April 19, 2024

European Milestone: Quantum Computer With More Than 5,000 Qubits Launched

The D-Wave quantum annealer at its new location in the JUNIQ building at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich/ Sascha Kreklau
Official launch marks a turning point in the advancement of quantum computing in Europe.
A quantum annealer with more than 5,000 qubits has been put into operation at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) and D-Wave Systems, a leading service provider of quantum computing systems, today released the businesss very first cloud-based quantum service outside North America. The annealing quantum computer is part of the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ), which was established in autumn 2019 to supply researchers in Germany and Europe with access to different quantum systems.
A quantum annealer with more than 5,000 qubits has actually been taken into operation at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Representatives from politics and science released the businesss first cloud-based quantum D-Wave system outdoors North America. Credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich/ Sascha Kreklau
” Quantum computers promise enormous chances for our future and for research in Germany. They have the potential to transform our everyday lives for the better– with regard to making ideal usage of our power grid, optimizing investment methods in the financial market, or creating more effective medications. This is why the Federal Research Ministry is providing intensive, broad-based support for quantum computer advancement. Todays launch of a quantum annealer in the JUNIQ user facilities is a further essential action to move Germany and Europe to an international management function in quantum computing.”– Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger

The Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) and D-Wave Systems, a leading provider of quantum computing systems, today released the businesss first cloud-based quantum service outside North America. The annealing quantum computer system is part of the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ), which was developed in autumn 2019 to offer scientists in Germany and Europe with access to various quantum systems.” The user facilities JUNIQ and the commissioning of the quantum annealer in Jülich remarkably demonstrate North Rhine-Westphalias development into a top European location for quantum computing. The brand-new quantum system is the 2nd D-Wave quantum computer system to be used within the JUNIQ user facilities and is the worlds first Advantage quantum annealer to be situated outside the companys home nation, Canada. I am proud that this is the very first commercial quantum computimg system in-region in Europe, deepening the effect of quantum computing in Europe and am excited about the developments and applications that will emerge from the system.”

” Bringing quantum and supercomputing technologies together is essential to supporting advanced clinical discoveries. It is like opening doors to brand-new worlds with fantastic innovation capacity. Academics, services, and other organizations will be able to gain access to this innovative technology now physically situated in Europe, driving real-world worth.”– Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner
” The user facilities JUNIQ and the commissioning of the quantum annealer in Jülich impressively demonstrate North Rhine-Westphalias advancement into a leading European area for quantum computing. Our impressive scientific landscape and the close networking of our gamers in science and industry make it possible to totally make use of the capacity of these innovations.”– Minister-President of NRW Hendrik Wüst
Cryostat of the D-Wave quantum annealer. Credit: D-Wave
Forschungszentrum Jülich has set itself the goal of developing a leading development and user neighborhood from industry and science for quantum computing applications in Germany and throughout Europe. “To achieve this goal, we developed JUNIQ as a user facility for open developments at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre in 2019. It provides users with an uniform quantum computing platform as a service and also uses them the relevant knowledge for user support and joint software development,” discusses Prof. Wolfgang Marquardt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Forschungszentrum Jülich. “Through JUNIQ, we offer users and designers with service-oriented access to our unique Jülich quantum computing ecosystem. This offers users the very best conditions to quickly accelerate the usage of quantum computers thanks to its excellent technical infrastructure and, above all, the pooling of our considerable knowledge in the fields of supercomputing and quantum innovations.”
The brand-new quantum system is the 2nd D-Wave quantum computer to be utilized within the JUNIQ user infrastructure and is the worlds very first Advantage quantum annealer to be located outside the businesss house country, Canada. “We operate the system straight here at Jülich. This offers us the opportunity to integrate it closely with our supercomputing facilities,” explains Prof. Kristel Michielsen, a quantum computing pioneer and head of the Quantum Information Processing group at JSC. This allows specialists at Jülich to acquire experience in operating and maintaining such a device and assists to move important knowledge to Germany. Furthermore, access to this system undergoes German legislation and checks.
” Given the extent to which business and research organizations are determining essential issues that require financial investments in quantum computing, the marketing capacity for quantum computing will grow at a quicker rate than ever previously,” says Alan Baratz, CEO at D-Wave Systems. I am proud that this is the first industrial quantum computimg system in-region in Europe, deepening the effect of quantum computing in Europe and am thrilled about the developments and applications that will emerge from the system.”
The new system is an annealing quantum computer system. This type of quantum system is particularly well matched for resolving tough optimization problems that are especially appropriate to industry. These include the efficient control of traffic circulations and the training of neural networks for synthetic intelligence applications. D-Wave is a leading maker of such quantum systems. Clients of the business have developed early quantum applications in a varied series of areas such as financial modeling, flight planning, election modeling, quantum chemistry simulation, vehicle engineering, healthcare, logistics, and more.

” Were also looking at methods to incorporate the new system into our supercomputing infrastructure. At that time, to the very best of our knowledge, this would be the very first circumstances of a quantum computer system working directly with a supercomputer,” says Prof. Thomas Lippert, director of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. “This is made possible because the quantum annealer has over 5,000 qubits and is therefore big enough to assist with application-related issues that are normally computed on supercomputers.” The quantum annealer is a quantum computer that has been established with a view to commercial applications. It also has a variety of special functions that users of the JUNIQ infrastructure can access, such as the brand-new Advantage efficiency upgrade, integrating the extremely linked Pegasus geography, and unprecedented high efficiency in an industrial quantum system.
The brand-new JUNIQ structure. Credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich/ Ralf-Uwe Limbach
JUNIQ building
A new building, which was likewise officially opened today, was put up for the operation of the annealing quantum computer. Quantum computing systems require an unique, vibration-free area. The buildings 2 maker halls therefore include unique vibration-damping structures to absorb tremors. Together with the D-Wave system, the structure will host an extra quantum computer since next year.