October 8, 2026

DARPA Selects Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ for Final Stage C Verification under Quantum Benchmarking InitiativeTier 2

DARPA has selected Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ for Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) to verify the performance of their fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures. This stage involves direct physical testing and empirical validation of their hardware, aiming to assess their potential for utility-scale operation by 2033. The chosen companies...

Previously: 2026-08-07

Quanfluence Secures $10 Million to Build Full-Stack Photonic Quantum Computer ArchitectureTier 2

Quanfluence, a Bengaluru-based deep technology startup, has secured $10 million in Series A funding led by Chiratae Ventures, with participation from Pi Ventures and Rainmatter by Zerodha. The company will use the investment to develop a full-stack photonic quantum processing system, integrating its photonic integrated circuits, electronic control silicon, and software al...

Standard estimators cannot represent fault-tolerant workloads at measured error rates: evaluated, evidence-based uncertainty for quantum resource estimationTier 3

Estimates of the quantum resources needed to run fault-tolerant algorithms are almost always reported as single numbers, even though they rest on uncertain hardware parameters and on cost models that disagree. We present an open, tool-agnostic framework that propagates evidence-based priors over fault-tolerant hardware parameters through five surface-code cost models, adds c...

Cisco Releases Quantum Network Controller and Network-Aware Compiler v0.2.0 for Distributed Quantum InfrastructureTier 2

Cisco's Outshift division has launched the Quantum Network Controller and Network-Aware Quantum Compiler v0.2.0 to manage multi-node quantum networks. The Controller offers Entanglement-as-a-Service, enabling on-demand entanglement across diverse quantum hardware. The Compiler integrates circuit compilation, qubit partitioning, and distributed quantum error correction, op...

Efficient Estimation of Logical Sensitivities Through Fault-CountingTier 3

Quantum error-correcting circuits are affected by multiple physical noise mechanisms, whose contributions to logical failure must be understood to evaluate code performance and guide improvements in hardware. The individual error budget contributions for an error type i can be characterized by its logical sensitivity ν_i = (∂p_L)/(∂p_i), which measure...

Black hole radial geometry from a quantum spin chainTier 3

We show that the radial differential equation for a scalar field in an anti-de Sitter black brane background can be encoded in an exactly solvable semi-infinite spin chain independent of dimensionality. The radial coordinate emerges as lattice quasimomentum. Spin coherence encodes the geometry, while the spectrum and response recover gravitational observables and yield exact...

Dynamically protected erasure qubit via low-frequency charge drivingTier 3

Dynamical protection via strong driving can enable resilient quantum processing on imperfect physical hardware. However, the practical utility of such schemes is frequently limited by parasitic processes such as drive-induced dephasing and leakage. Here, we demonstrate that sub-GHz charge driving of superconducting Kerr oscillators (KOs) in the transmon regime circumvents th...

Engineering of Chirped Apodized Sources for Quantum SpectroscopyTier 3

Quantum sources of light are of paramount importance for the development of photonic quantum technologies. The growing demand for bright, efficient, and spectrally engineered photonic sources for applications in quantum sensing, spectroscopy, and imaging has motivated the development of tailored nonlinear crystals. Here, we report on the development and characterization of c...

Numerically exact simulation of open quantum networks with strong system-bath couplings using tensor network path integralsTier 3

Non-Markovian open quantum networks are among the most challenging problems in quantum theory, as they suffer from both, the exponentially scaling many-body state space as well as long memory times when the sites are strongly coupled to structured environments. Recent efforts to address them by combining tensor networks with real-time path integrals, such as TEMPO and proces...

GAO Audit Finds All 24 CFO Act Federal Agencies Unprepared for Post-Quantum Cryptography MigrationTier 2

A GAO audit found that all 24 CFO Act federal agencies are unprepared for post-quantum cryptography migration, with none having fully implemented the required preparatory practices. The audit, publicly released in October 2026, revealed significant deficits in cryptographic asset inventory, migration funding assessments, and operational PQC testing. This lack of readiness...

Measurement-Efficient Differentiable Quantum Architecture Search for Combinatorial OptimizationTier 3

Differentiable quantum architecture search (DQAS) is a promising framework for the automated design of quantum circuits, particularly for variational quantum optimization algorithms. However, its practical deployment on quantum hardware is limited by the large number of circuit measurements required during optimization, making hardware execution costly. In this work, we show...

Binary Optimization of Measurement Groupings for Quantum Energy EstimationTier 3

Repeated measurements can dominate the resources required for quantum energy estimation, making the choice of which Pauli observables to measure together a central optimization problem for variational quantum algorithms. We formulate fully commuting measurement grouping as a classical binary optimization problem based on clique selection and construct non-overlapping groups...

Benchmarking Modular Optimization Strategies for Parameterized Quantum CircuitsTier 3

Training parameterized quantum circuits requires balancing optimization progress with limited evaluation budgets and the statistical uncertainty of near-term quantum hardware. We present a modular benchmarking framework that separates quantum search-direction estimation from classical parameter-update rules, allowing their interactions and sensitivities to be examined indepe...

On the Expressive Power and Capacity of Quantum Data ReuploadersTier 3

Data reuploading---repeatedly encoding classical inputs at multiple layers of a parameterized quantum circuit---is a central mechanism for enhancing the expressivity of quantum neural networks (QNNs). Building on the Fourier-theoretic framework of Schuld et al.~\cite{schuld2021fourier}, we study the frequency spectrum of the general multivariate, R-reupload architecture (Q...

Quantum Optimization of the Color-of-Money Problem on IBM Quantum Hardware: A Proof-of-Concept StudyTier 3

The Color-of-Money (CoM) problem is a financial optimization challenge in which enterprises must determine how to allocate and route funds across multiple accounts, currencies, and time periods while satisfying regulatory, operational, and liquidity constraints. As the number of assets, obligations, and planning periods increases, the decision space grows rapidly, making lar...

Pareto-optimal quantum kernel selection for unsupervised anomaly detection on real malware beaconing dataTier 3

Quantum kernel methods are leading candidates for a practical quantum advantage in machine learning, but assessing that potential requires two quantities usually reported separately: how well a kernel performs on the task, and how far its geometry departs from the classical kernels available for the same problem. We introduce a fully unsupervised, multi-objective protocol th...

QuantumCT Opens 4,500 Sq. Ft. Innovation Headquarters in New Haven to Anchor Connecticut Quantum CorridorTier 2

QuantumCT has opened its 4,500-square-foot innovation headquarters in New Haven, serving as a central hub for quantum computing research, talent development, and startup incubation. This initiative, backed by significant public and private funding, aims to establish Connecticut as a leading U.S. quantum commercialization center. Key funding includes a $50.5 million state...

Chandigarh University’s CUBIC Partners with 247VC to Expand Investment Framework for Deep-Tech StartupsTier 2

Chandigarh University's CUBIC has partnered with 247VC Investment Trust to create an investment and mentorship pipeline for quantum and deep-tech startups. This collaboration, established during the PRAGATI Q-Foundry 2026, aims to transition academic quantum research into industrial and commercial deployment. CUBIC will identify eligible seed and early-stage ventures, fac...

Project Eleven Launches Strongpoint Post-Quantum Custody Platform with Zcash Foundation as Initial Development PartnerTier 2

Project Eleven has launched Strongpoint, an institutional custody platform designed for post-quantum digital asset security, with the Zcash Foundation as a development partner. The platform aims to provide a crypto-agile control layer for blockchain networks transitioning to post-quantum cryptography. Strongpoint is expected to be deployed in Q4 2026, building on Project...

Universal Quantum Raises Over $100 Million Series ATier 2

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — Universal Quantum, the company building large-scale quantum computing systems for real-world use, today announced it has secured over $100 million in Series A funding – marking the largest Series A ever raised by a quantum firm headquartered in the UK. The funding will accelerate the company’s global expansion, as well […]

Quantum simulation of the Heisenberg XXZ model on a Rydberg atom arrayTier 3

A major application of analog quantum hardware is quantum simulation, where a system evolves over time according to a given Hamiltonian. One challenge when implementing the Hamiltonian on a programmable quantum simulator is the availability of distinct coupling types, many of which go beyond the conventional ZZ-couplings found in Ising Hamiltonians that are naturally impleme...

Haiqu Unveils AgenticOS Platform for Automated, Scientifically Verified Quantum Research WorkflowsTier 2

Haiqu has launched AgenticOS, an AI-driven platform that automates quantum computing research workflows. It uses specialized AI agents and a test-driven development approach to prevent errors and ensure scientific accuracy in complex calculations. The platform has successfully simulated a proton-transfer problem and a Fermi-Hubbard model, demonstrating its ability to deli...

Infineon and ZuriQ Deepen Partnership to Industrialize 2D Trapped-Ion Penning Micro-Trap ChipsTier 2

Infineon Technologies and ZuriQ AG have expanded their partnership to industrialize 2D trapped-ion Penning micro-trap chips for quantum computing. This collaboration aims to scale trapped-ion quantum processing units by combining ZuriQ's 2D Penning micro-trap designs with Infineon’s semiconductor fabrication and packaging capabilities. Their joint efforts have successfull...

IBM Advances to Stage C of DARPA Quantum Benchmarking InitiativeTier 2

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has been selected for Stage C, the third phase of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) led by DARPA, the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. This phase will advance IBM through DARPA’s verification process, in which independent experts extensively test and measure quantum [...

CV-QKD with noisy coherent states and realistic displacement receiversTier 3

Near-optimal binary coherent state discrimination can be achieved by performing a displacement operation followed by photon detection. This displacement serves as a control parameter that can be tuned to optimize a chosen figure of merit, which makes such receivers attractive beyond state discrimination. Here, we turn this discrimination strategy into a complete continuous-v...

Physics-Aligned Electronic Ground-State Learning Improves GeneralizationTier 3

Machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLIPs) excel at in-distribution tasks, accelerating drug and material development, yet they struggle to generalize out-of-distribution. We propose to push the cost-accuracy Pareto frontier by designing observable-agnostic electronic ground-state descriptor models (GSMs) with computational costs situated between MLIPs and Kohn-Sham dens...

Sub-shot-noise mid-infrared photothermal measurements using twin beamsTier 3

Mid-infrared photothermal (MIP) measurement probes refractive-index changes induced by mid-infrared (MIR) absorption using visible or near-infrared light and has recently emerged as a powerful modality for MIR spectro-imaging in the life sciences. Reducing measurement noise allows the probe power to be lowered without compromising the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), thereby mit...

Gaussian Scrooge Ensemble from Deep Thermalization in Free-FermionsTier 3

Deep thermalization indicates the emergence of universal ensembles of pure states in a subsystem after measuring its environment. We investigate this phenomenon in a free-fermion chain using local measurements that preserve Gaussianity and break particle-number conservation. Although the measurement outcomes provide partial information about local conserved charges within a...

QuSema: Detecting Silent Bugs in Quantum Libraries via Quantum-knowledge-enhanced AgentsTier 3

Quantum libraries are now critical infrastructure for quantum algorithm development, yet their correctness remains difficult to test. Existing testing techniques mainly rely on failure-based or comparison-based oracles, exposing bugs only when executions fail, violate runtime checks, or disagree with another implementation. Their applicability is limited when suitable execut...

An Explicit Counterexample to Tsirelson's Problem via a Linear System GameTier 3

We construct an explicit binary linear system game that separates C_(qa), the closure of the set of finite dimensional quantum correlations, from C_(qc), the set of commuting operator correlations. The game admits a perfect commuting operator strategy, while every correlation in C_(qa) has a success probability strictly less than 1. This provides a concrete count...

ProtocolMatch: Protocol-Dependent Model Selection for Scientific Dynamics ForecastingTier 3

Scientific dynamics forecasting is often framed as an architecture choice, although deployment is also determined by observed history, rollout feedback, compute budget, physical objective, and test distribution. We formulate protocol-dependent model selection and introduce ProtocolMatch, a compute-matched, validation-selected, and failure-preserving evaluation framework. On...

Dynamics of Work Extraction in Multipartite Atomic Systems: Role of Correlations and Relative EntropyTier 3

We investigate the dynamics of quantum ergotropy in a multipartite system of two-level atoms interacting with a quantized field. The role of multipartite quantum mutual information and quantum relative entropy is analyzed to understand how correlations and the distinguishability between the passive state and the product of local states affect the extractable work. Numerical...

Collusion-Secure Semi-Quantum Secret Sharing Scheme using a Quantum Third PartyTier 3

The security of a secret sharing protocol is compromised if one or more dishonest participants can reconstruct the secret by deviating from the prescribed protocol, particularly when such malicious behavior remains undetected. Semi-Quantum Secret Sharing (SQSS) is a variant of secret sharing in which the participants possess only classical capabilities, such as preparing and...

Inequivalent Quantum Resources from Multipartite State DiscriminationTier 3

Any two orthogonal quantum states can be perfectly distinguished via local operations and classical communication (LOCC), yet whether all orthogonal multipartite pairs incur an identical operational cost remains an open question. Here, we address the resource consumption required for local state discrimination across multipartite pair of states. We demonstrate that distinct...

Characterizing Fermionic Non-Gaussianity in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Model via Replica Twist EntropyTier 3

Understanding the non-equilibrium dynamics of quantum many-body systems plays a central role in modern many-body physics. Intriguing insights emerge from investigating how quantum resources, which are essential for achieving unambiguous quantumness, are generated and spread under chaotic quantum dynamics. In fermionic systems, non-Gaussianity constitutes an important resourc...

Tradeoff between Wigner negativity and decoherence time for cubic Gaussian statesTier 3

Wigner negativity has been shown to be a resource in quantum computing, raising the question of how to efficiently produce states with a large Wigner negativity. Cubic Gaussian states, obtained when a cubic gate is applied to a Gaussian state, have been proposed as candidates for this purpose. We show that cubic Gaussian states with a large Wigner negativity N nec...

Can we make sense out of negative kinetic energy?Tier 3

Many Quantum Field Theory models, either designed to improve the ultraviolet behavior via higher derivative terms or aimed at providing unified descriptions of Gravity, inevitably introduce negative-energy 'ghosts' states. These states raise fundamental questions regarding the stability of the theory. In this study, we investigate the time evolution of simplified quantum mec...

Moment Methods for Uniform Average Mixing on Strongly Regular GraphsTier 3

We study continuous-time quantum walks on connected strongly regular graphs that are not complete, observed at a random time drawn from a freely chosen probability law. Uniform average mixing (UAM) asks for a law under which every averaged transition probability equals 1/n, where n is the number of vertices. On a strongly regular graph this is equivalent to two affine co...

Cotunneling-Assisted Redistribution of Nonpassivity in a Photosynthetic JunctionTier 3

We investigate how cotunneling affects passive-state ordering in a Photosystem II reaction center modelled as a nonequilibrium molecular junction. We use a full pigment excitation manifold, with excitonic and charge-transfer rates computed within a Nakajima-Zwanzig formalism using realistic spectral densities. Cotunneling is introduced through a microscopically constructed d...

Beyond Spectroscopic Strong Coupling: Operational Benchmarks for Cavity-to-Magnon Quantum TransferTier 3

Normal-mode splitting reveals coherent cavity--magnon hybridization but does not certify finite-time quantum-state transfer. We describe quantum transfer in a passive, linear cavity--magnon system coupled to thermal reservoirs as a thermal-loss channel specified by its coherent transmissivity η and output-referred thermal population ν. For single-rail qubits, we calculat...

Path Complementarity Enables Directional Quantum Light in Hybridized Cavity PolaritonsTier 3

Directional quantum light requires asymmetric photon statistics without sacrificing coherence between propagation paths, a combination that remains difficult to achieve within a single quantum-optical platform. Here we identify a microscopic path-complementarity mechanism in hybridized cavity polaritons that reconciles these two requirements. In a Zeeman-split ring-cavity QE...

Extensively degenerate superradiant phase in a giant-atom quantum Rabi ringTier 3

We show that an N-site quantum Rabi ring with matched giant-atom couplings has 2^N degenerate superradiant configurations as the atomic-to-cavity frequency ratio η=Δ/ω tends to infinity. Each atom couples to two cavities two sites apart, and the photon hopping carries a phase π/2. Tuning the ratio of contact strengths to the photon hopping reduces the mean-field ener...

Coherent consensus for the estimation and classification of phasesTier 3

Inspired by quantum metrology, we propose a coherent consensus primitive to enhance the collaborative performance of independent quantum classifiers at the decision boundary. The basic idea consists of three steps: i) prepare a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state on n qubits; ii) apply a relative phase to each qubit, which encodes the output of one classifier; and iii)...

Spacetime Quasicrystals and Computational Complexity Theory in the Road Towards Quantum GravityTier 3

Part I: Semiclassical Gravity Efficiently Solves NP-Complete Problems Assuming the gravitational field is classical and that it couples to quantum fields via the semiclassical Einstein field equations (EFEs), we show that the weak-field dynamics of a massive and non-relativistic qubit can in principle be used to solve an NP-complete problem in polynomia...

Redundant Records of the Past: Unifying Quantum Darwinism and Decoherent HistoriesTier 3

There exist two different paradigms for records in isolated quantum systems: decoherent histories (which determines which past events leave formal records) and quantum Darwinism (which determines which current events get redundantly recorded). Neither one implies the other, and connections between the two are scarcely investigated. We unify quantum Darwinism and decoherent h...

Mixed States in Quantum Rabin Oblivious TransferTier 3

Oblivious transfer (OT) is a fundamental cryptographic primitive that is useful for realizing any two-party computation. Since information-theoretically secure perfect OT is impossible classically and quantumly, research has focused on imperfect protocols, exploring how close to perfect one can get against unbounded dishonest parties. While current approaches often make use...

A Minimal Bicomplex Extension of the Complex Scalar Algebra of Quantum Mechanics with an Ideal-Valued SectorTier 3

Standard quantum mechanics takes the complex numbers as its scalar algebra. We ask whether this complex structure is algebraically fundamental or may instead form a distinguished embedded sector of a larger commutative and associative scalar algebra. Requiring the ordinary complex sector to remain intact while admitting an additional stable complex-like analytic sector turns...

The Differential Structure of Generators of KMS-Symmetric Quantum Markov SemigroupsTier 3

A KMS-symmetric quantum Markov semigroup is completely determined by the quadratic form in induces on the GNS Hilbert space. The quadratic forms that arise in this way are called quantum Dirichlet forms. In this article we give a complete description of bounded quantum Dirichlet forms in terms of derivations. In particular, we exhibit an explicit characterization of the boun...

KQC Quantum and Charlton Aria Agree on Nasdaq Business CombinationTier 2

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — KQC Quantum, Inc. (“KQC Parent”), the Delaware parent company of Korea Quantum Computing Co., Ltd. (“KQC” or the “Company”), which helps enterprises adopt quantum computing and quantum-safe security, and Charlton Aria Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: CHAR) (“Charlton Aria”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, today anno...

Haiqu Releases AgenticOS to Plan and Check Quantum ResearchTier 2

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — Existing AI models have advanced to the point that they can contribute to real science, but they have their limits. An AI agent can produce convincing math and working code, but it might alter the underlying science while doing so, leaving researchers with results that look right but aren’t. Today, Haiqu is […]

Federal Quantum Readiness Falls Short as Agencies Face Cryptography Skills GapsTier 2

Insider Brief None of the 24 major federal agencies reviewed by the Government Accountability Office fully completed the preparation practices it assessed for protecting government systems against future quantum computing attacks. That’s according to the GAO’s recently released 2026 report, which is the public version of a 2025 report, although portions of the or...

Eclipse Qrisp Wins Quantum Effects Award 2026 for Quantum SoftwareTier 2

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open source software foundations, today announced that Eclipse Qrisp, an open source framework for high-level quantum programming initiated by Fraunhofer FOKUS, has won the Quantum Effects Award 2026 in the Quantum Computing Software & Algorithms category. As quantum computing advances...

Zumo and Quantum Chain Partner on Quantum-Secure Financial InfrastructureTier 2

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — Zumo and Quantum Chain have teamed up to explore opportunities for quantum-secure financial infrastructure in the United Kingdom. The collaboration brings together Quantum Chain’s quantum-secure blockchain infrastructure with Zumo’s digital asset infrastructure and experience supporting enterprise and institutional applications spanning qu...

Zumo and Quantum Chain Partner to Deploy Quantum-Secure Financial Infrastructure in the UKTier 2

Zumo, a UK-based digital asset platform, has partnered with Quantum Chain to build quantum-safe financial infrastructure in the UK. This collaboration aims to protect regulated institutions, private networks, and digital payments from quantum computing and AI-driven cyber threats. The initiative will deploy post-quantum cryptography across central bank digital currencies...

Design-Time Conformance Checking for Pulse-Level Quantum ControlTier 3

A pulse-level quantum control program is written against a device whose limits are recorded, if at all, in vendor documentation and source code. A program that exceeds them can be refused at compile time. It can also be accepted and silently altered, or compile and then fail at the board. In the last two cases the experiment runs, and the data does not correspond to the prog...