Forschungszentrum Jülich strengthens quantum research with purchase of D-WaveTM annealing quantum computer
The Jülich Supercomputing Centre is permanently incorporating the D-Wave annealing quantum computer after three years of successful hosting and usage. It will remain a key part of the quantum computing infrastructure at Forschungszentrum Jülich and is expected to become increasingly important. The System will be connected to JUPITER supercomputer, Europe’s first and only exascale HPC, to facilitate breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum optimization applications. (Source: Forschungszentrum Jülich – Press Releases)
With the purchase of the world’s largest annealing quantum computer and Europe’s first annealing quantum computer with more than 5,000 qubits and 15-way connectivity, the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ), a public quantum computing user facility deployed by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), gains complete access to all aspects of the system – including the ability to modify system parameters and integrate the quantum system in new ways for new purposes. For example, this will allow it to be connected to the JUPITER exascale computer in the future, potentially enabling breakthroughs in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum optimization. JUPITER, which is currently being built close to JUNIQ at the JSC, is expected to surpass the threshold of one quintillion calculations per second. This will be the world’s first coupling of an annealing quantum computer with an exascale supercomputer, providing a first-of-a-kind opportunity for tackling the world’s toughest computational problems.
JSC’s system will be upgraded to D-Wave’s next generation Advantage2™ quantum processor unit (QPU), once it becomes available. The Advantage2 system is expected to deliver significant performance gains with doubled coherence, increased connectivity and a 40 percent boost to the energy scale for advanced problem solving.
Since the beginning of its collaboration with D-Wave, JUNIQ’s scientific users have successfully used the D-Wave system for their work on several occasions, including:
- In 2022, researchers from Lund University in Sweden, together with JSC scientist Dr. Sandipan Mohanty, used the annealing quantum computer to study protein folding. The results of D-Wave’s calculations were considered remarkable. A better understanding of protein folding could help shed light on their role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. The corresponding paper was selected as an ‘Editor’s Selection’ in the Physical Review Research.
- In Summer 2024, JSC scientists together with colleagues from Slovenia proved with D-Wave that an annealing quantum computer can directly mirror the microscopic interactions of electrons in the material – a significant advancement in the field. The research results were published in Nature Communications.
- Only recently, a team of scientists from JSC, the University of Leeds and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria succeeded in gaining important insights into quantum physical processes during the formation of the universe. For their calculations, the researchers combined the D-Wave system with a supercomputer. The results were presented in Nature Physics last week.
Statements
Copyright: Forschungszentrum Jülich / Sascha Kreklau
“The D-Wave AdvantageTM system has played a pioneering role in the development of quantum optimization, both through its contribution to breakthrough research and the development of enterprise-grade solutions across numerous industries,” said Prof. Thomas Lippert, director of JSC. “D-Wave stands alone as the only quantum vendor solving real-world problems today, and we’re thrilled to be the first HPC center in Europe to own its groundbreaking annealing quantum computer.”
“With D-Wave’s innovative technology, the integration of the system into JUNIQ and its future coupling with the exascale supercomputer JUPITER, we will take the use of quantum technology in Jülich, and on behalf of Germany and Europe, to a new level,” said Prof. Kristel Michielsen, head of JUNIQ & Quantum Computing at JSC. “Our experts are familiar with hosting the system, and JUNIQ’s scientific users have already been able to conduct remarkable research. We look forward to the further use of D-Wave and its coupling with the new exascale supercomputer generation, which we hope will enable us to look at scientific questions in a completely new way and solve real-world problems.”
“JSC’s renowned HPC computing expertise combined with our transformational annealing quantum computing technology creates a powerful synergy,” said Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. “We are excited to see the innovations and applications that we expect will continue to emerge from this important collaboration.”
FZJ/L. Maiburg & I. Heese, 13.02.2025
The original press release can be found at:
Forschungszentrum Jülich strengthens quantum research with purchase of D-WaveTM annealing quantum computer
Localization in Helmholtz Information:
Helmholtz Information, Program 1: Engineering Digital Futures, Topic 1: Enabling Computational- & Data-Intensive Science and Engineering
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Kristel Michielsen
Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS)
Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Phone: +49 2461/61-2524
E-Mail: k.michielsen@fz-juelich.de
Contact for this press release:
Lisa Maiburg
Public Relations & Science Communication Officer
Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS)
Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Phone: +49 2461 61-9089
E-Mail: l.maiburg@fz-juelich.de
Dr. Irina Heese
Communication and Outreach JUQCA (Jülich Quantum Computing Alliance)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Phone: +49 2461 61-85847
E-Mail: i.heese@fz-juelich.de
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