Quantum computing company Quantinuum has agreed a deal with Japanese research institution Riken to supply a H1-Series quantum computer.
Powered by Honeywell, the Quantinuum H1-1 ion trap quantum computer which contains 20 fully connected qubits that sit across five Quantum Charged Coupled Device (QCCD) zones.
Under the terms of the agreement, Quantinuum will install the hardware at Riken’s campus in Wako, Saitama, with the deployment forming part of the research lab’s project to build a quantum-HPC hybrid platform consisting of high-performance computing systems. This will be Quantinuum's first on-premise delivery of a system.
Supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a national research and development agency under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the project aims to demonstrate the advantages of hybrid computational platforms.
Researchers from Riken also plan to collaborate with Softbank, University of Tokyo, and Osaka University to develop the software tools and applications necessary for the effective integration of quantum and supercomputers.
Riken is home to Japan’s first quantum computer, which went online in April 2023. That superconducting machine currently has 64 qubits, but the institute has acknowledged the computer will need to increase this number to one million qubits to become more widely used.
“Advanced quantum computers of NISQ are now moving into the practical stage as the number of qubits is increasing and the fidelity is improved,” said Dr. Mitsuhisa Sato, deputy director at Riken, and director of the lab’s quantum HPC collaborative platform division.
“Riken is committed to developing system software for quantum-HPC hybrid computing, by leveraging its comprehensive scientific research capabilities and experience in the development and operation of cutting-edge supercomputers such as Fugaku,” he said.
Quantinuum was founded in 2021 when Honeywell spun out its Quantum Solutions division and merged it with UK quantum computing startup Cambridge Quantum Computing.
In May 2023, the company announced the launch of its System Model H2 which contains 32 qubits capable of all-to-all connectivity. According to Business Insider, the H2 occupies around 200 sq ft in a data center in Denver, Colorado. It is reportedly one of two prototype machines in the facility.
Honeywell owns a 54 percent stake in Quantinuum. IBM is also an investor.
