OQC’s 32-qubit device, Toshiko, is now directly accessible at the pulse level through Horizon Quantum’s Triple Alpha integrated development environment. Integration of OQC’s quantum processing unit with Triple Alpha enables pulse-level program execution, qubit characterization and gate calibration within a unified programming environment, the company says.

Frequent recalibration is essential for quantum processing units, and this collaboration allows users to build these procedures directly within Triple Alpha. “Exposing pulse-level control of OQC processors through Triple Alpha will enable users to interact with the physics of the quantum processors, rather than just the data they contain,” said Dr. Joe Fitzsimons, CEO of Horizon Quantum.

Triple Alpha and OQC’s Toshiko QPU Enable Pulse-Level Program Execution

The Horizon Quantum team recently used Triple Alpha to characterize parameters like T1 and T2 on OQC’s 32-qubit superconducting QPU, Toshiko. These parameters describe qubit relaxation and phase coherence, critical measurements for assessing processor performance. This work demonstrates the ability to directly access and analyze the physical properties of the quantum hardware through the Triple Alpha integrated development environment, moving beyond simply running algorithms on a pre-configured system.

The team also executed a high-level quantum program on Toshiko using Triple Alpha to perform gate calibration, a process essential for achieving accurate quantum computations, according to OQC. Triple Alpha’s pulse-level control capabilities allow developers to specify the physical properties of electromagnetic pulses used to manipulate qubits, a feature traditionally requiring separate frameworks for pulse scheduling. This unified approach enables users to write programs once and execute them across different control systems, increasing portability and streamlining the development process.

The ability to create and deploy characterization and calibration routines within Triple Alpha, accessible through a web-based API, represents a shift toward more integrated quantum workflows. “Making quantum computing useful requires close integration between hardware and software,” said Simon Phillips, OQC’s Chief Product Officer. Many quantum computing modalities, including superconducting systems like Toshiko, rely on precisely controlled electromagnetic pulses to drive logical operations. Traditionally, programming at this pulse level demanded specialized languages and frameworks; Triple Alpha circumvents this by integrating pulse-level control directly into the languages used for developing quantum applications.