Scalable quantum computing will open radically new perspectives for many industrial and academic research and development efforts, comparable to the emergence of the integrated circuits in the 20^th century. We pursue a hybrid approach, combining a high-performance computer (HPC) with a highly innovative quantum processor. Applications for this system, like variational quantum optimization, harness the interplay between the HPC and the quantum computer. Example applications range from quantum simulation of chemical reactions and development of brand-new catalysts to quantum-enhanced machine learning. The availability of quantum computing capacities will boost the capabilities of German industry and contribute to the emerging domestic ecosystem of quantum technology.

Goal of the project „Ionen- Quantenprozessor mit HPC-Anbindung“ (IQuAn) is the development and operation of a quantum processing unit, based on trapped atomic ions. Trapped ions feature coherence times on the order of seconds and allow for laser-based quantum gates with high fidelity. Our highly innovative approach combines optical addressing of individual ions in a small quantum register with dynamic reconfiguration of multiple sub-registers via ion shuttling, swapping, and reordering, leading to a scalable quantum processor solution with high effective qubit connectivity. This quantum processor will be interfaced to the Mainz MOGON II supercomputer, offering cloud-based access for external users.