Quantum Brilliance’s (QB) quantum accelerators differ from other quantum mainframe computers by leveraging synthetic diamonds to run at room temperature in any environment without the need for large, expensive and energy-intensive refrigeration units to keep qubits stable.

The purchase of its second-generation Quantum Development Kit (QB-QDK2.0) —a 19” rack-mountable quantum accelerator featuring nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond—enhances QB’s existing software suite at Fraunhofer IAF. This includes the Qristal SDK (open-source) and Qristal Emulator, which allow users to simulate quantum computing back-ends with realistic noise models powered by NVIDIA’s quantum libraries.

Fraunhofer IAF, one of the world’s leading research institutes for synthetic diamonds and their potential use in quantum computing applications, has been collaborating with Quantum Brilliance on multiple projects, including DE BRILL, which focuses on advancing quantum computing technologies using diamond-based qubits. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) based system together with the corresponding high-performance computing (HPC) integrated virtual emulation system will advance the institute’s research infrastructure as part of a comprehensive quantum computing ecosystem.

“Our long-standing collaboration with Fraunhofer IAF highlights the development of room-temperature quantum accelerators and continues to push the boundaries of scalable, energy-efficient quantum computing solutions,” said Quantum Brilliance CRO Mark Mattingley-Scott. “We look forward to delivering impactful quantum solutions to Fraunhofer IAF.”

The QB-QDK2.0 is a hybrid quantum-classical compute node that integrates classical co-processors, including NVIDIA GPUs and CPUs, alongside Quantum Brilliance’s quantum processor (QPU), all positioned in very close proximity within a single box. This architecture allows users to explore different depths of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms, such as quantum machine learning techniques that seamlessly combine quantum and classical neural networks.

“Quantum Brilliance’s integration of our GPUs and quantum libraries in their hybrid quantum-classical accelerator aligns with our efforts to advance the quantum computing ecosystem,” said Timothy Costa, NVIDIA Senior Director CAE/EDA, HPC & Quantum. “Their approach also expands the potential of parallel quantum computing, advancing the possibilities for workloads that combine multiple QPUs with classical processors, as highlighted in our work to foster hybrid quantum computing.”

Quantum Brilliance will be supported in the installation of the new system by SVA System Vertrieb Alexander GmbH, one of Germany's leading IT service providers focused on integrating high-quality IT products with their extensive project expertise to create tailored solutions across various sectors, including HPC. In HPC, SVA delivers customized high-performance computing solutions to tackle intensive computational tasks, supporting industries that require substantial processing power for research and development to a diverse client base primarily in sectors like healthcare, finance, public services, and manufacturing. The system is to be installed at Fraunhofer IAF at the beginning of 2025.

The first global procurement of the second-generation Quantum Development Kit was by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States.

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