Quantum technology for a wider audience: our demonstrators

One of our dreams at QuTech is to make quantum technology accessible to a wider audience and to future users as soon as possible, so they can conduct their own experiments. To this end, we are developing quantum computer and quantum internet demonstrators. These allow potential users to ‘play’ with the technology. They will help to educate users, test the interoperability of different components, and facilitate the development of new applications, products and services – generating the required market pull for commercialization. Our current demonstrator projects include Quantum Inspire and the Quantum Internet Demonstrator.

Quantum Inspire is Europe’s first publicly accessible quantum computing system. As a world first, Quantum Inspire connects to two different types of quantum processors: spin qubits and superconducting transmon qubits. This allows users to compare both types. The system will also integrate different programming languages, allowing users to see how languages affect simulations.


A future quantum internet will allow inherently secure communication between parties, and will ultimately connect multiple quantum computers, to realize radically new internet applications. With our Quantum Internet Demonstrator we lay the physical foundations for a national quantum network. The two-node metropolitan scale Quantum Link system will be the first step towards a nationwide quantum internet, based on quantum processors connected by optical fibre, and spanning different locations in the Netherlands.


With the Quantum Network Explorer (QNE) platform we will engage audiences around the world to learn and develop applications for future quantum networks. Using this web interface, visitors will interact with simulated and real physical quantum networks, experiencing state-of-the-art quantum networks and exploring the functioning of quantum protocols. Basic quantum network ideas and concepts will be showcased, as well as their impact on society.

Quantum Inspire

Long-term goals: To develop a full-stack quantum computer demonstrator for training and education, along with co-development and collaborative R&D of quantum technologies for quantum computing.

Highlights:

  • In April 2020, two hardware backends (Spin-2 and Starmon-5) were released for public access. Both quantum processors were developed at QuTech. Spin-2 consists of two single electron spin qubits hosted in a double quantum dot in isotopically purified Si-28. Starmon-5 consists of five superconducting transmon qubits: one central qubit connects to each of its four neighbouring qubits via bus resonators.

  • Quantum Inspire is used as a tool for research and education. Between April and December 2020, we welcomed 914 new registered users. They ran 2665 experiments on Spin-2 and 21623 experiments on Starmon-5. As part of the Delft courses ‘Fundamentals of Quantum Information’ and ‘Quantum Engineering’, the system is also used as a tool for student assignments.

  • Quantum Inspire is an important factor in several national and international programs, such as the European flagship project Quantum Large-Scale Integration with Silicon; the Dutch NWA-ORC program Quantum Inspire (the Dutch Quantum Computer in the cloud); and the National Agenda Quantum Technology.

Quantum Internet Demonstrator

Long-term goals: Showcase the world’s first quantum internet with minimal 3 quantum nodes, 2 or 3 major cities and a showcase node. Make this available, accessible and programmable online. One showcase quantum node will be open to the public.

Highlights:

  • Construction of the first two quantum nodes and midpoint measurement hardware is reaching completion. Important milestones in 2020 were the development of a novel solution for timing between the quantum nodes and midpoint, for which a patent is in preparation. A stable frequency lock between the two quantum nodes in the lab was also achieved. This is required for producing indistinguishable photons coming from the two distant nodes in future experiments.

  • The quantum network architecture (including quantum network stack) has been designed and implemented and is ready for system tests in 2021.

  • Integration tests on a mock lab setup have been successfully executed, increasing our readiness for system tests.

  • We developed the front-end (user interface) of the QNE website, and we have completed the development of the QNE backend. QNE can now connect users to a virtual quantum network that runs on our NetSquid simulator. To encourage application development, a software development kit has been integrated with the quantum network stack. This will allow users to program and test new algorithms on the future quantum network.