Executive Summary
The French quantum ecosystem ends 2024 as it started – strong and determined. The nation’s researchers and entrepreneurs were actively promoting global collaboration, as highlighted by the French Consulate in San Francisco’s welcome of French quantum startups. This month, Alice & Bob unveiled a roadmap to deliver a universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2030 using innovative cat qubit technology that requires fewer resources for high-fidelity qubits. Pasqal’s 100-qubit quantum computer, delivered to the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, also marked a significant milestone for European quantum-HPC integration under the EuroHPC JU project. Among other highlights in December, Quobly and STMicroelectronics announced a partnership to scale quantum processor manufacturing, while Quandela won the Airbus-BMW Quantum Computing Challenge for advancements in quantum-enhanced autonomy. The following is a non-exhaustive list featuring these updates and more notes from the French quantum ecosystem in the last month of 2024.
Policy
The French Consulate in San Francisco Welcomes French Quantum Startups
France is at the forefront of quantum technologies, with €1.8 billion invested under France 2030! The French Consulate in San Francisco welcomed 11 leading French quantum startups, promoting innovation and global collaboration.
Business
Alice & Bob has released a white paper and a five-year roadmap, outlining its path to delivering a universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2030. According to the release, the company’s unique approach incorporates cat qubit technology for the development of high-fidelity logical qubits that use notably fewer resources compared to other methods.
In a recent news release, the Jülich Supercomputing Centre at Forschungszentrum Jülich celebrates a notable moment in European quantum progress with the delivery of a 100-qubit quantum computer from Pasqal. According to the release, this device, powered by Pasqal’s neutral atom technology, is part of the EuroHPC JU project HPCQS–High Performance Computer – Quantum Simulator–which is tasked with seamlessly integrating quantum systems with Europe’s high-performance computing infrastructure.
Quobly, a cutting-edge quantum computing startup, today announced a transformative collaboration with STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, to produce quantum processor units (QPUs) at scale. By leveraging STMicroelectronics’ advanced FD-SOI semiconductor process technologies, this collaboration is set to make large-scale quantum computing feasible and cost-effective, positioning both companies at the forefront of next-generation computing technologies.
Quandela, European leader in photonic quantum computing, announces that it has won the 2024 Quantum Computing Challenge sponsored by Airbus and BMW Group, with the support of Amazon Web Services, in the “Quantum-Enhanced Autonomy” category. This award was presented during the Q2B Silicon Valley event in Santa Clara, California (USA), in which Quandela is participating.
Unitary Fund France Awarded Grant To Lead Software Development for QLASS Project
In a recent blog post, Unitary Fund announced through its EU subsidiary it has been awarded a 3-year grant from the European Commission as one of the beneficiaries of the QLASS project. The QLASS project will develop next generation quantum glass-based photonic integrated circuits, and related software, to explore them as a platforms for quantum computing
Research
Louis de Broglie’s quantum leap that changed physics forever
In November 1924, French physicist Louis de Broglie presented his revolutionary theory that has become one of the cornerstones of quantum physics.Five years after presenting his revolutionary theory, in 1929, Louis de Broglie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking contribution, which remains fundamental to modern quantum mechanics and its numerous applications.
Physicists uncover new state of matter called quantum spin liquid
A team of researchers from Switzerland and France and theoretical physicists in Canada and the U.S., including Rice University, believe they have found evidence of a theorized quantum phenomenon called quantum spin liquid. Observed in a material called pyrochlore cerium stannate, this discovery could yield discoveries in fundamental physics and open doors to breakthroughs in other things like quantum computers.
Jean-François Roch: a double tribute to his work on quantum sensors in extreme conditions
Jean-François Roch, professor at ENS Paris-Saclay and member of the LuMIn laboratory, has been awarded the Jaffé Prize and the Berthelot Medal by the French Academy of Sciences. The Jaffé Prize is awarded annually on the recommendation of the Académie des Sciences to honour work or experiments that have had a significant impact on the progress and well-being of humanity.
Pasqal, a global leader in neutral atom quantum computing, has today announced an ambitious partnership with Riverlane, a frontrunner in quantum error correction (QEC) technology, to accelerate the race towards fault-tolerant quantum computing – a critical milestone, where errors are corrected in real time, for unleashing the full potential of quantum computing.
Education and Events
Opening December 16 — All members of QuantAlps Community can benefit from fundings to realize different research activities. Click to consult the different sponsorships available.
