Quantum Brilliance
The Room-Temperature Quantum Computing Cluster at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a First Step Towards a Hybrid HPC Future.
At the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has installed its first on-site commercial quantum computer cluster in a major collaboration with Quantum Brilliance. Lab personnel can now investigate incorporating this cutting-edge technology into traditional high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructures, marking a significant advancement in the use of quantum computers for scientific research. By establishing quantum technology as a supplementary accelerator to supercomputers like Frontier, the program seeks to enable huge advances in computational power, which is in line with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) plan to enhance leadership-class computing.
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The “Quoll” System: A Cluster of Diamond-Based Qubits
Three Quantum Development Kits (QDKs) make up the installed system, which is dubbed “Quoll” after the Australian marsupial in homage to the origins of Quantum Brilliance. Each QDK is a hybrid full-stack platform that supports parallel and hybrid quantum-classical operations by combining a quantum processing unit (QPU) with a graphics processing unit (GPU) and CPU components. The cluster is located in the Advanced Computing Ecosystem testbed of the OLCF and consists of three parallelized QPUs, totalling six qubits. An important milestone for both companies, this is the first cluster of parallelized QPUs ever integrated into an HPC environment.
Diamond-Based Quantum Technology: Operating at Room Temperature
In contrast to most quantum systems that require intense cooling or intricate configurations for coherence, the diamond-based QPUs in the Quantum Brilliance system function at ambient temperature in a small container. Diamond’s inherent stability is crucial, according to Andreas Sawadsky, technology and innovation manager at Quantum Brilliance. At room temperature, thermal vibrations that normally cause qubit coherence to be disrupted are prevented by its hardness.
The method takes advantage of atomic-scale flaws called nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds, where nuclear spins function as qubits. By doing away with the complexity and expense of cryogenics, lasers, and vacuum systems, this method produces a QPU solution that significantly lowers size, weight, and power and is appropriate for a variety of real-world applications.
Pioneering Hybrid Computing for Leadership-Class Systems
The deployment of ORNL is essential to the development of hybrid computing mechanics. OLCF Program Director Ashley Barker explains that hosting a Quantum Brilliance system on-site will mature hybrid computing mechanics, including co-scheduling, performance tuning, data and workflow orchestration, workforce development, and more. This will enable HPC-quantum integration to become a fully embedded capability in leadership computing.
“This hybrid system gives ORNL researchers a new platform to investigate advanced computing techniques, such as parallelized quantum algorithms, that support tight integration with HPC systems,” said Travis Humble, director of DOE’s Quantum Science Centre. A key component of the lab’s plan to develop the next generation of leadership-class computing systems is the investigation into quantum-HPC integration. In keeping with its dedication to hybrid computing, OLCF previously published a study outlining a paradigm for combining quantum and classical computers.
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Future Vision: QPUs as Ubiquitous Accelerators
The partnership envisions a time when QPUs, like GPUs today, can speed up tasks in HPC environments. The goal of Quantum Brilliance is to integrate quantum technology into commonplace gadgets and high-performance computing systems worldwide.
Quantum Brilliance CEO Mark Luo offered this vision: “This initiative proves what is achievable and paves the door for large-scale deployments globally, with hundreds of thousands, potentially millions, of systems. constructing a future in which quantum and classical systems work together on a never-before-seen scale. The partnership will guide the engineering road for hundreds of parallel quantum computers coupled with classical computers, according to Dr. Marcus Doherty, CTO at Quantum Brilliance.
In order to illustrate how parallelization might be advantageous for applications in computational chemistry and machine learning, OLCF researchers will investigate hybrid and parallel quantum computing systems. The goal of Quantum Brilliance’s QPUs is to directly compete with classical accelerators by outperforming classical systems of the same size, weight, and power.
Global Leadership and Strategic Partnerships
Quantum Brilliance’s first deployment in the US is this ORNL facility. The first on-premise QPU integration into an HPC environment was accomplished in 2022 when the German-Australian company delivered its first equipment to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre. Later, an improved QDK was used at Germany’s Fraunhofer IAF. With operations in Germany and Australia (Canberra and Melbourne), Quantum Brilliance specializes in compact, ruggedized, synthetic diamond-based quantum devices. Governments, supercomputing facilities, academic institutions, and business partners are among its international partners in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.
Conclusion
An important turning point in the development of computing was reached with the installation of the Quantum Brilliance “Quoll” cluster at ORNL. In addition to furthering scientific research, ORNL and Quantum Brilliance are laying the groundwork for a future in which quantum and classical systems work together on a never-before-seen scale by fusing diamond-based, room-temperature quantum technology with classical supercomputing. Addressing national priorities in innovation, energy, competitiveness, and national security is the goal of this collaboration. The partnership represents a concrete transition from theoretical quantum computing to scalable, real-world hybrid systems that have the potential to revolutionize leadership-class computing for future generations.
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