Jülich Launches JION Trapped-Ion Quantum Computer
Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany has launched JION, a trapped-ion quantum computer designed to evaluate how quantum processors function alongside conventional supercomputers. The system is now operational at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, where it performed its inaugural public calculation during the launch ceremony, according to the research center.
Details of Jülich’s New System
According to the September 3 press release, JION is the product of EPIQ, a collaboration between the supercomputing center and German company eleQtron, established in March 2024. Specifically, this machine stores quantum information within electrically charged ytterbium atoms, held in a vacuum by electromagnetic fields. The researchers perform calculations using a sequence of quantum gates. Unlike superconducting processors, JION does not require operation at temperatures near absolute zero, as stated by the center.
The control method, developed in Siegen, utilizes microwaves and varied magnetic fields to individually address and couple qubits. The name of this technique is ‘magnetic gradient induced coupling’, or MAGIC. The center suggests this approach could support larger systems, noting that scaling the technology remains a developmental objective.
JION will integrate into JUNIQ, Jülich’s platform that offers access to various quantum systems and links them with the center’s high-performance computers. This setup allows delegation of specific operations to a quantum processor as part of a larger computational task. Anticipated applications listed by the center include logistics, materials research, chemistry, and machine learning.
Future Funding and Projects
Specifically, the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia is providing approximately 21 million euros over four and a half years for JION. The inauguration saw two additional funding approvals announced. EleQtron’s SQALING project will receive up to 25 million euros in European Union funding, administered through the state, to advance its trapped-ion technology into chip-based platforms. A separate initiative, Q-STAR.NRW, will receive up to 25 million euros to acquire a semiconductor quantum computer with up to 200 qubits and integrate it into JUNIQ.
It is important to note that the 200-qubit system is a planned procurement, not an operational machine. The state framed the launch in terms of technological leadership, with Minister-President Hendrik Wüst stating:
“The race for technological leadership in quantum computing is still wide open on the international stage.”
Jülich already operates a D-Wave annealer with over 5,000 qubits under JUNIQ, which employs a different hardware approach and therefore does not directly compare to JION’s gate-based design.