<!--HTML-->The current status of trapped ions quantum computer development in Europe will be presented from the industry perspective, with focus on main challenges for the next few years. A brief overview of practical aspects related to scaling the number of qubits and improving the performance of quantum computers will be given. Special attention will be devoted to qubit control electronics and a related international initiative ARTIQ/Sinara, which was and continues to be inspired by CERN activities. Examples of industry-academia collaboration on quantum computing development as part of the Quantum Flagship and EuroHPC JU will be mentioned.
<!--HTML-->The current status of trapped ions quantum computer development in Europe will be presented from the industry perspective, with focus on main challenges for the next few years. A brief overview of practical aspects related to scaling the number of qubits and improving the performance of quantum computers will be given. Special attention will be devoted to qubit control electronics and a related international initiative ARTIQ/Sinara, which was and continues to be inspired by CERN activities. Examples of industry-academia collaboration on quantum computing development as part of the Quantum Flagship and EuroHPC JU will be mentioned.
<!--HTML-->The ATIQ project in Germany brings together multiple universities and industries to further develop technologies and methods needed for scalable trapped-ion quantum computers. The Leibniz Universität Hannover is one of three centers for trapped ions within the collaboration, alongside the Universität Siegen and the Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz. Each trapped-ion quantum computing center has a different focus in their project, and in the collaboration for Hannover's quantum computer, the focus is to develop integrated waveguides, which are needed in order to scale up the size of trap chips and consequently the number of qubits in a trapped-ion quantum computer. In parallel, the collaborations for Siegen and Mainz focus on the development of an integrated cryogenic digital-to-analog converter and the integration with a high performance computer respectively. This talk will focus on the collaboration between universities, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, and several companies working towards the Hannover-based quantum computer.
<!--HTML-->Trapped ions are one of the leading and furthest developed technologies in quantum computing. However, despite higher quality operations than on any other platform and the absence of variations in qubit quality, the road to fault-tolerant quantum computing remains long and steep. In this talk, I will briefly review the state of the art of the trapped-ion platform, illustrate the current attempts to scaling up to larger numbers of qubits and highlight the challenges faced in control electronics and reliable manufacturing.
This is the second paper in a series of papers providing an overview of different quantum computing hardware platforms from an industrial end-user perspective. It follows our first paper on neutral-atom quantum computing. In the present paper, we provide a survey on the current state-of-the-art in trapped-ion quantum computing, taking up again the perspective of an industrial end-user. To this end, our paper covers, on the one hand, a comprehensive introduction to the physical foundations and mechanisms that play an important role in operating a trapped-ion quantum computer. On the other hand, we provide an overview of the key performance metrics that best describe and characterise such a device's current computing capability. These metrics encompass performance indicators such as qubit numbers, gate times and errors, native gate sets, qubit stability and scalability as well as considerations regarding the general qubit types and trap architectures. In order to ensure that these metrics reflect the current state of trapped-ion quantum computing as accurate as possible, they have been obtained by both an extensive review of recent literature and, more importantly, from discussions with various quantum hardware vendors in the field. We combine these factors and provide - again from an industrial end-user perspective - an overview of what is currently possible with trapped-ion quantum computers, which algorithms and problems are especially suitable for this platform, what are the relevant end-to-end wall clock times for calculations, and what might be possible with future fault-tolerant trapped-ion quantum computers.
This white paper provides European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a practical introduction to quantum computing opportunities through the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) ecosystem. Written for business executives, including CEOs, CTOs, and startup founders, the document explains how quantum computing works, where the technology stands today, and how European businesses can begin exploring its potential. The paper covers the ten EuroHPC JU quantum computers deployed across eight European countries, representing six different qubit technologies: superconducting, neutral atom, photonic, trapped ion, quantum annealing, and semiconductor spin qubits. These quantum systems are integrated with powerful classical supercomputers, enabling hybrid workflows that combine classical and quantum computing strengths. Key topics include: the current state of quantum hardware (the NISQ era), criteria for evaluating quantum use cases, business applications across seven industry sectors (pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, telecommunications, manufacturing, logistics, and finance), and the role of National Competence Centres (NCCs) and the European Quantum Excellence Centre (QEX) in supporting SME engagement. The document provides a step by step pathway for SMEs to build quantum readiness, from foundational training through pilot projects, without requiring major upfront investment. It serves as a 2025 reference for European businesses seeking to understand and access the growing European quantum computing infrastructure.
Abstract The trapped-ion architecture was the first platform to demonstrate quantum gate operations in 1995 and continues to be a leading candidate for building a fault-tolerant quantum computer. This chapter provides a brief background on common performance metrics and nomenclature, summarizes the state of the art, and places them in context within the larger pursuit of error-corrected quantum computers. Current research thrusts in academia and industry are referenced, and an example roadmap is examined to show where the platform is right now and where it might be headed on the road to realizing a scaled-up device.
Over the past two years, a comprehensive strategy for quantum technology in Europe has been created by the joint effort of academia and the business sector with community support from all over the continent.By building on that, Europe is making the next big leap with the first wave of pioneering projects launched in October 2018, sending a clear global signal that we will do our very best to retain the historic lead in quantum sciences.Building on Europe's rich scientific heritage and the strong quantum community, the Quantum Technology Flagship was launched by the European Commission with a €1 billion budget.The ambitious initiative will support over 5,000 of Europe's leading researchers over the next ten years.As announced during the official kick-off in October 2018, 20 projects worth €132 million will be funded in the initial 3-year phase via the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme.A solid indicator of success is the staggering number of proposals submitted for the first Flagship call: 140 consortia have requested almost five times the available budget.Over the decade-long course of the Flagship, over 150 projects are expected to be realised.The total €1 billion funding will foster the entire quantum value chain from basic research to industrialisation, thus bringing together researchers and the business sector.Four research and innovation domains will simultaneously be the focus of the European efforts: Communication, Computation, Simulation, as well as Sensing and Metrology represent the major applied areas in the field, which will also be advanced by breakthrough discoveries in the fifth, underlying domain of Basic Science.The Communication domain will foster the development of cheap, compact, faster and more secure random number generators, as well as components and systems for continuous variable quantum communication.Parallel to these, a blueprint for the pan-European Quantum Internet shall be created by developing all essential subsystems and giving the first experimental demonstration.Within Computing, two projects aim to develop quantum computers that are competitive with today's state-of-the-art supercomputers, either by realising a fully-automated ion-trap quantum computer or by building a machine with up to 100 superconducting qubits.The Simulation domain will push the already well-advanced neutral atom and ion-based quantum simulation platforms and address quantum annealing or optimization problems through full programmability.Parallel to that a quantum simulator platform made of ultracold atoms will be created, engineering a new generation of quantum cascade laser frequency combs characterized by non-classical emission and entanglement among the comb nodes.The Sensing domain will see the development of novel and compact atomic clocks, as well as the exploitation of atom-like defects in diamond to develop a variety of sensors and in magnetic resonance imaging to improve the detection of cardiovascular diseases.Furthermore, it will support combining state-of-the-art quantum sensor physics with MEMS atomic vapor cells, allowing for high-volume, high-reliability, low-cost deployment.Finally, within the domain of Basic Science, seven projects will investigate a variety of topics and technologies, with a focus on microfabricated devices and photonic systems.Enhancing capabilities in quantum technologies will help create a lucrative knowledge-based industry, leading to long-term economic, scientific and societal benefits, while delivering novel ideas, tools, components, materials, methods and processes.By funding ground-breaking projects, the Flagship will enable "quantum leaps" in technology development over the next decade, which in turn will lead to establishing markets within and wealth creation even beyond the European quantum ecosystem.Currently Europe is still at the leading edge of quantum technologies worldwide.However, this might rapidly change, as the demand for technology and talent is increasing at an unprecedented pace around the globe due to the promising future of quantum applications.Governments of industry powerhouse nations like the USA or China, as well as corporations such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, Alibaba, and Tencent are already investing substantial amounts to unleash quantum technologies' potential.