Quantum computing has the potential to benefit many industries, including those focused on drug development, finance and materials design. Delivering on this potential requires formidable developments in hardware and software to be able to reliably control the growing numbers of qubits necessary to power quantum computers. A key milestone on the pathway to practical quantum machines is the development of benchmarking tools that can assess qubit errors and overall system performance. Under the contract, our quantum scientists and engineers will deliver a benchmarking software suite that will allow comparison of the performance of different quantum computing resources. It will also provide significant insights into hardware architectures, latency and other factors related to the practical implementation of error correction.
Dr Steve Brierley, CEO of Riverlane, said: “We are thrilled that the NQCC recognises the incredible potential of quantum computing and are very proud to be their first supplier of quantum software. Riverlane aims to support the NQCC’s role in becoming a trusted authority and provider of national capabilities in quantum computing”.
Dr Michael Cuthbert, the Centre Director of NQCC, said: “I am delighted we are able to make this first contract award, following a competitive process. The NQCC aims to address the challenge of scaling emerging quantum computing technologies with the goal of delivering a 100+ qubit machine by 2025. This contract award to Riverlane is an initial step, demonstrating how we will form collaborations across industry and the research community to grow our capability. The benchmarking suite, combined with noise mitigation processes will support delivery of useful tools for the centre’s technology, applications and user programmes.”