Quantum computers hold the potential to tackle some of society’s most complex issues, from designing new materials for clean energy to accelerating drug discovery and optimising supply chains. Achieving this will require quantum computers to scale from performing a few hundred error-free operations, as seen in today’s best machines, to trillions. This leap necessitates the development of advanced techniques collectively known as quantum error correction (QEC).
Currently, QEC faces a trade-off between flexibility and low latency. Flexibility refers to running several different QEC experiments using the same setup. To minimise latency, the system is typically constrained to running a single, predefined QEC operation, adversely impacting flexibility. To support fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC) at scale, both flexibility and low latency are essential.
The SurgeonQ project will address this trade off. It will focus on a QEC experiment called lattice surgery. This established method operates on logical qubits encoded from multiple physical qubits. It allows complex logical operations by merging and reshaping these qubit clusters within a two-dimensional lattice. The SurgeonQ platform is a first step towards a lattice-surgery platform that can select and execute multiple QEC operations in real-time and on IQM’s superconducting hardware.
“Launching SurgeonQ is an exciting step toward overcoming one of quantum computing’s toughest barriers: advancing quantum error correction from experimental prototyping to practical, deployable platforms," said Marco Ghibaudi, Vice President ofEngineering at Riverlane. "This collaboration with IQM QuantumComputers and Zurich Instruments is only the beginning as we continue to develop the technology and roadmap needed to scale quantum computers to commercial-grade capacities."
Key to the project success will be the combined expertise of all three partners:
- Riverlane, the global leader in quantum error correction technology, will provide its flexible and efficient QEC Stack Deltaflow, which can detect and correct quantum errors in real-time.
- IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in superconducting quantum computers, will supply a 20-qubit processor and provide its expertise on experimental implementations.
- Zurich Instruments, recognised globally for quantum control systems, will integrate its ‘Quantum Computing Control System’ allowing for real-time communication between the quantum processor and QEC Stack, essential for rapid error correction.
Dr. Inés de Vega, Vice President for Quantum Solutions at IQM Quantum Computers, said: “We are making progress in advancing error correction techniques and have recently released a very ambitious roadmap to achieve fault tolerance in the next few years. We trust that our collaboration with Riverlane andZurich Instruments in this project will significantly push forward these efforts."
By combining these technologies, SurgeonQ will enable the QEC cycle times in the order of a microsecond. This achievement will allow for the execution of complex QEC tasks and for seamless switching between QEC routines without compromising computational speed. By the end of the project, Riverlane, IQM, and Zurich Instruments will have established a roadmap to scale their QEC implementation to thousands of logical qubits, paving the way to commercial-grade fault-tolerant quantum systems.
“As a company dedicated to advancing the frontiers of quantum technology, we are thrilled to contribute to the groundbreakingSurgeonQ project. By integrating Riverlane’s cutting-edge QEC expertise with our state-of-the-art Quantum Computing Control System, we work towards the nextstep in scalable and real-time quantum error correction. The collaboration between Zurich Instruments, Riverlane, and IQM allows all partners to advance towards the ultimate goal of achieving useful quantum computing.” said FlavioHeer, CTO of Zurich Instruments.
The potential economic impact of error-corrected quantum computing is vast, with estimates suggesting a global market value of up to £850 billion by 2040 (BCG,2024).Quantum computers will potentially enable more efficient industrial processes, significantly reducing energy use and CO₂ emissions. For example, quantum-enhanced catalyst design could drive substantial improvements across chemical manufacturing industries, potentially reducing global CO₂ emissions by more than seven gigatons annually by 2035 (McKinsey, 2022).
The SurgeonQ project is expected to yield immediate benefits for quantum research and commercialisation efforts worldwide. By fostering high-tech jobs, R&D growth, and strategic international collaboration, this initiative solidifies Riverlane, IQM, and ZurichInstruments as key players in quantum technology advancement.
About Riverlane:
Riverlane’s mission is to make quantum computing useful, sooner. This will transform the future of computing and start an era of human progress as significant as the digital and industrial revolutions.Achieving this requires a 10,000x reduction in the system errors that quickly overwhelm all quantum computers, today. Riverlane is building Deltaflow, the quantum error correction (QEC) stack, to solve this problem across all qubit types. Having assembled the world’s leading experts in quantum error correction and chip design, Riverlane is now supplying over half of the world’s quantum computing companies. At Deltaflow’s core is the world’s most powerful quantum error decoder. Deltaflow is powered by a new class of patented QEC semiconductors designed and built by Riverlane.
About IQM Quantum Computers:
IQM is a global leader in superconducting quantum computers. IQM provides both on-premises full-stack quantum computers and a cloud platform to access its computers. IQM customers include the leading high-performance computing centres, research labs, universities and enterprises which have full access to IQM's software and hardware. IQM has over 280 employees with offices in Espoo, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Palo Alto,Singapore and Warsaw.
About Zurich Instruments
Zurich Instruments is a Swiss company with a passion for phenomena that are often notoriously difficult to measure. We lead the change by providing advanced hardware, software and services for quantum computing control systems, lock-in amplifiers, impedance analyzers, and arbitrary waveform generators. As a company of scientists for scientists, we tackle challenges of research by delivering a wide product portfolio that reduces complexity of laboratory setups, unlocks new measurement strategies, and complies to Swiss quality standards. Our commitment to collaborations and real-time support is reflected in seven offices worldwide, numerous research partnerships, and thousands of publications referring to Zurich Instruments.Since 2021, Zurich Instruments is a part of the Rohde & Schwarz and continues its scale up ambitions to advance science and accelerate the second quantum revolution.
