Two Quantum Computers for HPCQS
HPCQS, the four-year pan-European hybrid HPC/ quantum pilot project, aims to develop, deploy, and coordinate a cloud-based European federated infrastructure. Two quantum computers, each controlling 100+ quantum bits (qubits), will be tightly integrated in two Tier-0 HPC systems: GENCI’s Joliot-Curie, which is operated at CEA/TGCC, and the JUWELS modular supercomputer at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC). The seamless integration of quantum hardware with classical computing resources, creating a hybrid system, is an essential step towards utilizing the power of quantum computers to enable the first practical applications.
In order to reach these goals, GENCI and Forschungszentrum Jülich – with the support of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) – launched a joint public procurement of innovative solutions (PPI) procedure to acquire two quantum simulators capable of controlling at least 100 qubits. This PPI resulted in the selection of the Fresnel analogue quantum simulator provided by French start-up PASQAL, which is based on the technology of neutral atoms arranged in 2D/3D arrays of optical tweezers and interacting in their Rydberg states. Each Fresnel simulator will be coupled with a Tier-0 system and act as a quantum accelerator for specific workloads in optimization, quantum chemistry, and machine learning.
One of the Fresnel quantum simulators will be installed during the second half of 2023 at the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ) at Forschungszentrum Jülich. In the meantime, PASQAL will provide remote early access to their in-house Fresnel system in order to advance HPCQS’ activities towards the deployment of a full hybrid software stack including cloud access, resource management of hybrid workloads, tools, and libraries, benchmarking and certification, and performance analysis.
“HPCQS is the ideal continuation of the plans and activities for hybrid quantum HPC computing that we have started in Germany with JUNIQ on a European level together with our excellent partners,” explains Prof. Thomas Lippert from JSC. “With HPCQS, we are the first in the world to realize deep integration between HPC and quantum computing based on modular supercomputing, and are bringing Europe to the forefront of research with this innovative technology.”
Contact: Prof. Kristel Michielsen
from JSC News No. 289, 4 July 2022