With The Carina System, QuiX Pushes Photonic Quantum Computing Forward

QuiX Quantum has unveiled Carina, its first commercial photonic quantum computer. This system marks a milestone for the Dutch company as it moves from development to real-world deployment. The Carina system serves as the foundation for the broader Dedalo architecture, which aims to bring universal, fault-tolerant quantum computing directly into high-performance computing datacenters.

Unlike systems that require extreme cooling, Carina operates at room temperature. It uses silicon-nitride photonic integrated circuits that are compatible with standard semiconductor manufacturing processes. This approach allows the hardware to scale more efficiently while remaining compatible with existing telecommunications infrastructure. By using fiber-optic components, the system fits into established datacenter environments without requiring the massive infrastructure often needed for other quantum modalities.

Central to the system’s performance is the use of measurement-based quantum computing. Instead of a traditional gate-based sequence, the process involves creating highly entangled qubit clusters and then performing a series of measurements. The system uses a feed-forward process where each measurement informs the next step. This design helps manage the inherent challenges of photonics, specifically photon loss and the need for immediate processing, since photons cannot be stored.

This technology is the result of collaboration under the Universal Photonic Quantum Computer project, funded by the German government through the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative. The project aims to establish a path toward utility-scale computing by addressing current bottlenecks in quantum hardware. Following the release of Carina, the company plans to focus on testing established protocols and refining error correction before rolling out next-generation systems in 2027.