Riken Accelerates Quantum Hybrid Research With Quantinuum Partnership

Quantinuum will install its H1 Series ion-trap quantum computing technology on-site at the campus of the Japanese national research and high-performance computing (HPC) center Riken.

Riken will integrate the H1 platform with its HPC technology, including Fugaku, the second-fastest supercomputer in the world after HPE Cray’s Frontier.

The quantum-supercomputer hybrid platform will support a research program that Softbank, the University of Tokyo, and Osaka University are undertaking to develop tools and applications to integrate quantum computers with classical supercomputers effectively.

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization has also commissioned a project to demonstrate the advantages such quantum hybrid platforms could have for deployment as services in the future post-5G era.  

“Quantinuum has a track record as a commercial leader in quantum computing, and we hope to bring our technical and operational know-how and contribute to achieving the project’s objectives,” said Quantinuum CEO Rajeeb Hazra.

“Our H-Series quantum computer is uniquely poised to enable groundbreaking developments by researchers around the world. We are excited that this engagement will allow researchers in RIKEN and other Japanese institutions to benefit from our H-Series quantum computer’s full power and capability.” 

Fujitsu and Riken inaugurated a 64-qubit superconducting quantum computer at the Riken RQC-Fujitsu Collaboration Center in October 2023. A consortium including Riken, Fujitsu and AWS launched Japan’s third quantum computer at Osaka University in December.

“Advanced quantum computers of NISQ are now moving into the practical stage as the number of qubits increases and the fidelity is improved,” said deputy director of Riken’s quantum HPC collaborative platform division Mitsuhisa Sato,

“From the HPC point of view, quantum computers are devices that accelerate scientific applications conventionally executed on supercomputers and enable computations that cannot yet be solved by supercomputers. Riken is committed to developing system software for quantum-HPC hybrid computing, by leveraging its comprehensive scientific research capabilities and experience in the development and operation of cutting-edge supercomputers such as Fugaku.”

This article originally appeared in IoT World Today