QphoX And Rigetti Secure €4.9M US Air Force Contract To Boost Superconducting Quantum Networking

Led by Dr. Simon Groeblacher, QphoX develops quantum transduction systems that allow quantum computers to communicate over optical networks.

Leveraging decades of advances in photonics, MEMS, and superconducting nanofabrication, their single-photon interfaces connect microwave, optical, and telecom frequencies, creating vital quantum links for computation, state storage, and networking.

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“Bringing our technology together with our partners directly into the hands of an end-user who develops quantum networks based on superconducting qubits linked with optical interconnects is a critical milestone for this field. This contract represents a great commitment from AFRL to pursue interconnected quantum systems, and it’s fantastic to work with the expert team at Rigetti to make this goal a reality,” says Dr. Simon Groeblacher, CEO of QphoX.

Rigetti specializes in full-stack quantum computing and has provided cloud-based access to quantum computers since 2017, serving enterprise, government, and research clients via its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform.

Its proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure enables high-performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum applications. Rigetti also developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable systems and designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the world’s first dedicated integrated quantum device manufacturing facility.

“By joining Rigetti’s leadership in designing, fabricating, and operating superconducting qubits with QphoX’s world-class transduction technology, and AFRL’s expertise in hybrid networked quantum systems, this is an exciting opportunity to advance superconducting quantum networking,” says Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, CEO of Rigetti. “We are very pleased that AFRL is supporting this technology, which is important for the U.S. to maintain its global leadership in quantum information science.”

Rigetti and QphoX have created a system that links qubits with transducers. Their next step is to combine Rigetti’s superconducting microwave qubits with QphoX’s single-photon microwave-optical transducers. This setup will convert microwave photons from the qubits into optical photons while keeping their quantum properties intact.