All posts tagged: photonic

EuroHPC JU launches €8.5m “Lucy” photonic quantum computer

EuroHPC JU launches €8.5m “Lucy” photonic quantum computer

Published by skeptic

Europe has taken another step in the global race for advanced computing with the launch of a new photonic quantum computer near Paris. The system, named Lucy, reflects a broader strategy to strengthen technological sovereignty while accelerating research across science and industry. The machine has been deployed under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), a pan-European effort to build cutting-edge supercomputing and quantum infrastructure. Its arrival signals both technical progress and political intent: Europe wants to compete at the highest level in next-generation computing. A strategic launch at France’s leading supercomputing hub The inauguration ceremony took place at the Très Grand Centre de Calcul (TGCC) in Bruyères-le-Châtel, one of France’s primary high-performance computing (HPC) centres. The event was hosted by CEA in collaboration with GENCI. Senior policymakers and European officials attended, underlining the project’s significance. Among them were Anne Le Hénanff, Kilian Gross, and Anders Jensen. Their presence reflects how quantum computing has moved beyond research labs into the realm of strategic infrastructure. © Quandela EuroHPC JU’s Executive Director Anders Jensen highlighted Lucy’s transformative potential: …

MIT scientists built photonic ‘ski jumps’ that beam light off chips for faster quantum computing

MIT scientists built photonic ‘ski jumps’ that beam light off chips for faster quantum computing

Published by Jenni Sidey

Inside most photonic chips, light races through tiny optical wires. It carries information far faster than electricity can in many conventional systems. But once that light is trapped on the chip, sending it out into open space in a controlled, scalable way becomes much harder. A team led by researchers at MIT and MITRE now says it has built a way around that bottleneck. They did this using microscopic structures that curl upward from the chip surface like ski jumps. The devices, described in Nature, let researchers steer thousands of tiny laser beams off a chip and into free space with unusual precision. In demonstrations, the team used the platform to project full-color images about half the size of a grain of table salt. Moreover, they used the platform to control diamond-based quantum bits, or qubits, with resonant laser light. “On a chip, light travels in wires, but in our normal, free-space world, light travels wherever it wants. Interfacing between these two worlds has long been a challenge. But now, with this new platform, we …

Scientists reveal a four-dimensional twist on photonic quantum logic

Scientists reveal a four-dimensional twist on photonic quantum logic

Published by Jenni Sidey

A pair of photons enters an optical maze, and sometimes they leave as something new. Not new in the everyday sense, since both were still photons when they came out. But new in the way they share information. In the experiment described this week, two photons could be pushed into a joint, entangled state while each photon carried not just two options, but four. That matters because most quantum computing hardware still lives in a two-choice world. Classical bits hold 0 or 1. Quantum bits, or qubits, can hold combinations of 0 and 1 at once. Yet quantum theory does not stop at two. A single system can occupy superpositions across many possible outcomes. When a quantum “digit” has more than two levels, physicists call it a qudit. Researchers at TU Wien, working with collaborators in China, report a key step toward computing directly with those higher-level units. They designed and demonstrated a new kind of entangling logic gate for light, built around two photons whose quantum states span four dimensions. The work appears in …

EU accelerates quantum readiness with €50m photonic chips pilot

EU accelerates quantum readiness with €50m photonic chips pilot

Published by skeptic

Photonic chips are rapidly emerging as one of Europe’s most strategic technologies in the global race toward practical quantum systems. From 2026, a major new European pilot project – Photonics for Quantum (P4Q) – will unite expertise from across the continent to turn fragile laboratory breakthroughs into robust, manufacturable quantum-ready components. Spanning 12 European countries and backed by significant public investment, P4Q is designed to tackle one of the biggest bottlenecks in quantum innovation: reliably producing photonic chips that perform consistently at scale. From lab experiments to industrial-grade photonic chips Quantum technologies depend heavily on light. Photons are used to transmit information, enable ultra-precise measurements, and form the backbone of quantum communication networks. Yet many photonic chips still struggle to move beyond experimental environments. P4Q addresses this challenge head-on by focusing on repeatability, standardisation, and manufacturability. Rather than proving that a quantum photonic device can work once, the project aims to ensure it works every time – under real-world conditions and at industrial volumes. This shift marks a critical transition from academic research to deployable …

Developing Québec’s microelectronic and photonic value chain

Developing Québec’s microelectronic and photonic value chain

Published by skeptic

Québec must focus on microelectronics and photonics to strengthen its global competitiveness. Québec’s technology industries are at a strategic turning point. On September 17, 2025, PRIMA Québec published a landmark study titled “Developing Secure Microelectronic and Photonic Value Chains in Quebec”. Led by the SIA/Yole Group consortium, the analysis highlights the specific niches where the province can establish itself as a global leader while leveraging its critical mineral and material resources. Sponsored by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE), the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts (MRNF), the Technum Québec innovation zone, along with the Optonique and Industrie des systèmes électroniques du Québec (ISEQ) centres of excellence, the study represents a significant milestone for Québec’s industrial and scientific strategy. It provides a detailed portrait of the Québec and international ecosystems, offering concrete avenues where businesses and institutions can strengthen their competitiveness in an ever-changing global context. A comprehensive strategic overview The study provides a detailed analysis of the entire microelectronic and photonic value …