Australia and Germany-based Quantum Brilliance has brought Europe’s first room-temperature quantum accelerator online.

The second-generation Quantum Development Kit (QB-QDK2.0) has been directly integrated into the high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) to enable hybrid quantum-classical computing, the company said.

Combining QPUs (quantum processing units) with GPUs and CPUs on a single, compact module, the QB-QDK2.0 fits into a standard 19” server rack and doesn’t need to be cooled cryogenically, meaning it can support hybrid computing in conventional IT environments.

The company uses synthetic diamonds to power its quantum technology, having previously said that the optical and quantum properties of diamonds make them uniquely promising for quantum networking and quantum communications applications.

Following a test phase, the QB-QDK2.0 will be made accessible to partners of Fraunhofer IAF, boosting the quantum computing ecosystem in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the state where the research institute is based.

“With the installation and go-live of our QB-QDK2.0 at Fraunhofer IAF, QB have set the foundation for customers to begin working with NV-based quantum computing,” said Quantum Brilliance chief revenue officer, Mark Mattingley-Scott. “This development opens new possibilities for advanced research and applications in quantum computing, and we are excited to continue working with the wider community in Germany and Europe and exploring new opportunities in this field.”

Founded in Australia in 2019, Quantum Brilliance was born out of research projects undertaken at the Australian National University. The company, which has received funding from the Australian Capital Territory government, now operates in Canberra, Australia, and Stuttgart, Germany.