Quantum News Roundup by Quantumway | August 21, 2026

Quanome Launches Global Quantum Expert Platforms

Quanome Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: QNME), has announced the creation of its Global Quantum Council and Scientific Advisory Network to strengthen its understanding of quantum science, advanced technologies and their real-world applications. The initiatives will bring together international scientific and technical experts across four areas: quantum systems, molecular discovery, advanced nuclear technologies and quantum-safe cybersecurity.

The Global Quantum Council will serve as an independent forum for scientific perspectives, thought leadership and collaboration on challenges affecting industries and societies. Meanwhile, the Scientific Advisory Network will provide access to a wider pool of specialists for evaluating emerging technologies, supporting research collaborations and identifying potential investment opportunities.

According to CEO Yang Li, combining scientific expertise with commercial insight will be central to Quanome’s strategy from 2026 onward. The company aims to identify credible technologies and projects that could deliver sustainable economic and societal benefits through future partnerships, research and investment.

Source: Quanome Technologies

Pasqal and Bleichroeder Set August 25 Shareholder Vote on Proposed Nasdaq Listing

Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II (Nasdaq: BBCQ) will hold a shareholder vote on August 25, 2026, regarding its proposed business combination with Pasqal Holding SAS, a leading neutral-atom quantum computing company. The vote follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s declaration that the companies’ joint Form F-4 registration statement became effective on August 5.

Completion of the transaction remains subject to shareholder approval and other customary closing conditions. Pasqal, founded in 2019 and headquartered in France, develops scalable quantum systems and cloud-based software for optimization, simulation, and artificial intelligence applications. The company employs approximately 300 people, serves more than 25 clients and partners, and has raised over USD 300 million in private funding.

The transaction is intended to support Pasqal’s planned Nasdaq listing and accelerate the global adoption of its quantum technology. The companies cautioned that the deal remains subject to various business, regulatory, technical, and commercialization risks.

Source: Pasqal newsroom

Symmatrics Appoints Joe Reddix to Lead Federal Quantum-Secure Modernization

Symmatrics has appointed cybersecurity and government technology veteran Joe Reddix as Vice President of Federal Sector. Reddix will lead the company’s federal strategy, partnerships, and growth initiatives as government agencies seek resilient infrastructure capable of addressing emerging threats from artificial intelligence and quantum computing. He joins Symmatrics from The Reddix Group, where he served as president and focused on systems integration, defense programs, intelligence operations, and workforce development. Previously, he held leadership roles at General Dynamics and BAE Systems. At Symmatrics, Reddix will support pilot deployments, including efforts at Fort Meade, strengthen relationships with major systems integrators, and advance acquisition pathways across defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. The company says its quantum-secure symmetric-key architecture is designed to replace traditional public-key infrastructure with zero-PKI identity management, continuous credential renewal, and automated cyber defense. Symmatrics aims to unify fragmented systems and improve mission assurance across federal and Five Eyes environments.

Source: Symmatrics

Dirac Labs Raises $1.8 Million for GPS-Independent Quantum Navigation

Dirac Labs has secured $1.8 million in pre-seed funding to develop a quantum universal positioning system for environments where GPS is unavailable, including underwater, underground, and GPS-contested areas. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company is developing diamond-based quantum sensors that measure Earth’s magnetic field with high precision. Combined with artificial intelligence, real-time signal processing, and sensor fusion, the technology is designed to convert magnetic signals into accurate positioning data.

The system can potentially be integrated into existing GPS ports on aircraft, submarines, and other vehicles without extensive platform redesign. Investors include TitletownTech, Automotive Ventures, Riceberg Ventures, quantumEDGE Ventures, Jude Gomila, and Balaji Srinivasan. Dirac Labs has also received public funding and accelerator support from IUSSTF, NOAA’s Great Lakes Innovation Accelerator, and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub. Spun out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the company aims to make quantum navigation smaller, more affordable, scalable, and practical for defense, industrial, ocean, mining, agriculture, and autonomous systems.

Source: Chicago Quantum Exchange

Rigetti Restructures Operations to Accelerate Quantum Deployments

Rigetti Computing has introduced a dedicated Systems Delivery organization to manage the growing demand for on-premises quantum computing systems and improve customer support. The company has also created a Chief Operating Officer position, appointing former Chief Technology Officer David Rivas to oversee manufacturing, systems delivery, software engineering, commercial operations, supply chain, and customer-facing functions.

Andrew Bestwick, Ph.D., previously Senior Vice President of Quantum Systems, becomes Chief Technology Officer. He will lead quantum processor architecture, chip fabrication development, and hardware engineering, allowing Rigetti’s technology teams to focus more closely on improving processor performance.

The restructuring supports deployments ranging from nine-qubit Novera systems to 108-qubit Cepheus-class systems. Rigetti aims to achieve 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity on its Cepheus-1-108Q processor. The company said the new structure will strengthen operational accountability while advancing its quantum technology roadmap.

Source: Rigetti Computing

FormationQ and Hartree Centre Partner to Accelerate UK Quantum and AI Adoption

FormationQ and the STFC Hartree Centre have launched a strategic partnership to accelerate the practical adoption of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and hybrid technologies across the UK. The initiative will support industry, government and research organisations in identifying valuable applications, developing pilot projects and moving proof-of-concept work toward scalable operational deployments. Initial focus areas include healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, logistics, energy, infrastructure and public services. The partnership will also explore hybrid quantum–AI–HPC workflows for complex optimisation, simulation and materials-science challenges. Alongside technical development, FormationQ and the Hartree Centre plan to strengthen workforce capabilities by engaging universities, researchers and industry partners. The collaboration addresses key barriers to quantum adoption, including limited skills and uncertainty over practical use cases. By combining FormationQ’s quantum enablement expertise with Hartree Centre’s experience in digital innovation and advanced computing, the organisations aim to help UK stakeholders make informed technology investments and build long-term quantum readiness.

Source: New Electronics

Quantinuum Secures $1.5 Million for Albuquerque Quantum Expansion

Quantinuum Inc. is set to receive approximately $1.5 million in public economic development funding to support its planned expansion in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Albuquerque City Council approved a $750,000 Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) grant, which will be matched by the state. The funding will help support construction of a roughly 13,000-square-foot research and development facility at 5501 Wilshire NE.

The expansion highlights Albuquerque’s growing role in advanced technology and quantum computing. Len Romano of the New Mexico Economic Development Department said the city is increasingly becoming a hub for industries including aerospace, defense and advanced computing. He noted that the growth of these sectors could create more opportunities for local talent, potentially reducing the need for young professionals to leave New Mexico to pursue careers in emerging technologies.

Source: Yahoo Finance

The Quantum Era: From Research to Real-World Industry Applications

Quantum technologies are rapidly moving from academic research toward practical industrial applications, becoming a strategic priority for governments, technology companies, and critical industries. Quantum computing, communications, sensing, and post-quantum cryptography are developing at different speeds but collectively promise to reshape computing, secure communications, and digital infrastructure.

Europe is investing heavily through initiatives such as Quantum Flagship, EuroHPC, and EuroQCI to strengthen technological sovereignty and develop secure, competitive capabilities. Companies such as GMV are contributing through projects involving quantum algorithms, hybrid quantum-HPC systems, quantum communications, satellite technologies, and quantum sensing.

Applications are emerging in optimization, drug discovery, finance, logistics, energy, defense, and space. Quantum key distribution is strengthening protection for sensitive communications, while quantum sensors offer highly precise navigation and measurement capabilities.

At the same time, the growing threat of future quantum attacks is accelerating adoption of post-quantum cryptography. The next phase will focus on combining quantum technologies with conventional computing and AI to deliver practical, secure, and scalable solutions.

Source: GMV

Universal Pattern Revealed in Quantum Matter

Physicists at Caltech and collaborating institutions have experimentally confirmed long-standing predictions from conformal field theory, revealing universal patterns in quantum matter. Using chains of laser-trapped strontium atoms, researchers created quantum systems at critical points where unusual behavior emerges through quantum effects near absolute zero. They measured precise energy levels predicted by the Ising and tricritical Ising conformal field theories patterns that had remained experimentally unverified for decades. A new technique, many-body modulation spectroscopy, allowed the team to map these energy “ladders” by observing how the atomic chains responded to different laser frequencies. Experiments involving chains of up to 35 atoms reproduced the predicted universal spectra and revealed additional symmetry-dependent structures. The research demonstrates how quantum simulators can test fundamental physics beyond conventional materials and could eventually investigate two-dimensional systems where theoretical understanding remains limited. The team plans to explore larger and more complex quantum systems, including regimes beyond the reach of classical computers.

Source: Caltech

Diraq Opens First U.S. Quantum Laboratory in Chicago

Diraq has opened its first U.S. quantum laboratory in Chicago through the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) On-Ramp program at mHUB, expanding its global research and development capabilities. The facility provides dedicated cryogenic and measurement infrastructure, including two quantum refrigeration units, enabling qubit measurements, cryogenic CMOS testing, and component verification. The Chicago operation complements Diraq’s existing R&D activities in Sydney and allows experiments to continue across complementary time zones. Diraq plans to expand its Chicago team over the next year as it advances its silicon-based quantum computing roadmap. The company uses silicon spin qubits and CMOS-compatible manufacturing processes, aiming to leverage established semiconductor infrastructure for scalable quantum processors. Diraq targets commercially useful utility-scale quantum computers containing many thousands of physical qubits by 2029. The Chicago expansion strengthens its access to U.S. quantum talent, industry partners, national laboratories, and Illinois’ growing quantum technology ecosystem.

Source: Diraq

Quantum Teleportation Scales Up to 100 Pixels

Researchers at East China Normal University have demonstrated a new quantum teleportation technique capable of transmitting a 100-pixel image simultaneously, potentially offering a major step toward scalable quantum networks. Conventional quantum teleportation generally transfers quantum states one at a time, limiting bandwidth. Previous parallel approaches used multiplexing, but these methods often require complex decoding and make individual channels difficult to control. The new method uses a spatial light modulator to divide a laser beam into a 10 × 10 grid of 100 independently controllable spatial modes. The image-carrying light is combined with one member of a pre-shared entangled pair, scrambling the information during transmission. At the receiving end, the second entangled light field is combined with the scrambled signal, reconstructing the complete image simultaneously. The technique could improve the capacity and flexibility of secure quantum communication and help advance practical, high-bandwidth quantum networks.

Source: Physics, American Physical Society, August 20, 2026.

Monash Physicists Predict a New Form of Quantum Matter

Researchers at Monash University have predicted a new form of quantum matter in which bosons and fermions can combine to create stable, self-bound “quantum droplets.” The finding challenges previous assumptions that such droplets could not exist in strongly interacting Bose-Fermi systems. According to the researchers, an attractive interaction between the particles can be balanced by fermionic pressure, preventing the system from collapsing. The new theoretical framework also allows scientists to investigate these mixtures under much stronger interactions than earlier models could describe. The predicted droplets could potentially be created using existing ultracold-atom experimental techniques, making experimental verification feasible. The team also identified quantum behaviour resembling a liquid-gas transition, suggesting a complex landscape of previously unexplored quantum phases. The research could advance fundamental understanding of quantum matter and provide insights relevant to future technologies, including quantum computing and ultra-precise sensing.

Source: Monash University

Queensland Opens Open-Access Quantum Computing Testbed

A new A$10.5 million National Quantum Computing Testbed has opened at the University of Queensland, giving researchers and industry affordable, open access to a real quantum computer. Led by the University of Queensland and CSIRO, the facility aims to remove barriers that have limited experimentation and innovation in Australia’s emerging quantum sector.

Unlike commercial cloud platforms, which can restrict users to submitting programs and receiving results, the testbed provides opportunities to investigate quantum hardware directly. It initially features a five-qubit superconducting processor, integrated with advanced quantum software and simulation tools.

Quantum computers use qubits, which can exploit quantum superposition to process information in ways fundamentally different from classical computers. Although current machines remain limited by noise and small qubit counts, rapid progress by companies including IBM, Google, PsiQuantum and Diraq is driving the global race toward practical quantum computing.

The Queensland facility could accelerate research, experimentation and commercial development as quantum technology matures.

Source: The Conversation

Physicist Develops Advanced Detectors to Reveal Quantum Matter

Oak Ridge National Laboratory physicist John Lajoie is developing advanced particle detectors that help scientists investigate the fundamental structure of matter. His work focuses on understanding how quarks and gluons form protons and neutrons and how the strong force shapes nuclear matter. Lajoie leads ORNL’s Relativistic Nuclear Physics Group and serves as spokesperson for the ePIC Collaboration, which is building the first detector for the future Electron-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The ePIC detector will continuously stream collision data, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify important signals in real time. Lajoie emphasizes that detector technologies often produce unexpected benefits beyond their original purpose, including applications in materials science and radiological monitoring. His career also includes major contributions to RHIC and the sPHENIX detector. He believes the EIC could transform nuclear physics and generate technological breakthroughs for decades to come.

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

Quantum Computing User Forum Showcases Advances in Hybrid Quantum-HPC Research

The seventh annual Quantum Computing User Forum (QCUF), hosted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in July 2026, brought together 184 researchers, software developers, technology leaders and quantum computing users from around the world. The event highlighted advances in quantum applications, software, simulations and hybrid quantum-high-performance computing (QHPC) workflows. Through the Quantum Computing User Program (QCUP), researchers gained cloud-based access to advanced quantum systems for scientific research. Workshops led by Quantinuum, IonQ, IBM and IQM covered quantum hardware, algorithms, job execution and hybrid computing. Researchers also presented work spanning quantum error correction, astrophysics, finance, quantum chemistry and optimization. A poster session showcased emerging research, while the forum concluded with discussions on the Open Quantum-HPC Software Ecosystem and interoperable software standards. ORNL emphasized collaboration, workforce development and partnerships as essential to transforming quantum computing into a practical tool for scientific discovery.

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

Africa Must Unite to Capture the Quantum Technology Opportunity

Africa is entering the global quantum technology race, but experts warn that fragmented national efforts could limit its potential. Professor Ahmed Younes of Alexandria University says the continent has promising “pockets of excellence” in countries including South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria, supported by growing university programmes and grassroots initiatives.

Quantum technologies could transform computing, communications, healthcare, climate research, energy and cybersecurity. Africa is already developing expertise in quantum algorithms, machine learning, drug discovery and optimisation, but major challenges remain, including limited research infrastructure, unreliable electricity and internet access, a shortage of qualified faculty, weak academia-industry links and brain drain.

Younes argues that African countries should move toward a unified continental strategy. Priorities include harmonising policies, increasing R&D investment, sharing quantum infrastructure, creating regional centres of excellence, expanding joint PhD programmes and strengthening international partnerships. A coordinated approach could improve talent retention, reduce costs and ensure quantum development supports Africa’s own economic and technological priorities.

Source: University World News

Rice Graduate Advances Quantum Computing for Fusion Energy

Rice University doctoral graduate Thiago J. Pinheiro is helping advance the use of quantum computing in fusion energy research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He recently contributed to a collaboration involving ORNL, Cleveland Clinic and IBM that conducted the first known quantum-computing calculations on molecular structures in FLiBe, a molten salt considered a promising material for fusion reactor blankets. Researchers combined classical high-performance computing with IBM quantum hardware to study FLiBe’s molecular and electronic behavior, including its interactions with tritium, a hydrogen isotope essential to many fusion concepts. Pinheiro generated realistic molten-FLiBe atomic structures through molecular dynamics simulations, providing key inputs for subsequent calculations. His work demonstrates how quantum and classical computing can complement each other in tackling complex materials problems. His doctoral training in thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, molecular simulation and computational materials science at Rice prepared him for this interdisciplinary research.

Source: Rice University