ORCA Computing Photonic Quantum System at UK’s NQCC

ORCA Computing

The UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre Receives the First Photonic Quantum Computing System from ORCA Computing

As part of a significant UK government investment in quantum technologies, ORCA Computing, a leading provider of quantum computing, today announced the successful delivery and installation of its photonic quantum computing system at the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in the UK.

One of the top companies in quantum computing, ORCA Computing, focusses on creating full-stack photonic quantum computers. Their main goal is to make quantum computing a reality in order to open up new application areas, spur innovation, and assist in industry transformation. With their distinctive modular, fiber-interconnected architecture, they hope to develop both long-term, error-corrected quantum computers and near-term, value-creating quantum accelerators.

Special Method and Advantages For both present and future applications, ORCA’s unique approach to photonic quantum computing provides a number of observable advantages over alternative quantum architectures. Their solution delivers the performance, scalability, and usability required to start tackling complex use-cases, like generative machine learning and optimisation, by fusing innovative techniques with rack-mounted telecom and optical fibre components. Among their technology’s main advantages are:

Architecture that is both upgradeable and modular.
Better Scalability.
Reduce the entry barrier for users.
a feasible business strategy for fault tolerance.
The PT Series system’s maturity and dependability.

Quantum-Accelerated Generative AI & Optimisation with the ORCA PT Series A key product for the development of near-term industrial applications of quantum-accelerated generative AI and optimisation is the ORCA PT Series. In contrast to the industry’s common, laborious, fragile, and expensive technologies, these systems are based on the proven success of real-world applications and deployments and function, operate, and perform reliably.

There are particular benefits to the PT Series:

Quantum Accelerated Generative AI & Optimisation: It helps to break the unsustainable power demand of traditional AI while significantly improving organisations by providing generative AI capabilities not found in classical or other quantum computing platforms.
Data Centre Ready: The air-cooled, rack-mounted systems can be deployed in the cloud or on-premises.
Developer-friendly: They integrate with CUDA-Q and support industry-standard environments like PyTorch and Python.
Lowest Total Cost of Ownership: This advantage covers everything from purchase and setup to ongoing maintenance and enhancements.

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The ORCA PT Series has already been used in a variety of generative AI and optimisation applications and use-cases, yielding positive outcomes for researchers and businesses in a number of significant scientific and industrial contexts. For example, ORCA and bp collaborated to investigate a hybrid quantum-classical method that creates low-energy conformations of small and medium-sized hydrocarbon molecules using generative adversarial network (GAN) methods. The goal of this project is to overcome computational challenges in molecular exploration, which is essential for areas like the development of biofuels and new materials for the energy sector.

Founding and Leadership On the foundation of more than 30 years of technological advancements and scientific research, ORCA Computing was spun out of the University of Oxford in 2019. Josh Nunn, Richard Murray, and Professor Ian Walmsley created the business.

Current Events and News ORCA Computing has made headlines lately because of a number of noteworthy advancements.

The first photonic quantum computing system is delivered to the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in the United Kingdom.
ORCA Computing successfully delivered and set up the first photonic quantum computing system in the UK’s public sector at the NQCC on June 11, 2025.
This accomplishment builds on a project initially announced in February 2024 when ORCA was chosen for the UK’s Quantum Computing Testbeds initiative, fulfilling a significant obligation under the program.
As the first photonic quantum system to be placed at a UK public-sector institution, the PT Series system proved its dependability and maturity in just 36 hours.
The ORCA system is the first of its kind to integrate several photonic into one unit. Its purpose is to facilitate hybrid quantum-classical workflows and expedite real-world quantum applications.
The UK’s £121 million quantum plan is supported by this facility.
Customers have already benchmarked quantum/classical generative AI models for molecular chemistry, finished over 25,000 jobs without interruption, and performed an 81-parameter binary optimisation work, demonstrating the platform’s potential in early use. At the Digital Catapult Quantum Technology Access Programme (QTAP) event, these accomplishments were showcased.
In order to benchmark performance and incorporate the system into joint R&D initiatives, such as collaboration with the Quantum Software Lab (QSL) at the University of Edinburgh, the NQCC will now embark on a testing and evaluation phase. The future of quantum applications is shaped and innovation is accelerated by providing early-stage access to sophisticated photonic technologies, according to Dr Simon Plant, Deputy Director for Innovation at the NQCC.
Vodafone Partnership: Beginning on October 6, 2025, Vodafone and ORCA Computing will work together to quickly determine the best network architectures for clients by utilising quantum technologies.
Josh Nunn, ORCA’s Chief Science Officer and co-founder, shared details about the company’s PT Series quantum systems in an Optics & Photonics News cover story on September 6, 2025.
ParTec AG Partnership: ParTec will incorporate ORCA’s cutting-edge photonic quantum computing capabilities into its AI Factory infrastructure, as announced on July 5, 2025. This collaboration is an important step in extending the real-world applications of quantum computing in both research and enterprise settings.
HPCwire Featured Article: James Fletcher, Head of Solutions Architecture at ORCA, discussed the company’s role in overcoming compute bottlenecks in an article published on February 6, 2025, highlighting how ORCA Computing is enabling scalable AI Factories with quantum acceleration.
Progress in Quantum Use-Cases Exhibition: Attendees at the April 9, 2025, QTAP session learnt how ORCA’s platform enables businesses to quickly design and test quantum application cases in a matter of months.
Shipment of the PT-2 System to NQCC: The milestone shipping of ORCA Computing’s PT-2 photonic quantum system to the NQCC on March 21, 2025, was covered in Quantum Computing Report prior to the full delivery.

ORCA Computing’s dedication to attaining commercial quantum advantage and developing the field of quantum-accelerated AI and optimisation is demonstrated by its persistent focus on useful, scalable, and practical photonic quantum systems.

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