The project will involve collaboration with Menlo Systems and ParityQC, which will provide laser systems and software architecture. The quantum processor will be installed at the DLR Innovation Center in Ulm, Germany, and integrated into DLR’s Quantum Computing Initiative. This marks the first sale of a digital quantum computer based on neutral atoms in Europe. Planqc recently appointed Hermann Hauser as a board advisor.
planqc Awarded EUR 29 Million Contract for Quantum Computer Development
German start-up planqc has been awarded a EUR 29 million contract by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to develop a digital neutral-atom-based quantum computing hardware and software platform. The platform will be scalable and capable of demonstrating quantum algorithms for real-world problems. This marks the first sale of a digital quantum computer based on neutral atoms in Europe. Planqc will collaborate with Menlo Systems and ParityQC, who will provide critical components for the laser systems and software architecture. The quantum processor will be built and installed at the DLR Innovation Center in Ulm, Germany, as part of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI). Planqc’s technology will be integrated into DLR’s quantum computing stack, to expand into other key industries and open up global markets. The company’s growth strategy has been bolstered by the recent appointment of Hermann Hauser as a board advisor.
Quantum Computing Applications and DLR’s Priority Areas
Quantum computers have the potential to perform calculations and simulations much faster than classical supercomputers in specific areas of application. They can be used for designing new materials or drugs and solving complex problems in transport, energy, and the financial sector, among other applications. Quantum computers utilize quantum-mechanical effects of entanglement and superposition, allowing their quantum bits (qubits) to simultaneously assume states 0 and 1, making them more powerful than classical computers. DLR has identified problem areas that include quantum materials, quantum machine learning, optimization of satellites, and simulation of chemical reactions to develop more efficient battery systems. The organization has a clear need for the future use of quantum computers in its priority areas, such as aerospace, energy, transport, security, and digitization.
“We are very proud that DLR relies on planqc as the technology leader in the field of neutral atoms to build a quantum computer. This order is an important milestone in our commercialization and growth strategy, which envisages expanding into other key industries and opening up global markets as a next step,”
Alexander Glätzle, CEO and co-founder of planqc.
Neutral Atoms as Qubits and planqc’s Technology
To transform neutral atoms into qubits, they must first be trapped and confined in a vacuum by laser beams. The atoms are then arranged in a regular manner, similar to an egg carton, and can be manipulated with lasers to create arrays of qubits. To enable qubit interaction, the atoms are excited into Rydberg states, which are essential for quantum computing functionality. Planqc, founded in April 2022, builds on decades of research and technology development at Munich’s Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ). The company uses optical lattices, a technology pioneered in Munich, to trap thousands of atoms in a standing wave light pattern formed by a single laser beam. Quantum information is stored in electronic states of strontium atoms, which are also used to build the world’s best atomic clocks due to their long coherence times. This combination of quantum technologies has the potential to scale to thousands of qubits with superior gate fidelity, a prerequisite for industry-relevant quantum advantage.
“We are not only excited to install the first quantum computer based on neutral atoms at DLR, but we also want to collaborate closely with DLR experts to run quantum algorithms on it that will have a real impact on DLR’s many fields of application,”
Sebastian Blatt, CTO and Co-Founder of planqc.
“Diversity is an important feature of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative. The QCI pursues different technological approaches to investigate their respective advantages and disadvantages. With this project, we are adding another promising technology to our quantum computer portfolio at the Ulm site,”
Dr. Karla Loida, Hardware Lead for the QCI.
“In order for the neutral atoms to become qubits, they must first be trapped and confined in a vacuum by laser beams,” says Dr. Robert Axmann, Head of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (QCI).
Dr. Robert Axmann, Head of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (QCI).
Summary
- German Aerospace Center (DLR) awards planqc a EUR 29 million contract to develop a scalable neutral-atom quantum computer.
- Planqc partners with Menlo Systems and ParityQC for laser systems and software architecture.
- The quantum processor will be installed at the DLR Innovation Center in Ulm, Germany, as part of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI).
- Planqc aims to expand into other industries and global markets as part of its commercialization and growth strategy.
- DLR’s quantum computing applications include quantum materials, machine learning, satellite optimization, and chemical reaction simulations for battery development.
- Planqc, founded in April 2022, builds on research and technology from Munich’s Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ).
- The quantum computer uses optical lattices and strontium atoms to store quantum information, potentially enabling faster scaling to thousands of qubits with superior gate fidelity.
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