Singapore-based quantum software company Horizon Quantum has announced a strategic collaboration with Paris-based Alice & Bob (A&B), which is building quantum computers using a specific type of superconducting qubit known as the “cat qubit”. The two companies will work towards the development and deployment of fault-tolerant quantum computing (“FTQC”) software.
The collaboration will integrate A&B’s emulators — ”virtual versions” of the company’s hardware — with Triple Alpha, Horizon Quantum’s software development environment. Through this, quantum software developers will be able to use A&B’s emulators to experiment with and test quantum error correction protocols. This integration will also pave the way for the deployment of complex algorithms onto A&B’s upcoming quantum processing units (“QPUs”).
Through this joint effort, the companies seek to:
- support the development of a comprehensive compilation pipeline that maximises hardware performance by taking into account the hardware’s specifications while simplifying programming for quantum applications; and
- prepare for the launch of real hardware capable of executing quantum error correction tasks as part of A&B’s roadmap for FTQC, with Horizon Quantum’s Triple Alpha set to be one of the first platforms to compile and deploy to A&B’s QPUs.
The partnership also aims to bring Triple Alpha’s resource analysis capabilities to A&B’s backends. This functionality helps optimise the resources used by quantum algorithms at different levels of abstractions and on different hardware platforms by tracking various metrics such as qubit count and gate count, all critical components for accelerating the practical use of quantum computers.
“Building a complete quantum software stack requires careful integration of algorithms, error correction, and compilation. We believe our partnership with Horizon Quantum is an essential step in ensuring we take a rigorous, research-driven approach to these challenges,” said Dr Théau Peronnin, CEO of A&B.
“Realising the full potential of quantum computing will require building systems that are fault-tolerant,” said Dr Joe Fitzsimons, CEO of Horizon Quantum. “By bringing together Horizon Quantum’s expertise in quantum programming and compilation with Alice & Bob’s expertise in fault-tolerant hardware architectures, I believe this partnership will help drive progress towards practical fault-tolerant quantum computing.”
