum is attempting to build a functional quantum computer that uses photons, or light particles, to process information. The company has raised $1.4 billion from investors including BlackRock, Nvidia, and Qatar Investment Authority. Quantum computers have the potential to perform much more complex calculations than classical computers can, with applications in encryption, scientific research, and AI development. Companies building the computers â including Google, IBM, and IonQ â are in a race to reach âquantum advantage,â when the computers can solve a problem that no classical computer can in any amount of time. They are also competing to achieve âfault tolerance,â which comes later and indicates when a
Apr 13, 2026 · via semafor.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Luc Schrauf of State College, Pennsylvania, will be honored as the student marshal for the Penn State Eberly College of Science at the University’s spring 2026 commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 10, on the University Park campus. Schrauf will graduate with a 3.97 grade-point average and a bachelor’s degree in physics, with minors in nanotechnology, quantum information science and engineering, and mathematics. Throughout his college career, he was a learning assistant for three courses, a volunteer in the Physics and Astronomy for Women+ PAW Pals student organization, and an elected student senator and student representative for the University Faculty Senate and University Park Undergraduate Association. Between 2024 and 2025, Schrauf received multiple scholarships, including the Evan Pugh Junior Scholarship, the M. Dean and Jean L. Underwood Scholarship, the Bert Elsbach Honors Scholarship in Physics, and the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. In 2024, he was also awarded an Erickson Discovery Grant. And in 2025, he earned first place in the physical sciences category at the Penn State Undergraduate Research Exhibition. Schrauf was also involved in undergraduate research in the lab of Nitin Samarth, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics and professor of materials science and engineering, where he worked primarily with scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular beam epitaxy techniques. Using MBE, which is the equivalent of spray-painting using a beam of atoms, he made Tellurium-based quantum materials that could potentially function as a platform for harnessing novel superconducting qualities. Schrauf explained that this research ties directly into his career goals of growing the field of quantum computing and his postgraduation plans of attending Princeton University to pursue a doctoral degree in quantum science and engineering. “After my Ph.D., I hope to join the effort and help build our first useful quantum computer,” he said. “My primary career goal
Apr 13, 2026 · via psu.edu
IonQ and University of Maryland Expand QLab Collaboration to Advance Quantum Networking and Research $7.5 million agreement advances UMD quantum networking leadership with new quantum memory node COLLEGE PARK, MD – April 13, 2026 - IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the leading quantum company, and the University of Maryland (UMD) today announced a multi-year expansion of their partnership through the National Quantum Laboratory (QLab), extending their joint efforts in quantum computing, quantum networking, and workforce development. This latest agreement, totaling $7.5 million and supported by funding from the State of Maryland’s Capital of Quantum Initiative via the University of Maryland Economic Development Corporation (UMEC), builds on the strategic partnership first announced in September 2024. “Our longstanding partnership with the University of Maryland meets the need to accelerate access to advanced quantum computing, quantum networking capabilities, and talent development,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. “IonQ’s collaboration with UMD reflects our commitment to Maryland’s ‘Capital of Quantum’ initiative, as we broaden QLab to include quantum networking, hardware upgrades, and deeper collaboration with its researchers.” “This expanded agreement strengthens the QLab as a premier testbed for quantum networking and computing and deepens opportunities for our faculty and students to work hands-on with industry-leading systems,” said University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines. “Building on our strong relationship with IonQ through the QLab is critical to advancing discovery, developing talent and reinforcing Maryland’s position as the Capital of Quantum.” This next step in the ongoing collaboration deepens IonQ’s integration with UMD researchers and students, positioning QLab as a leading testbed for next-generation quantum technologies, including quantum networking and memory systems – specifically, the first deployment of IonQ’s silicon vacancy (SiV)-based quantum memory node. This industry-leading infrastructure will complement existing UMD efforts, such as the Mid-Atlantic Region Quantum Internet (MARQI) network, across multiple
Apr 13, 2026 · via ionq.com