The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory — or ORNL, for short — recently acquired an IQM Radiance model, a 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer. The technology is slated for on-premises installation and integration with the laboratory’s existing high-performance computing infrastructure by the third quarter of 2025.
A key technical feature of this superconducting quantum computer is its designed upgradeability, which allows for future expansion to a higher number of qubits. This initiative is positioned as a strategic step within ORNL’s broader research objectives, which focus on exploring the technical challenges and potential synergies of tightly coupling quantum and classical supercomputing architectures to advance the development of hybrid applications that leverage the capabilities of both paradigms. This on-site deployment follows a prior engagement where ORNL researchers utilized IQM’s cloud-based platform, indicating a progression towards more direct and hands-on experimental access for its scientists.
Image Credit: IQM