Insider Brief
- The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center has received a $5 million National Science Foundation grant to build TangleLab, a hybrid quantum-classical supercomputing testbed in partnership with HPE and Rigetti Computing, with operations expected to begin in 2027.
- TangleLab will integrate a Rigetti Novera quantum processing unit with HPE high-performance computing, storage, and networking systems to support research into hybrid quantum-classical workflows, AI, simulation, and quantum computing applications.
- The system will provide researchers, educators, and students with competitive access, training, and technical support to advance quantum computing research and workforce development while serving as a prototype for future hybrid cyberinfrastructure.
- Image: Photo by Jason Pischke on Unsplash
PRESS RELEASE — A hybrid quantum-classical computer will soon operate at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, thanks to a $5-million grant from the National Science Foundation. To deliver on the grant, PSC, HPE, and Rigetti Computing will partner together to build the TangleLab supercomputing testbed.
“TangleLab continues PSC’s long tradition of making next-generation computing technologies accessible to the broader research and education community,” said Barr von Oehsen, PSC’s Executive Director and Principal Investigator for TangleLab. “Through our planned partnership with HPE and Rigetti, we are giving scientists, students, and educators hands-on access to an integrated quantum-classical system, advancing discovery while helping build the quantum-ready workforce the nation will need.”
Co-PIs for the project will be Bruno Abreu, PSC’s Deputy Scientific Director; Bruce Childers, Dean and Professor, School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh; Masoud Mohseni, Senior Distinguished Technologist and Director of HPE Quantum at HPE Labs; and Andrew Bestwick, Senior Vice President of Quantum Systems at Rigetti Computing.
Unlike classical computers, which calculate with zeroes and ones, quantum processing units (QPUs) employ the laws of quantum mechanics to compute in terms of quantum superposition and entanglement, manipulating states that are partly zero and partly one. Scientists expect that this ability to, in a sense, “calculate between the lines,” will make such devices superior to classical computers at solving certain problems in areas like chemistry, cryptography, and optimization tasks.
TangleLab will be a unique, hybrid system, containing both a QPU and graphics processing units (GPUs), which excel at demanding AI tasks and accelerated simulations. Researchers employing the testbed system will investigate additional avenues in which QPUs may be superior to purely classical machines. The solution will include HPE ProLiant Compute DL384 Gen12, HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen11, HPE Cray Storage Systems C500, and HPE Networking, connected to a Rigetti Novera QPU.
“Making quantum computing practical will require quantum systems to work seamlessly with high-performance computing and networking,” said Mohseni. “Through TangleLab, we plan to build a testbed at PSC that lets researchers benchmark hybrid quantum-classical applications and better understand how these systems can work together from pre-processing and compilation to workload management and orchestration.”
“We’re excited about this opportunity to advance quantum computing through integration with HPC and how it will enable a quantum-enhanced HPC product offering that can be delivered to other organizations going forward,” said Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, CEO, Rigetti.
In addition to launching PSC into quantum computing research, TangleLab continues the center’s longstanding experience since 1991 pioneering such heterogeneous supercomputers, which accelerate computations by routing parts of problems to different types of processors best suited to each of those parts.
“With TangleLab, we are really looking into integrating quantum technologies into classical high-performance computing environments to enable hybrid quantum-classical workflows that can display flavors of quantum utility,” said Abreu. “We are not deploying a standalone quantum computer. Our goal is to make TangleLab the prototype open platform for a future where quantum information processing and distribution are core elements of advanced cyberinfrastructure.”
PSC will allocate time on the computer using a flexible competitive proposal process. The goal will be to allow individual researchers to use the system in a dedicated manner when needed, while educators can also have real-time access when teaching classes and workshops. To help users of TangleLab come up to speed regardless of their level of experience with quantum computing, PSC will offer onboarding activities, training, and in-depth research consulting.
TangleLab is funded by the NSF Advanced Computing Systems & Services program under award # 2537076. The system directly addresses national investment and action priorities for Fiscal Year 2027, listed in memorandum M-25-34/NSTM-2 from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, including enabling advancement in quantum information science and artificial intelligence.
PSC leaders expect construction of TangleLab to begin at PSC’s new data center on Sept. 1, 2026, with full operations expected in 2027. You can read the Rigetti Computing release on the project here.
PSC is a joint center of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.
