INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY: QUANTUM COMPUTING INTEGRATION
Alice & Bob and UK’ s STFC Hartree Centre integrate cat-qubit quantum computers into standard HPC workflow and job scheduling software SLURM
Alice and Bob, a global leader in the race for fault-tolerant quantum computing, has announced the integration of its future quantum processing units( QPUs) with highperformance computing( HPC) environments via SLURM, the world’ s most widely used workload management system, deployed across 60 % of the world’ s top supercomputers.
Developed in collaboration with the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council’ s( STFC) Hartree Centre through the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation( HNCDI), this software integration enables Alice and Bob’ s cat-qubit technology to operate seamlessly within existing HPC workflows. It marks the first time cat-qubit architectures have been adapted for automated scheduling and execution inside standard HPC resource management frameworks.
SLURM( Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management) allocates computing resources and schedules jobs to run efficiently, managing queues of pending tasks and determining which resources – CPUs, GPUs and soon, QPUs – to use and how much of each resource should be leveraged to maximise throughput and performance.
“ Enabling quantum processors to be scheduled and used just like any other HPC resource is a foundational pillar of impactful hybrid quantum – classical integration,” said Stefano Mensa, Advanced Computing and Emerging Technologies Group Leader at the Hartree Centre.“ This work makes early faulttolerant quantum computing practical and accessible for future scientific and industrial applications.” at the Hartree Centre ensures our integration aligns with real-world HPC workflows, accelerating the adoption of our technology.”
Only a small number of quantum hardware developers worldwide have announced SLURM integration.“ Our collaboration with the Hartree Centre, a leading applied HPC centre, sets us apart by targeting real HPC user environments and the scheduler used by most of the world’ s top supercomputers,” said Philippe Muller, VP of Business and Revenue, Alice and Bob.
The joint effort aims to expand accessibility for thousands of researchers by providing an opensource, fault-tolerant and highly scalable cluster management and job scheduling solution for HPC workloads that incorporate cat-qubit processors.
“ This work addresses a critical gap between standalone quantum hardware and real applications,” said Ariana Torres-Knoop, Quantum Computing Lead at SURF, the IT cooperative of Dutch education and research institutions.“ The collaborative effort is essential for integrating hybrid quantum – classical workflows into operational HPC environments.”
In a recent report, Alice and Bob outlined how quantum computing will accelerate HPC workloads within five years. The company’ s strategic partnership with the Hartree Centre represents a major milestone toward that vision by implementing a key enabling technology for practical hybrid integration. p
The partnership forms a key component of a broader initiative to develop open-source tools and frameworks that unify quantum and classical compute architectures at scale – a necessary step toward enabling scientific discovery and industry adoption.
“ This collaboration facilitates deployment of our machines for the HPC community as well as easier access for end users,” said Theau Peronnin, CEO, Alice and Bob.“ Partnering with the world-class experts
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