Newsroom / Press release

Quandela and Welinq Join Forces to Create Custom Quantum Interconnects for Photonic Quantum Computing

Quandela the European leader in photonic quantum computing, and Welinq, a leading quantum networking company, proudly announce a transformative partnership for the quantum industry. This collaboration combines Quandela’s expertise in photonic quantum computing with Welinq’s pioneering full-stack quantum interconnects technology, to provide custom quantum links for photonic quantum computers, setting new industry standards and paving…

Quandela the European leader in photonic quantum computing, and Welinq, a leading quantum networking company, proudly announce a transformative partnership for the quantum industry. This collaboration combines Quandela’s expertise in photonic quantum computing with Welinq’s pioneering full-stack quantum interconnects technology, to provide custom quantum links for photonic quantum computers, setting new industry standards and paving the way for clusters of interconnected and error-corrected photonic quantum computers.

Advancing QPU scaling

To achieve all the promises of quantum computing’s powers, Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) will need to execute algorithms across vast numbers of qubits, this making error correction even more important. In joining forces, Welinq’s state-of-the-art quantum interconnects combined with Quandela’s quantum processors, will support fault-tolerant computing and the expansion of comprehensive quantum networks, beyond the capabilities of a single chip.

“This strategic partnership with Welinq marks a significant milestone in our quest to scale photonic quantum computing. By combining Quandela’s expertise in photonic quantum processors, with Welinq’s cutting-edge quantum interconnect technology, we’re laying the groundwork for clusters of interconnected, error-corrected photonic quantum computers. This collaboration puts us at the forefront of the quantum revolution, bringing us closer to enable the full potential of quantum computing via networked quantum computers.” Niccolo Somaschi, CEO and co-founder, Quandela

“Welinq’s interconnect technology natively offers compatibility with all existing QPU architectures. We are delighted to partner with Quandela, a recognized leader in photonic quantum computing, to push the boundaries of our full-stack quantum interconnect technology and demonstrate the added value of our solution for scalability and error correction.” Tom Darras, CEO and co-founder, Welinq

Tom Darras, CEO and co-founder, Welinq and Niccolo Somaschi, CEO & co-founder, Quandela

Importance of Photonic QPUs and Quantum Interconnects

Photonic QPUs, such as those developed by Quandela, offer significant advantages due to their inherent modularity. This modular design enables computing scalability, as additional qubits can be seamlessly integrated into the system. As the carriers of quantum information, photons provide high-speed data transmission with minimal interference, making photonic QPUs highly efficient and reliable for complex quantum computations. Scaling to a large number of qubits will involve the interconnection of multiple independent photonic QPUs, a process that demands additional technological advancements and represents a huge technological challenge in itself.

Full-stack quantum interconnects based on efficient quantum memories are crucial for linking multiple QPUs regardless of the qubit modality. These interconnects enhance the overall computational power by allowing quantum information to be transferred between different processors with high fidelity and low latency. Welinq’s state-of-the-art quantum memories ensure that the integrity of quantum information is maintained during transmission, which is essential for the development of robust and scalable quantum networks.

Implementing a multi-pronged approach

This partnership is in line with Quandela and Welinq’s desire to work together to develop fully-fledged clusters of photonic quantum computers, which would have both hardware and algorithmic advantages over alternative approaches.

This technological partnership is in line with the announcement a few weeks ago of the AQADOC project, the world’s largest initiative dedicated to distributed quantum algorithms, led by Welinq and of which Quandela is a key member. The aim of this project is to explore energy-related use-cases and to develop the next generation of distributed software capabilities, capable of running on several QPUs interconnected by the hardware work to be carried out as part of this strategic partnership.

About Quandela

Quandela, entreprise leader dans le domaine du calcul quantique, propose des solutions de niveau industriel. Quandela conçoit, construit et fournit des systèmes quantiques prêts à l’emploi pour les datacenters, des processeurs quantiques accessibles via le cloud, et des services d’accès aux algorithmes.
Fondée en 2017 par la professeure Pascale Senellart, directrice de recherche au Centre de nanosciences et nanotechnologies (C2N) du CNRS, Niccolo Somaschi et Valérian Giesz, experts de renommée internationale en physique quantique, Quandela emploie plus de 100 collaborateurs de 20 nationalités différentes, en majorité des chercheurs et des ingénieurs en optique, algorithmes et sciences de l’information.
Quandela s’engage à rendre l’informatique quantique accessible à tous pour relever les défis industriels et sociétaux les plus complexes.
Pour en savoir plus : www.quandela.com

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Quandela, a leader in quantum computing, specializes in industry-grade quantum computing solutions. Quandela designs, builds, and supplies datacenter-ready quantum computing systems, cloud-accessible quantum processors, and algorithm with industrial value.
Founded in 2017 by Professor Pascale Senellart, Research Director at the Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (C2N) at CNRS, Niccolo Somaschi and Valerian Giesz, internationally renowned experts in quantum physics, Quandela currently has over 100 employees from 20 different nationalities, mostly researchers and engineers in optical, algorithm and data science.
Quandela is committed to making advanced quantum computing accessible and beneficial for all, empowering innovators to solve the most complex industrial and societal challenges.

About Welinq

Welinq is a pioneering Quantum Networking company that develops and commercializes quantum links based on laser-cooled neutral atom quantum memories to interconnect quantum computers in order to drastically increase their computational power and to ensure their deployment in clusters on customer premises. Welinq is a spin-out from Sorbonne Université, CNRS and PSL-University, founded in 2022 by Tom Darras, Prof. Julien Laurat, Dr. Eleni Diamanti and Jean Lautier-Gaud.
To learn more about Welinq, visit www.welinq.eu

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April 15, 2025

Quandela strengthens its governance by appointing Michel Paulin, former CEO of OVHcloud and SFR, to its Board of Directors

Paris, April 15th, 2025 – Quandela, European leader in quantum computing, announces the appointment of Michel Paulin to its Board of Directors. Michel, a recognized expert in the digital industry, […]

Quandela strengthens its governance by appointing Michel Paulin, former CEO of OVHcloud and SFR, to its Board of Directors

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Paris, April 15^th, 2025 – Quandela, European leader in quantum computing, announces the appointment of Michel Paulin to its Board of Directors. Michel, a recognized expert in the digital industry, was previously CEO of telecommunications pioneer SFR and European sovereign cloud leader OVHcloud. He will bring his experience to Quandela and enrich the company’s strategic vision.

Michel Paulin has spent most of his career in the tech and telecom sectors. In particular, he was previously CEO of OVHcloud, SFR and Neuf Cegetel.

Today, he is Chairman of the Logiciels et Solutions Numériques de Confiance (Trustworthy Software and Digital Solutions) cluster, which brings together software, quantum, AI, cloud and metaverse players.

Recognized as a leading figure in the digital industry, he has been a Director of the Board of the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) since 2022, by decision of the Minister for Industry.

Michel Paulin is a graduate of École Polytechnique (1981) and Télécom ParisTech.

Michel Paulin, new member of Quandela’s Board of Directors

“Michel has exceptional expertise in the telecoms and cloud sectors, as well as a proven track record in leading strong growth companies. His advice will be extremely valuable as Quandela embarks on its international expansion and the ramp-up of quantum computer production. I am honored to have him join us as a new member of the Board of Directors,” says Niccolo Somaschi, co-founder and CEO of Quandela.

“I’m honored to join Quandela’s Board of Directors. Quantum computing undoubtedly represents one of the next major technological revolutions, and strategic positions for the next decades are being defined today. France is at the forefront of this quantum technological race, thanks to outstanding research and exceptional talent. With Quandela, our country has a world-leading technological champion in photonic quantum computing. I’m looking forward to contributing to Quandela’s development in this exciting new quantum revolution,” says Michel Paulin, a new member of Quandela’s Board of Directors.

March 17, 2025

EuroQCS-France: remote access to a 12-qubit Quandela system is now available for European users!

The EuroQCS-France consortium, led by GENCI and CEA, is pleased to announce that European researchers can now access a 12-qubit Quandela photonic quantum computing system remotely. This exciting development allows […]

EuroQCS-France: remote access to a 12-qubit Quandela system is now available for European users!

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The EuroQCS-France consortium, led by GENCI and CEA, is pleased to announce that European researchers can now access a 12-qubit Quandela photonic quantum computing system remotely. This exciting development allows European users to begin programming and testing their applications on a real photonic quantum computer, months ahead of the anticipated deployment at TGCC (CEA’s computing center) of the on-premise Lucy system in the end of 2025. They can be supported by experts from a High-Level Support Team to port their applications onto the photonic quantum computer.

The EuroQCS-France consortium and the selection of Quandela as supplier by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU)

In 2024, EuroHPC JU selected a consortium formed by Quandela and its German partner attocube systems AG as the supplier of the photonic quantum computing technology as part of the EuroQCS-France initiative. This collaboration is set to pave the way for a new era in quantum computing across Europe, enhancing research capabilities and advancing the quantum ecosystem.

In November 2024, on the occasion of SC24, EuroQCS-France officially announced the provision of early remote access to a 6-qubit Quandela photonic quantum computer for the European open research community. Now, users will be able to run their code on a remote 12-qubit quantum computer, with the same design as the upcoming Lucy system. This provides a unique opportunity to engage with a photonic quantum computer, allowing open research communities to get hands-on experience before the Lucy system is fully installed and operational at TGCC in 2025.

Key Benefits for European Researchers

· Early Access: Open research communities can begin preparing their code using Perceval now, the Quandela programming and emulation environment deployed on the Joliot-Curie supercomputer, and run their applications on a remote 12-qubit photonic quantum computer similar to the targeted Lucy system.

· No Wait for Deployment: Users will not have to wait for the installation of Lucy to access a real quantum computing system, allowing them to start experimenting and testing their applications immediately.

· Expert Support: A High-Level Support Team will assist users in porting their applications onto the photonic quantum computer, ensuring that researchers can fully leverage the technology.

· Training Sessions: GENCI/CEA and Quandela will be offering specialized training on hybrid HPC-QC programming schemes, helping users prepare for the integration of Lucy with Joliot-Curie.

How to Access the Remote System

The process to access the remote Quandela system will be outlined by CEA, and interested researchers can apply for access through the designated channels. More details will be provided shortly.

Looking Ahead

EuroQCS-France is part of the broader European effort to build a diverse, pan-European hybrid HPC/QC infrastructure. Lucy, the 12-qubit photonic quantum computer, will soon join other cutting-edge quantum systems across Europe, each based on different hardware technologies. These systems include scalable superconducting qubits (Euro-Q-Exa), star-shaped superconducting qubits (LUMI-Q), trapped ions (EuroQCS-Poland), quantum annealing (EuroQCS-Spain), neutral atoms (EuroQCS-Italy), each system providing unique capabilities and research opportunities.

In the coming months, as the Lucy system’s deployment approaches, this early access will be crucial in ensuring that European researchers are well-prepared to take full advantage of the system’s capabilities.

GENCI/CEA and Quandela will be organizing training sessions on hybrid HPC-QC programming schemes leveraging photonic quantum computing to anticipate the integration of Lucy with Joliot-Curie.

About EuroQCS-France

EuroQCS-France is a consortium led by GENCI as Hosting Entity and CEA as Hosting Site, with the University Politechnica of Bucharest (UPB, Romania), Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ, Germany) and Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC, Ireland), selected by EuroHPC JU in 2022 as a result of the call for expression of interest EUROHPC-2022-CEI-QC-01.

EuroQCS-France aims to provide European open research communities with access to a photonic quantum computer coupled with the Joliot-Curie supercomputer, just like the 100-qubit Pasqal quantum simulator Ruby, acquired in the context of the HPCQS project.

February 7, 2025

Quandela announces a 100,000-fold reduction in the number of components needed for fault-tolerant calculations, a major breakthrough for photonic quantum computing

_______________________________________________________________________________ Paris, February 7, 2025 – Quandela, the European leader in photonic quantum computing, announces a major breakthrough for the sector in a scientific paper1 describing a reduction by a […]

Quandela announces a 100,000-fold reduction in the number of components needed for fault-tolerant calculations, a major breakthrough for photonic quantum computing

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Paris, February 7, 2025 – Quandela, the European leader in photonic quantum computing, announces a major breakthrough for the sector in a scientific paper¹ describing a reduction by a factor of 100,000 in the number of components required for fault-tolerant calculations. Quandela’s hybrid approach, based on a technology that generates photonic qubits with unprecedented efficiency from artificial atoms (semiconductor quantum emitters), should enable the company to accelerate the scaling-up of its quantum computers.

A photonic approach promising for error-correction and scaling challenges

Fault-tolerant – error-free – quantum computing is crucial for the correct execution of the most impactful quantum algorithms, such as prime number factorization, linear system solving and chemical simulations. It is these algorithms that enable the most valuable use cases that “classical” computers cannot solve, notably in the energy, pharmaceutical, chemical and defense sectors.

Among all quantum platforms, the photonic platform appears particularly promising for achieving fault tolerance, thanks to the unique ability of photons to :

carry quantum information almost infinitely

interconnect quantum processors via commercial optical fibers, as is the case with today’s largest network-connected computers.

Interconnection between quantum processors is essential, in the long term, to extend the computing power of quantum computers – in a similar way to today’s networked supercomputers – whatever the platform in question. Photonic technology therefore inherently possesses the modularity that is absolutely essential for scaling up and implementing error-correction protocols.

However, since photon loss is the main source of error in the photonic approach, the high performance of these quantum computers implies high optical transmission of the components, i.e. a high flow of photons through all the components. The big challenge is therefore to reduce the number of components (“resources”) in order to achieve the high optical transmission needed to manipulate and correct a large number of qubits, and thus achieve the high-impact calculations that outperform conventional computers.

Quandela’s approach 100,000x less resource-intensive than other photonic competitors

To meet this challenge, Quandela has just reported a groundbreaking scientific result that presents a method for reducing resource requirements by a factor of 100,000 compared with the photonics-only approach adopted and developed by other photonic quantum computing players in the USA and Canada.

At the heart of this result lies the core technology of Quandela’s processors, based on semiconductor quantum emitters that generate photonic qubits with world-leading efficiency. Thanks to its hybrid approach, which uses these emitters both as photon generators and as qubits (by exploiting the spin of one of the emitter’s electrons), Quandela sets itself apart from other photonic competitors.

Where a purely photonic approach would require around a million components to generate one logic qubit, the research team, led by Quandela’s Chief Research Officer Shane Mansfield, demonstrates that Quandela’s approach requires just 12, i.e. 100,000 (= 10^5 times ) less. This approach also greatly relaxes the optical transmission requirements of the components, and therefore the performance required for error correction.

Significant reduction in energy consumption

This considerable gain, which promises to reach the error-correction regime much more quickly, also makes it possible to drastically reduce the platform’s manufacturing costs and energy consumption. Quandela predicts a much lower power consumption than existing quantum platforms. In practice, while today’s large-scale high-performance computing centers consume around 20 MW, and cloud hyperscalers dedicated to AI require around 2 MW, Quandela’s largest quantum computer should keep its power consumption below 1MW. Quandela’s computers are therefore positioned as the solution for increasing the computing power needed by industry worldwide, without increasing energy consumption.

“This breakthrough marks an important milestone for error-correcting computing with the photonic platform. By drastically reducing the resources required while maintaining the intrinsic advantages of the photonic approach, we are paving the way for the realistic industrialization of fault-tolerant quantum computing. Our unique hybrid approach demonstrates Quandela’s ability to significantly accelerate the scale-up of quantum computers, a crucial issue for the entire industry”, comments Niccolo Somaschi, co-founder and CEO of Quandela.