Long confined to research laboratories alone, quantum computing is now entering a new era, marked by the industrialization of its technologies. This is evidenced by the French scale-up Quandela, whose Massy factory has already produced several real serial quantum computers. A site whose company – which relies on quantum technology called “photonics” – opened the doors to us on October 24, on the occasion of the presentation of its 2024-2030 roadmap.
Obscure, nebulous, disconcerting… For many uninitiated people, quantum computing is undoubtedly more akin, even today, to a chimera or a vague science-fictional concept that a handful of utopian researchers would have seized upon. ‘to an industrial reality. And yet in reality, it is indeed the birth of a true quantum computer industry that we are witnessing, as illustrated in particular by the journey of one of the protagonists of this academic adventure. industrial: the French Quandela.
Born in 2017 under the leadership of a trio of multi-awarded scientists[1]the start-up that became a scale-up – after having raised more than €65 million between 2020 and 2023 – is in fact, today, fully engaged in the industrialization phase of its unique qubit generation technology, called eDelight.
And there was light!
Where some of its competitors rely on superconducting qubits, with trapped ions, or even cold neutral atoms, Quandela has developed a so-called “photonic” technology, which is based on the emission of “single photons”. This, at a rate of 80 million per second… How? Thanks to a laser and semiconductor nanostructures called “quantum dots”, or “quantum boxes”, the keystone of eDelight photonic qubit generation technology.
« One of the main advantages of the photon is its stability, its robustness », argues Valérian Giesz, co-founder and director of operations of Quellela. “ We can therefore easily manipulate the information circulating through photonic circuits », he continues. Another advantage, and not the least important, is that Quandela’s photonic technology is, according to its designers, up to ten times less energy consuming than other qubit generation technologies. “ Added to all this is the possibility of using certain components already used for Internet access, notably optical fibers. », underlines Valérian Giesz, who already sees the possibility of networking several quantum computers, in order to derive increased computing power. “ It’s for tomorrow! Or, let’s say… the day after tomorrow », he slips.
For the moment, it is in any case quantum processors with 6, 10, or even 12 “physical” qubits (without error correction) that Quellela has managed to give birth to. Systems which respond to the sweet names of Ascella, Altair and Belenos, capable, respectively, of performing up to 144, 400 and 576 quantum operations per second.
« We were notably selected by EuroHPC[2]to provide a 12-qubit quantum computer at Trvery large computing center (TGCC) du CEA », reveals Valérian Giesz. Delivery expected at the end of next year…
The machine will then be added to the first copies already delivered by Quandela – or about to be delivered – to the French OVHcloud in 2023 for one, and to the Quebec subsidiary of EDF Group Exaion for three others of them This year. “ We are in the process of deploying a real “quantum cloud” with this partner », explains the company’s operations director. Quandela, which has already been offering its own offering of quantum computing services in the cloud since 2022, Quellela Cloud, accessible to all. A first on a European scale, as have been several other feats of arms from the company which defines itself as a full-stack player[3] quantum computing: first quantum computer delivered to a private client by a European player; first pilot line in the world dedicated to the production of single photon sources (inaugurated in Palaiseau last June, within the Photovoltaic Institute of Île-de-France, IPVF), but also, last year, nothing less than the first quantum computer production factory in the European Union. A site located in Massy, where Quandela opened the doors to us last October.
The quantum factory
After a detour through the offices upstairs of this brand new building – inaugurated in June 2023, in the presence of the 2022 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics Alain Aspect –, head to the ground floor to enter the Holy of Holies: the actual quantum computer production line. After putting on a pair of overshoes, we discover a clean room in which operators dressed all in blue are busy. Two of them are confined in a space enclosed by a curtain with transparent strips. “ These engineers work on the characterization of photonic circuits; they check their operation », explains Valérian Giesz. Designed by Quandela, these components are in fact manufactured by partner foundries, from silicon nitride. “ We only keep around 10% – the best – to integrate them into our quantum computers », underlines the director of operations ofQuandela.
A few steps away there is a workshop for manufacturing conventional electronic cards associated with photonic components. “ Here you see two PCBs[4] currently being tested, which can then be implemented in the racks behind you », Describes the director of hardware engineering atQuandela, Nicolas Maring.
It is at this moment that we discover the true face of a quantum computer: a “simple” metal cabinet; a computer server rack like you find in just about any data center in the world. We would almost be disappointed…
Until we look at the elements that are about to take their place: laser, compressor and helium circuit, making it possible to maintain three degrees above absolute zero the source of single photons, itself even enclosed in the chamber of a cryostat maintained under vacuum, also containing the photon detectors[5]. To which is added in particular an opto-electronic system for collecting and synchronizing single photons, but also the nerve center of the machine: its photonic chip; in other words, its quantum processor. All of this is about to be connected by an intertwining of electrical cables and optical fibers… “ We prepare this machine for the order placed by EuroHPC », confides Valérian Giesz, before taking us to a new section of the factory, just fitted out, where this time a fully functional 6-qubit machine sits.
No surprise, it also boils down, seen from the outside, to two completely conventional server bays. Powered by a simple 230 volt wall socket and connected to the network via a very classic Ethernet cable, they are nevertheless decorated with a little touch of fantasy: a ribbon of scrolling LEDs, which would almost give the whole thing the appearance of a (large) computer gaming… But the comparison stops there. “ These two cabinets contain the laser system, the various optical elements and the cryostat, here at the bottom, as well as all the control electronics », lists Nicolas Maring, whose voice is almost covered by the high-pitched hum of the device. A fully functional machine, which is also only a foretaste of what the quantum computers of Quelle will be, tomorrow.
Qubits: from physical to logical
« We still have a lot of miniaturization work to do; the cupboards still contain a lot of empty space », concedes the director of hardware engineering at Quellela. Optimization work which will be essential for the next key stage of the roadmap recently revealed by the company to materialize: the implementation of so-called “logical” qubits, error-free qubits requiring, in fact, to this, the generation of hundreds, even thousands of physical qubits. “ To achieve this, we are relying on a hybrid matter-light approach, which will benefit our next generations ofquantum computers… », reveals Valérian Giesz. “ Our objective is to demonstrate the feasibility and functioning of this approach by 2025-2026. », he adds.
Enough to cross, if all goes well, the threshold of 10 logical qubits in 2027, then 50 in 2028. A year which could thus mark the beginning of a new era for Quellela, that of the generalization and democratization of its future quantum computers with logical qubits. Machines capable, ultimately, of carrying out no less than a million quantum operations per second… Yesterday obscure and nebulous, quantum computing could well, tomorrow, end up making us dizzy.
Quandela: a team that is always growing
On November 27, Quandela announced the recruitment of two additional senior profiles within its management team: Nicolas Fellmann, who was entrusted with the position of financial director, and Xavier Geoffret, placed at the head of the division. Business Development. New recruits who will expand a team already made up of more than a hundred employees, representing around twenty nationalities.
[1] Pr. Pascale Senellart, CNRS silver medal, Dr. Niccolo Somaschi, Jerphagnon 2023 prize, and Dr. Valérian Giesz, winner of the national final of the Chercheurs-Entrepreneurs Challenges competition and winner of the Choiseul 100 ranking.
[2] European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, Joint Undertaking for European High Performance Computing.
[3] Because it works on all hardware, software and middleware aspects of its quantum computers.
[4] Printed circuit boards, printed circuits.
[5] In the case of the 6-qubit model, MosaiQ-6. Its 12-qubit equivalent MosaiQ-12 contains two separate cryostats.
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