NVIDIA reveals hybrid quantum–classical computing platform

NVIDIA has announced a unified computing platform for accelerating breakthroughs in quantum research and development across AI, HPC, health, finance and other disciplines.

Announced at last week’s Q2B conference in Tokyo, NVIDIA Quantum-Optimized Device Architecture (QODA) aims to make quantum computing more accessible by creating a coherent hybrid quantum–classical programming model. QODA is an open, unified environment for some of today’s most powerful computers and quantum processors, designed to improve scientific productivity and enable greater scale in quantum research.

HPC and AI domain experts can use it to easily add quantum computing to existing applications, leveraging today’s quantum processors as well as simulated future quantum machines using NVIDIA DGX systems and a large installed base of NVIDIA GPUs available in scientific supercomputing centres and public clouds.

“Scientific breakthroughs can occur in the near term with hybrid solutions combining classical computing and quantum computing,” said Tim Costa, Director of HPC and Quantum Computing Products at NVIDIA. “QODA will revolutionise quantum computing by giving developers a powerful and productive programming model.”

NVIDIA says leading quantum organisations are already using the company’s GPUs and highly specialised software (NVIDIA cuQuantum) to develop individual quantum circuits. With QODA, developers can build complete quantum applications simulated with NVIDIA cuQuantum on GPU-accelerated supercomputers.

NVIDIA has also announced QODA collaborations with quantum hardware providers IQM Quantum Computers, Pasqal, Quantinuum, Quantum Brilliance and Xanadu; software providers QC Ware and Zapata Computing; and supercomputing centres Forschungszentrum Jülich, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“Quantinuum is partnering with NVIDIA to enable users of Quantinuum’s H-series quantum processors, powered by Honeywell, to program and develop the next generation of hybrid quantum-classical applications with QODA,” said Alex Chernoguzov, Chief Engineer at Quantinuum. “This ties together the best performing classical computers with our world-class quantum processors.”

“NVIDIA revolutionised high-performance computing, and its new QODA platform is a bold step forward in innovating the quantum industry as well,” added Dr Marcus Doherty, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Quantum Brilliance. “Our unique room-temperature diamond quantum microprocessor exploits this hybrid approach and will add a critical new element to the HPC and embedded computing landscape.”

“The hybrid quantum–classical capabilities developed by NVIDIA will enable HPC developers to accelerate their existing applications by providing an efficient way to program quantum and classical resources in a consolidated environment,” concluded Yudong Cao, Chief Technology Officer at Zapata. “Near-term applications in chemistry, drug discovery, materials science and more can now be seamlessly integrated with quantum computing, driving new discoveries in these fields as practical quantum advantage emerges.”

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