ORNL and Quantum Brilliance Launch Quantum-HPC Integration
Brilliant Quantum
First Step Towards Hybrid HPC: Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Room-Temperature Quantum Computing Cluster.
In conjunction with Quantum Brilliance, ORNL installed the first commercial quantum computer cluster at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). The usage of quantum computers for scientific research has advanced as lab staff can now examine integrating this cutting-edge technology into HPC infrastructures. The effort aims to boost computational capability by using quantum technology as a supplement to supercomputers like Frontier, in keeping with the DOE's leadership-class computing agenda.
The “Quoll” System: Diamond-Based Qubit Cluster
Three Quantum Development Kits (QDKs) make up the installed system, named “Quoll” after the Australian marsupial to honour Quantum Brilliance. Each hybrid full-stack QDK combines a quantum processing unit (QPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and CPU components to facilitate parallel and hybrid quantum-classical operations. Three parallelised QPUs with six qubits make up the OLCF Advanced Computing Ecosystem testbed cluster. The first cluster of parallelised QPUs in an HPC environment is a milestone for both firms.
Diamond-based quantum technology: room-temperature
The Quantum Brilliance system's diamond-based QPUs operate at ambient temperature in a tiny container, unlike most quantum systems that require extensive cooling or complex arrangements. Andreas Sawadsky, Quantum Brilliance technology and innovation manager, stresses diamond's resilience. Hardness prevents thermal vibrations from disrupting qubit coherence at ambient temperature.
The approach uses nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamonds, where nuclear spins act as qubits. This technology eliminates cryogenics, lasers, and vacuum systems to create a QPU solution that reduces size, weight, and power and is suitable for many real-world applications.
First Hybrid Computing for Leadership Systems
ORNL deployment is crucial to hybrid computing mechanics development. Hosting a Quantum Brilliance system on-site will improve hybrid computing mechanics like co-scheduling, performance tuning, data and workflow orchestration, workforce development, and more, says OLCF Program Director Ashley Barker. This will enable leadership computing to completely integrate HPC-quantum.
“This hybrid system gives ORNL researchers a new platform to investigate advanced computing techniques, such as parallelised quantum algorithms, that support tight integration with HPC systems,” stated DOE Quantum Science Centre director Travis Humble. Quantum-HPC integration is crucial to the lab's ambition to produce next-generation leadership-class computing systems. OLCF previously published a quantum-classical computer paradigm study as part of its hybrid computing focus.
Future Vision: QPUs as Pervasive Accelerators
The alliance foresee HPC tasks being accelerated by QPUs like GPUs. Quantum Brilliance aims to incorporate quantum technology into everyday devices and high-performance computing systems worldwide.
Quantum Brilliance CEO Mark Luo said, “This initiative proves what is achievable and paves the door for large-scale deployments globally, with hundreds of thousands, potentially millions, of systems. making a future where quantum and classical systems interact together like never before. Dr. Marcus Doherty, Quantum Brilliance CTO, said the alliance will drive the engineering of hundreds of parallel quantum computers paired with classical computers.
OLCF researchers will study hybrid and parallel quantum computing systems to demonstrate how parallelisation can benefit computational chemistry and machine learning. Quantum Brilliance's QPUs aim to outperform classical accelerators of the same size, weight, and power.
Global Leadership, Strategic Partnerships
This is Quantum Brilliance's first US deployment at ORNL. The German-Australian business supplied the first on-premise QPU to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in 2022. German Fraunhofer IAF employed an upgraded QDK. Quantum Brilliance manufactures tiny, durable synthetic diamond-based quantum devices in Germany and Australia (Canberra and Melbourne). International partners include governments, supercomputing facilities, academic institutions, and businesses in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Conclusion
The Quantum Brilliance “Quoll” cluster at ORNL marked a turning point in computing. ORNL and Quantum Brilliance are combining diamond-based, room-temperature quantum technology with classical supercomputing to enable quantum-classical systems to collaborate on a massive scale while advancing scientific research. Collaboration aims to address national priorities in innovation, energy, competitiveness, and security. The alliance brings theoretical quantum computing to scalable, real-world hybrid systems that could transform leadership-class computing for future generations.