QuiX Quantum Delivers Carina Core Hardware Platform to DLR QCI, Advancing Europe’s Universal Photonic Quantum Computing Roadmap
Delivered hardware now enters system integration, commissioning and validation phase at DLR QCI, marking a major milestone toward deployable, fault-tolerant photonic quantum computing.
Ulm / Enschede, 14th of July – QuiX Quantum today announced the delivery of the Carina core hardware platform to the German Aerospace Center’s DLR Quantum Computing Initiative, DLR QCI. Carina is QuiX Quantum’s universal photonic quantum computing architecture, designed to demonstrate universal quantum computation through a modular, measurement-based photonic approach.
With this milestone, important hardware elements required for the Carina system have been delivered to DLR QCI. The delivered subsystems will now enter the next phase of system integration, commissioning, calibration, measurement and validation over the coming months.
Carina is a major achievement for QuiX Quantum and for Europe’s quantum computing ecosystem. The Carina architecture is designed to bring together the photonic quantum computing stack required to demonstrate universal quantum computation: photon generation, multiplexing, state generation, photonic integrated circuits, measurement of single photons and states, and high-speed feed-forward control in real time. The system design is modular and uses two major standard building blocks: the Photonic Assembly Control Unit and the Feed-forward Control Unit.
“This is an important milestone for QuiX Quantum,” said Dr. Stefan Hengesbach, CEO, QuiX Quantum. “With the delivery of key Carina subsystems to DLR QCI, we are moving from component development toward system-level integration and validation in a real customer environment. Carina is designed to demonstrate universal photonic quantum computing, and the next phase will be critical to validate integration quality, performance and operational readiness.”
Carina is based on measurement-based photonic quantum computing. In this architecture, computation is performed through measurements on entangled photonic states, supported by real-time feed-forward. Carina is designed to demonstrate a universal gate set and includes key technologies such as integrated photon generators, high-speed electro-optical switching, cluster-state generation and fast feed-forward mechanisms. This technology was described the first time in a Nature paper in 2001 by Emanuel Knill, Raymond Laflamme, and Gerard Milburn and demonstrated by Robert Prevedel, Philip Walther, Anton Zeilinger, and their team at the University of Vienna in 2006.
This milestone is strategically important because universal quantum computing is the foundation for solving computational problems that are beyond the reach of classical systems. Future quantum computers are expected to create economic impact across chemistry, materials science, optimization, life sciences, logistics, finance, mobility and secure infrastructure. Carina is an important step toward that future because it moves photonic quantum computing from component-level progress toward system-level integration and validation in a real customer environment.
For Europe, this milestone also supports technological sovereignty. Deployable quantum computers will be essential infrastructure for future industrial competitiveness, scientific leadership and secure digital capabilities. QuiX Quantum’s photonic approach is designed for scalability, energy efficiency and integration with data-center and HPC environments — all critical requirements for practical quantum computing. Furthermore, the photonic chips used in the Carina architecture are manufactured in Europe. This was made possible by years of investment in photonic technologies, particularly in silicon nitride.
"We want to thank DLR QCI for their trust and close collaboration throughout this project. Together,” added Dr. Carina Mieth, Managing Director, QuiX Quantum GmbH. “Their commitment helps accelerate one of Europe’s most promising routes toward universal and ultimately fault-tolerant quantum computing. This is a proud moment for our team, and we congratulate DLR QCI on this achievement.”
Over the next months, the delivered Carina subsystems will undergo further integration, testing and measurement at DLR QCI. This phase will validate integration quality, system performance and operational readiness, and will provide critical input for QuiX Quantum’s roadmap toward larger, fault-tolerant photonic quantum computers.
About QuiX Quantum
QuiX Quantum is a European photonic quantum computing company founded in Enschede, the Netherlands, in 2019. The company develops integrated photonic quantum computing hardware and describes its approach as full-stack and fabless, with systems designed for modularity, scalability, and compatibility with data center and HPC environments. QuiX Quantum has offices in the Netherlands and Germany and is developing universal photonic quantum computing systems based on its silicon nitride photonic technology.
About the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative
The DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI) brings together research, industry and start-ups to jointly develop quantum computers, manufacturing technologies and relevant use cases. To this end, the DLR QCI provides them with the necessary technological infrastructure, workshops and office space at two innovation centres in Hamburg and Ulm. This creates a strong ecosystem for sovereign and competitive quantum computing in Germany and Europe, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
