Overview

The mission of the IBM Quantum Innovation Center at NC State is to partner with our members to develop their quantum teams and explore promising use cases, to promote the growth of quantum computing across NC State, and to advance real-world applications of quantum computing globally.

The IBM Quantum Innovation Center at NC State is structured as a hub and spoke model of engagement, and members can represent industry, academia or government. Each entity, including NC State, has their own dedicated access slot with equal priority cloud-based remote access with the goal of exploring practical applications important to business and science.

Presently each member has access to a variety of IBM’s quantum processors ranging from 1 to 65 qubits. Access through the IBM Quantum Innovation Center also allows pulse-level control of qubit operations through the OpenPulse API. Pulse-level control is critical to enhancing the performance of the present generation of noisy, intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) computers, and this capability is only available through an IBM Quantum Innovation Center. 

Support for members includes on-board training as well as ongoing technical assistance in support of research, education and applications. The IBM Quantum Innovation Center at NC State is a university-level, cross-disciplinary center housed in Venture Place on Centennial Campus. While early usage will be targeted towards software tools development, ease of use and education, these resources are expected to be key to other R&D areas of quantum science, such as communications and sensors.

Other announced IBM Quantum University Hubs include Keio University in Japan, University of Melbourne in Australia, Université of Sherbrooke in Canada, Oxford University in the UK, Bundeswehr University in Germany, National Taiwan University and University of Minho in Portugal. Over time it is envisioned that these and future hubs will share tools, lessons learned and best practices to facilitate the rapidly emerging field of quantum information science.