Alice & Bob Secures ARPA-E Award to Design Rare-Earth-Free Magnets
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Alice & Bob has secured a $3.9 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program to pursue the development of fault-tolerant quantum algorithms with the goal of discovering rare-earth-free permanent magnets. These magnets are essential components in electric motors and turbines, and current reliance on materials like neodymium-iron-boron presents geopolitical and supply chain challenges. The company aims to achieve a 10,000-fold speed-up in computing time compared to existing classical simulations, potentially enabling realistic material calculations within a single day. “Designing high-performance magnets without rare earth elements is one of the hardest problems in material science,” said Juliette Peyronnet, U.S General Manager at Alice & Bob, “as these materials are extremely difficult to simulate with classical computers.” This three-year project, conducted in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory and GE Vernova, could accelerate the creation of more sustainable magnets and offer a broadly applicable solution for complex materials science problems. ARPA-E Funds Alice & Bob for Rare-Earth-Free Magnet Discovery The project will leverage a collaborative effort with Los Alamos National Laboratory, GE Vernova’s Advanced Research accelerator, and researchers led by Professor Emanuel Gull, combining classical and quantum computing techniques. Los Alamos will focus on optimizing quantum circuits using tensor network tools, while GE Vernova will assess the economic viability of materials discovered through this hybrid algorithm. Marco Cerezo, Los Alamos scientist and Laboratory lead on the project, emphasized the synergistic nature of the research, stating, “Finding ways to prepare high quality states via tensor network optimization is a critical tool that will help develop fault-tolerant quantum algorithms applied to challenges like rare-earth-free permanent magnets.” Jonathan Owens of GE Vernova added, “Our team is excited to collaborate with this outstanding technical team and ARPA-E to evaluate how quantum computing could drive forward industrial materials design and discovery.” Los Alamos & GE Vernova Support Hybrid Quantum-Classical Algorithms The pursuit of fault-tolerant quantum computing is increasingly focused on hybrid approaches, combining the strengths of both quantum and classical systems to tackle previously intractable problems. The Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program is funding their work on rare-earth-free permanent magnets.
Los Alamos National Laboratory will contribute expertise in tensor network tools, specifically to optimize the quantum circuits central to the project. This optimization is crucial because accurately simulating the complex quantum interactions within potential magnetic materials overwhelms even the most powerful classical supercomputers. GE Vernova’s role extends beyond the computational aspects; the Advanced Research accelerator will conduct a technoeconomic analysis, assessing the practical viability of materials discovered through the hybrid algorithm. Designing high-performance magnets without rare earth elements is one of the hardest problems in material science, as these materials are extremely difficult to simulate with classical computers. A hybrid approach – where classical methods compute environmental parameters and quantum computers simulate highly correlated electronic systems more accurately – could significantly accelerate the discovery of new magnetic materials. Juliette Peyronnet, U.S General Manager at Alice & Bob Cat Qubits & Tensor Networks Reduce Quantum Hardware Requirements Alice & Bob is actively pursuing a strategy to minimize the scale of quantum computers needed for practical applications, recently demonstrating a potential reduction in hardware requirements of up to 200 times compared to alternative approaches. This advancement centers on the company’s specialization in cat qubits, a technology pioneered by its founders, and is now being leveraged in a $3.9 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program. The focus of this initiative is the discovery of rare-earth-free permanent magnets, essential components facing supply chain vulnerabilities. Finding ways to prepare high quality states via tensor network optimization is a critical tool that will help develop fault-tolerant quantum algorithms applied to challenges like rare-earth-free minerals permanent magnets. Marco Cerezo, Los Alamos scientist and Laboratory lead on the project Source: https://alice-bob.com/newsroom/alice-bob-secures-3-9m-arpa-e-award-to-use-quantum-computing-to-design-rare-earth-free-magnets/ Tags: Quantum News There is so much happening right now in the field of technology, whether AI or the march of robots. Adrian is an expert on how technology can be transformative, especially frontier technologies. But Quantum occupies a special space. Quite literally a special space. A Hilbert space infact, haha! Here I try to provide some of the news that is considered breaking news in the Quantum Computing and Quantum tech space. Latest Posts by Quantum News: Monarch Quantum Surpasses $115M in Capital and Contracts Within Six Months March 31, 2026 Quantum Factoring Needs Just 10,000 Qubits March 31, 2026 IQT Details Framework to Enable Machine Learning Without Exposing Raw Inputs March 31, 2026