Quantinuum and RIKEN expand quantum-AI partnership in Japan and plan link to SoftBank AI data centres

Quantinuum and RIKEN are expanding their quantum computing partnership in Japan after upgrading the Reimei quantum computer to Quantinuum's System Model H2, the organizations said. The system operates at RIKEN through a project funded by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.

The partners are using Reimei with RIKEN's ROQUO and Fugaku supercomputers for materials and biomolecular simulations. One project trains an AI model on Reimei-generated quantum data for magnetism simulations, with preliminary results the partners say beat AI models trained on classical simulations alone, while another studies how a complex biomolecule responds to light.

Quantinuum and RIKEN will also work with Japanese universities and component suppliers on a fault-tolerant quantum computer. The project will draw on their experience integrating and operating Reimei.

The partners will also work with SoftBank Corp. to develop a path to connect quantum computers directly with AI data centres in Japan, which Quantinuum CEO Rajeeb Hazra said could make the capabilities accessible to industry.