Quantum News Daily Roundup by QuantumWay | August 26, 2026

NSF Commits $290 Million to Advance U.S. Quantum Science

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing more than $290 million in eight Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes to accelerate breakthroughs in quantum computing, sensing, simulation, error correction and networking. Announced August 25, 2026, the five-year initiative expands NSF’s program launched in 2020 under the National Quantum Initiative.

Three institutes are newly established, while five receive renewed funding, with each receiving approximately $28–$37 million. Research will involve 36 higher-education institutions across 19 states, alongside federal laboratories, government agencies and more than 30 industry partners.

The institutes will tackle key barriers to practical quantum technologies, including fragile quantum information, scalable architectures, quantum error correction, superconducting systems and advanced quantum sensors. Applications range from improved computing and materials discovery to highly sensitive biological measurements and medical research.

NSF will also support education and workforce development, training hundreds of students and early-career researchers through universities, community colleges and schools.

Source: U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)

Quantum Datacenter Alliance to Hold Second Global Forum in London

The Quantum Datacenter Alliance (QDA) will host its second international forum on October 1, 2026, at Battersea Power Station in London, bringing together leaders from the quantum computing, networking and classical data center industries. The event will focus on accelerating the development of utility-scale distributed quantum computing and achieving fault-tolerant systems.

Discussions will address challenges across the complete quantum computing stack, including quantum processors, interconnects, entanglement networks, error correction, middleware, software, algorithms and integration with conventional high-performance computing infrastructure. Speakers include experts from Atom Computing, QuEra, NVIDIA, IBM, Q-CTRL, Nu Quantum, Quantinuum and other organizations.

Founded in 2025, the QDA aims to strengthen collaboration between quantum technology and data center communities. The alliance emphasizes that scalable quantum computing requires coordinated advances across hardware, networking, software and infrastructure rather than isolated progress in qubit technology.

Source: The Quantum Insider

Casimir Selected for SpaceWERX STTR Phase I Award

Casimir, Inc., a quantum energy technology company, has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I award to advance its persistent solid-state power technology for U.S. Department of the Air Force applications. The project will explore Casimir’s fully independent solid-state generator, designed to provide reliable, long-duration power for missions in austere and difficult-to-service environments.

Founded by former NASA researcher Dr. Harold “Sonny” White, Casimir is developing semiconductor-based technology intended to generate persistent power using concepts associated with the quantum vacuum, potentially eliminating conventional batteries, charging and power cords.

The award supports the Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX effort to accelerate innovative technologies from small businesses into national-security applications. Casimir said Phase I will focus on refining its generator concept and understanding potential customer requirements.

Source: Casimir, Inc

Quantum Sky Names Sean Thompson Chief Growth Officer

Quantum Sky has appointed Sean Thompson as Chief Growth Officer (CGO) to lead its enterprise growth strategy and expand its government business. The company, formerly Tyto Athene, aims to turn its investments in quantum-ready technology into revenue and long-term value for government customers.

Thompson brings more than 25 years of executive experience in operations, sales, business development and enterprise growth. Before joining Quantum Sky, he served as CGO at CBRE Government & Defense Services, where he led growth initiatives across defense, federal civilian and high-trust commercial markets. He previously held leadership roles at IDEMIA North America and Unisys Corporation.

Quantum Sky CEO Andrew Boyd said Thompson’s appointment reinforces the company’s focus on delivering quantum technology for federal agencies and strengthening its growth through 2026. Arlington Capital Partners also highlighted Thompson’s track record of scaling businesses and creating long-term enterprise value.

Source: The Quantum Insider

Pasqal Hosts Saudi Ministerial Delegation, Highlighting Growing Quantum Cooperation

Pasqal welcomed a senior Saudi Arabian ministerial delegation to its French headquarters and quantum computer production facility in Paris on August 25, highlighting expanding France–Saudi cooperation in advanced computing and quantum technology.

The delegation, led by Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha, included Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Bin Talal, Communications, Space and Technology Commission Governor Haytham AlOhali, and HUMAIN executive Saeed AlDobas. Visitors toured Pasqal’s manufacturing line, engineering facilities and quantum systems, including a demonstration of atom-by-atom rearrangement used in its neutral-atom quantum computers.

The visit follows the inauguration of Saudi Arabia’s first quantum computer at an Aramco data center and a planned commercial joint venture with Eleven Ventures to expand quantum computing across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. These initiatives align with Saudi Vision 2030’s focus on advanced computing and emerging technologies.

Source: Pasqal

NSF Invests $37.5 Million to Advance Quantum Sensing in Biology

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has renewed the Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Quantum Sensing for Biophysics and Bioengineering (NSF QuBBE) with a $37.5 million, five-year award to advance quantum sensing for biological research. Led by the University of Chicago, the initiative will develop quantum nanoprobes, protein-based quantum sensors, entanglement-based sensing, and in vivo measurement technologies designed to reveal biological processes that conventional tools cannot easily observe.

The program’s second phase will focus on transforming proof-of-concept technologies into reliable tools for biology and medicine, including genetically encoded protein qubits and improved diamond-based sensors. NSF QuBBE will also strengthen quantum workforce development through partnerships with Chicago State University and the University of Illinois Chicago, expanding certification, graduate education, and high-school outreach

The cooperative agreement runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031, reinforcing quantum sensing as an emerging platform for biomedical research and healthcare.

Source: The Quantum Insider

Princeton to Lead $27.9M NSF Institute to Advance Quantum Processor Manufacturing

Princeton University will lead MARQUIS, a new National Science Foundation (NSF) Quantum Leap Challenge Institute awarded $27.9 million over five years to address manufacturing bottlenecks in superconducting quantum processors. The initiative brings together researchers from nine institutions, including Cornell, MIT, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, Dartmouth, Michigan State University and the University of Iowa, combining expertise in materials science, quantum devices and semiconductor processing.

MARQUIS will focus on developing new fabrication approaches for superconducting qubit components, particularly Josephson junctions, while creating methods to test, validate and compare designs using mid-scale quantum processors. The institute will also support quantum education and workforce development.

The effort aims to move beyond materials technologies that have dominated superconducting qubits for decades and establish more scalable manufacturing techniques. Industry and research organizations, including Google Quantum AI, NVIDIA and Applied Materials, will advise the initiative.

Source: The Quantum Insider

Diraq Opens Santa Monica Hub to Scale Silicon Quantum Computing

Diraq has opened a 20-person U.S. Technology Hub in Santa Monica, California, strengthening its research and engineering capabilities in silicon spin-qubit quantum computing. The new facility brings together specialists in integrated circuit design, quantum processor architecture, software, device modeling and machine learning, with plans to double the team within the next 12 months.

The Santa Monica hub will work closely with Diraq’s headquarters and technology teams in Sydney, as well as its U.S. operations in Palo Alto and Chicago. Palo Alto focuses on product development and partnerships, while Chicago hosts Diraq’s quantum laboratory for qubit measurement, cryogenic CMOS testing and component verification.

Diraq uses silicon spin qubits and CMOS-compatible manufacturing to pursue scalable quantum processors capable of integrating millions of qubits on a chip. The expanded engineering footprint supports the company’s goal of developing fault-tolerant, commercially useful quantum systems and launching its first product in 2029.

Source: The Quantum Insider

NSF Renews HQAN With $37.5M to Advance Modular Quantum Computing

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $37.5 million over five years to renew the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign-led NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks (HQAN). The second phase will advance modular quantum computing, where multiple smaller quantum processing units are interconnected to achieve greater computing power while avoiding the challenges of scaling a single large processor.

HQAN brings together 45 senior researchers across six institutions, with 16 industry partners including Google, IBM, IonQ and Quantinuum. Research will focus on quantum interconnects, transducers, hardware testbeds, software, algorithms, error correction and modular architectures.

The initiative has already produced more than 210 peer-reviewed publications and reached over 12,000 students through quantum education programs. Its next phase aims to close key technical gaps and establish an industry-ready pathway toward scalable quantum computing and practical quantum advantage.

Source: The Quantum Insider

DOE Invests $7.3 Million in Quantum Research for High-Energy Physics

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $7.3 million in funding for eight research projects applying quantum information science and technology to high-energy physics. Selected through the DOE’s “Quantum Outposts on the Energy and Intensity Frontiers” program, the projects will run for up to three years.

The research will focus on developing quantum sensors and quantum computing applications for particle collider experiments and high-intensity environments, including neutrino research conducted by projects such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).

DOE says the initiative supports national priorities in quantum science, scientific computing and high-energy physics, while contributing to the National Quantum Initiative and the Quantum Genesis effort under the Genesis Mission.

Of the total funding, $3.2 million is allocated for fiscal year 2026, with future funding dependent on congressional appropriations. DOE emphasized that selections remain subject to negotiations and do not guarantee final awards.

Source: The Quantum Insider

NSF Awards Yale-Led Center $37.5M to Advance Quantum Error Correction

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a Yale-led research team $37.5 million over five years to establish the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Physics and Engineering of Practical Quantum Error Correction (NSF PRACTIQAL). The center will focus on overcoming one of quantum computing’s biggest barriers: fragile qubits that are highly susceptible to noise and errors.

The multidisciplinary initiative brings together physicists, engineers, computer scientists, and chemists to improve quantum hardware, control electronics, error-correction codes, and algorithms as an integrated system. Researchers will investigate ways to make fault-tolerant quantum computing more efficient and scalable, including specialized “erasure qubits” designed to identify when and where errors occur.

Led by Yale professors Robert Schoelkopf and Michael Hatridge, the project aims to establish a practical pathway toward large-scale, industrially relevant error-corrected quantum computers and help accelerate the development of reliable quantum technologies.

Source: The Quantum Insider

D-Wave CFO John Markovich to Retire; Greg Golkov Named Acting CFO

D-Wave Quantum Inc. announced that Chief Financial Officer John Markovich will retire and resign from his position effective September 2, 2026. Markovich has served the company for five years, contributing to its public listing in 2022, raising more than $900 million in capital, strengthening financial performance, and developing a path toward profitability. D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz praised Markovich’s contributions and wished him well in retirement. The company clarified that his departure is not related to any disagreement over business operations, accounting practices, financial statements, or internal controls.

Greg Golkov, D-Wave’s senior vice president of finance, will become acting CFO and principal financial and accounting officer. Golkov has more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience and has led D-Wave’s accounting, SEC reporting, financial planning, treasury, and tax functions since 2023. Previously, he held senior finance roles at Butterfly Network and Kaseya.

Source: D-Wave Quantum

Quantum Keys Travel 18 Kilometers Across Air-and-Fiber Network

Researchers in northeastern Italy have demonstrated quantum key distribution (QKD) across an 18-kilometer free-space link connected to conventional optical fiber, marking a step toward practical hybrid quantum networks. The field trial used adaptive optics to correct atmospheric turbulence and successfully transferred quantum signals from Monte Grande in the Colli Euganei region to a University of Padua optical ground station before routing them through approximately 0.5 kilometers of single-mode fiber.

The system generated secret keys at around 1,000 bits per second using superconducting nanowire detectors and about 200 bits per second with compact room-temperature detectors. Despite channel losses of roughly 30 decibels, the system maintained low quantum bit error rates.

The experiment used commercial polarization-based QKD equipment and the BB84 protocol without major modifications. Researchers say improved adaptive optics, automated fiber alignment and compact detectors could enhance performance, supporting future terrestrial, free-space and satellite-based quantum communication networks.

Source: The Quantum Insider