UK invests £1.65M in open architecture quantum testbed to accelerate interoperable quantum computing

 Innovate UK has awarded TreQ and a consortium of partners including Rigetti, Oxford Ionics, Q-CTRL, and Qruise, £1.65 million to develop an Open Architecture Quantum (OAQ) Testbed. The project is funded under the UK’s National Quantum Strategy. 

Together, the consortium will create a modular and extensible system for integrating and evaluating both quantum software and hardware components, including processors.

“The OAQ Testbed pushes the bounds of quantum computing systems,” commented Dr Joseph Rahamim, Director of Systems Engineering at TreQ, who is leading the project. 

“By integrating software and hardware built by several companies, we expand the focus beyond processors to the systems engineering required to develop the supply chain, engage more innovators, and accelerate development.” 

The consortium will build a versatile system that supports eight different configurations by combining two quantum processors, two control systems, and two quantum software stacks. Users can easily switch between component configurations in seconds, allowing software testing in multiple contexts. 

The OAQ Testbed will also offer the potential for upgrades and extensions at every layer of the stack. This approach maximises capital efficiency, ensuring the investment supports long-term advancements in a rapidly evolving field.  

The OAQ Testbed will incorporate products from consortium members as well as additional suppliers, including: 

• Advanced calibration tools provided by Q-CTRL & Qruise
• Control hardware from Quantum Machines & QBlox
• Rigetti’s Novera™ 9-qubit quantum processing unit (QPU) and a QuantWare 5-qubit Soprano QPU
  

“Open architecture systems are essential to accelerating quantum computing development,” said Subodh Kulkarni, CEO at Rigetti.

 “We’re delighted to contribute our Novera QPU to a testbed that will give companies and institutions a flexible platform to evaluate new ideas.”

“Robust calibration is the foundation of any performant quantum system,” said Dr Pranav Mundada, Lead Scientist at Q-CTRL. “This project demonstrates how infrastructure innovation, like advanced AI-powered software for autonomous calibration and error suppression tools, is critical to enabling scalable, interoperable quantum computing.”

“We’re eager to bring our AI-powered system identification and calibration technology to a testbed designed for iteration and experimentation,” said Shai Machnes, CEO at Qruise.

“Interoperability means acceleration, and that’s exactly what this project delivers.”

The project will also deliver an open specification for low-level quantum workflows, creating a common interface between quantum software and hardware, including different processor technologies, both beginning with superconducting and Oxford Ionics’s trapped ion qubits.

This interface will enable modular compilation and seamless execution of quantum programs, increasing supply-chain cohesion and accelerating collaboration across the industry.

Lead image: Freepik.