French National Quantum Update: July 2023
Executive Summary
Now moving into the second half of 2023, we expect the pace of quantum to quicken – both in terms of financial backing, as well as research efforts. July saw the first hint of that sprint for the French quantum ecosystem. To spotlight a few examples: Quobly, which was formerly named Siquance, earned €19 Million in funding from its investors. Quobly’s roadmap includes a fault-tolerant quantum processor. On the research front, Alice & Bob published two important papers on its cat qubit design. Below we spotlight just some of the important pieces of news from France’s quantum ecosystem.
Policy
Podcast with Neil Abroug, Head of the French Quantum Strategy
Neil Abroug, head of the French Quantum Strategy, is interviewed on a podcast by Yuval Boger. Neil and Yuval discuss the focus on this national strategy, how it differs from other European programs, how US companies can participate in the ecosystem, his view of workforce development, and much more.
‘Horizon 2047’ Outlines Cooperation Between France and India on Technology, Including Quantum Tech
Based on the Indo-French Road map on Cyber security and Digital Technology adopted in 2019, India and France are pursuing an ambitious bilateral cooperation on advanced digital technologies, particularly in the fields of supercomputing, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, including in the framework of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPIA). They will also strengthen their cooperation on R&D, innovation and the industrial applications of critical digital technologies while also focusing on the deployment of these technologies to address issues related to climate change and health.
Business
Quobly Secures €19 Million in Funding to Propel Development of Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer
Quobly, formerly known as Siquance, a company developing a fault-tolerant quantum computing processor, announces the closing of its first fundraising round amounting to 19 million euros.
Eviden, Alice & Bob Partner to Make Cat Qubit Technology Accessible
Eviden, an Atos business, and Alice & Bob announced a partnership to make Alice & Bob patented cat qubit technology accessible to end users in QaptivaTM, Eviden’s quantum application development platform.
European High-Performance Joint Undertaking Names France As One of Its New Quantum Computer Hosts
Quantum research has become a global effort, with the United States leading and China close behind. In Europe, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden are making sizable investments in quantum research. The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has also announced hosting agreements for six new European quantum computers in Italy, Poland, Spain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Pasqal Makes Sifted’s Startup List
French quantum computing company Pasqal was named to Sifted’s list of fastest growing French startups.
Research
A French-led team of researchers examined the influence of feature engineering on classification accuracy and found that quantum kernel methods achieved similar performance to classical methods, with certain advantages observed in various configurations.
Quantum Computing Startup Unveils ‘Cat Qubit’ Design Advances
French quantum computing startup Alice & Bob has announced the results of research that demonstrates design advances for its superconducting “cat qubit”.
Recent Paper Claims Quantum Radar that Performs 20% Better than a Classical Radar
A team of researchers from Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, recently introduced a pioneering quantum radar that exhibits unparalleled performance, outshining all existing radars based on classical principles. Their breakthrough was featured in a paper published in Nature Physics, presenting a radar that simultaneously measures entangled probe and idler microwave photon states, ingeniously merging with thermal noise.
Education and Events
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Quantum but Were Afraid to Ask
This conference provided a comprehensive understanding of the fascinating world of quantum science and technology and comprised insights into the promising applications and the immense potential for quantum technologies to shape the future of our society.
France Quantum 2023 Replays Available
France Quantum 2023 was a big success. Now, the organization has made replays of the event’s speakers and sessions available. The replays will help attendees relive the conference and focus on information they may have missed.
If you found this article to be informative, you can explore more current quantum news here, exclusives, interviews, and podcasts.
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Matt Swayne
With a several-decades long background in journalism and communications, Matt Swayne has worked as a science communicator for an R1 university for more than 12 years, specializing in translating high tech and deep tech for the general audience. He has served as a writer, editor and analyst at The Quantum Insider since its inception. In addition to his service as a science communicator, Matt also develops courses to improve the media and communications skills of scientists and has taught courses.
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MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE
Quobly
Quobly, formerly Siquance, was founded in 2022 to develop and commercialize a universal large-scale quantum computer using proven semiconductor-industry processes. Quobly specializes in silicon-based quantum computing, focusing on scalable quantum processors. It develops silicon spin qubit QPUs using FD‑SOI semiconductor manufacturing to address challenges such as high‑complexity simulations in energy systems, drug discovery, and materials. It emphasizes industrial manufacturability and cost efficiency, working with RTOs and semiconductor partners (e.g., CEA‑Leti, CNRS, STMicroelectronics) to deliver fault-tolerant quantum systems capable of tackling real-world problems now intractable for classical supercomputers.
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Alice&Bob
Alice&Bob are working towards building an error corrected, fault tolerant quantum computer. They are working with superconducting circuits called ‘Cat Qubits’ which reduce the hardware required for error correction. With a cat Qubit, it is possible to stabilize two particular states in which quantum information is encoded autonomously.
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PASQAL
PASQAL’s quantum computers control neutral atoms with optical tweezers using lasers to manipulate quantum registers with up to a few hundred qubits. Location in Boston MA.
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CNRS
The French National Centre for Scientific Research is among the world's leading research institutions. Its scientists explore the living world, matter, the Universe, and the functioning of human societies in order to meet the major challenges of today and tomorrow. Internationally recognised for the excellence of its scientific research, the CNRS is a reference in the world of research and development, as well as for the general public.
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