PALO ALTO & JÜLICH, Germany — D-Wave Quantum — a provider of quantum computing systems, software, and services — has sold a Quantum Computer to Germany’s Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) at Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ). becoming the first high-performance computing (HPC) center in the world to own a D-Wave Advantage annealing quantum computing system.
With the purchase of the world’s largest quantum computer and Europe’s first quantum computer with more than 5,000 qubits and 15-way connectivity, the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ), a public quantum computing user facility deployed by JSC, gains complete access to all aspects of the system– including the ability to modify system parameters and integrate the quantum system in new ways for new purposes. For example, this will allow it to be connected to the JUPITER exascale computer in the future, potentially enabling breakthroughs in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum optimization. JUPITER, which is currently being built close to JUNIQ at the FZJ, is expected to surpass the threshold of one quintillion calculations per second. This will be the world’s first coupling of an annealing quantum computer with an exascale supercomputer, providing a first-of-a-kind opportunity for tackling the world’s toughest computational problems.
JSC’s system will be upgraded to D-Wave’s next generation Advantage2 quantum processor unit (QPU), once it becomes available. The Advantage2 system is expected to deliver significant performance gains with doubled coherence, increased connectivity and a 40 percent boost to the energy scale for advanced problem solving.
“The D-Wave Advantage system has played a pioneering role in the development of quantum optimization, both through its contribution to breakthrough research and the development of enterprise-grade solutions across numerous industries,” said Prof. Thomas Lippert, director of JSC. “D-Wave stands alone as the only quantum vendor solving real-world problems today, and we’re thrilled to be the first HPC center in Europe to own its groundbreaking annealing quantum computer.”
“With D-Wave’s innovative technology, the integration of the system into JUNIQ and its future coupling with the exascale supercomputer JUPITER, we will take the use of quantum technology in Jülich, and on behalf of Germany and Europe, to a new level,” said Prof. Kristel Michielsen, head of JUNIQ & Quantum Computing at JSC. “Our experts are familiar with hosting the system, and JUNIQ’s scientific users have already been able to conduct remarkable research. We look forward to the further use of D-Wave and its coupling with the new exascale supercomputer generation, which we hope will enable us to look at scientific questions in a completely new way and solve real-world problems.”
