Quandela Deploys Photonic Quantum Computer Integrated with HPC System
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Insider Brief Quandela and partners launched Lucy, a photonic quantum computer integrated with the Joliot-Curie supercomputer to create a hybrid HPC-quantum system accessible to European users. The system combines high-performance computing with quantum processors acting as accelerators, targeting applications in optimization, materials science, machine learning, and drug discovery. Built with European components under initiatives like EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, Lucy supports regional efforts toward sovereign and scalable quantum infrastructure. PRESS RELEASE — Lucy, inaugurated today by the Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, is the world’s most powerful quantum computer based on photonic technology. It is now coupled to GENCI’s Joliot-Curie supercomputer , hosted and operated by the CEA at the TGCC. This architecture, known as “HPC-Quantum,” combines the classical computing power of HPC with quantum processors, acting as accelerators to solve complex problems. This coupling is central to the European strategy for exploring the potential of quantum computing. The machine is now freely accessible to the European academic and industrial communities for research projects in areas such as logistics network optimization, machine learning, simulation of new materials, and the discovery of therapeutic molecules. A sovereign quantum capability at the heart of the TGCC Lucy is manufactured by the Franco-European consortium formed by Quandela and attocube, illustrating a key Franco-German industrial cooperation for the European quantum sector. Produced on Quandela’s production lines, based in Massy (91), it expands the existing range of computing resources available at the TGCC. Acquired by EuroHPC within the EuroQCS-France consortium via GENCI, this system relies exclusively on European technological components. Its deployment within the framework of the national strategy for quantum computing (as part of the Hybrid Quantum Infrastructure program funded by the France 2030 investment plan) underscores the dynamism and expertise of French players and supports the competitiveness of the European ecosystem. Photonics: a path to industrial credibility Photonics technology, which uses light as the medium for quantum information, is identified as one of the most promising avenues for industrial scaling. Unlike systems requiring near-absolute-zero temperatures for their processors, photonics allows for easier manipulation of qubits and simplified integration into existing data center infrastructures. Anne-Isabelle Etienvre, CEA’s Director General: “With Lucy, the CEA is once again demonstrating a concrete translation of its long-standing commitment to quantum computing. From the first qubits developed by our fundamental research teams – an excellence recently recognized at the highest level – to the exploration of connecting quantum machines with classical supercomputers at the TGCC, we are demonstrating the contribution of our integrated research model, from fundamental to applied. This continuity allows us to transform a technological breakthrough into a sovereign tool. Lucy is now at the service of research teams as well as the entire European scientific and industrial ecosystem to explore new horizons of computing.” Michaël Krajecki, CEO of GENCI: “With Lucy, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, the CEA and GENCI are offering the European and French scientific and industrial communities a unique, hybrid, and sovereign quantum computing capability. Freely accessible, Lucy becomes a cutting-edge sovereign asset for research and innovation. Thanks to Quandela’s photonic technology, hosted at the TGCC, the industrial-scale implementation of quantum computing has never seemed so close. This is a major milestone for France and for Europe.” Niccolo Somaschi, co-founder and CEO of Quandela: “With Lucy, we are taking a major step forward in the industrialization of photonic quantum computing in Europe. Its installation at the TGCC and its coupling to the Joliot-Curie supercomputer concretely illustrate our ambition: to create a sovereign, high-performance quantum capability accessible to both researchers and industry. This project is also the result of close cooperation with our German partner attocube and fully embodies the Franco-German dynamic in service of European technological sovereignty. This inauguration demonstrates that cutting-edge quantum technologies, designed and produced in Europe, can already be integrated into the most advanced computing infrastructures to address high-impact scientific and industrial use cases. ” Anders Jensen, Executive Director of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU): “Lucy is the fourth EuroHPC quantum computer to be inaugurated. It brings new quantum capabilities to the European high-performance computing ecosystem and marks another important step towards our technological sovereignty. By combining quantum computing and high-performance computing, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking enables researchers and companies to tackle complex challenges and open up new avenues for innovation in strategic sectors.” Mohib Ur Rehman LinkedIn Mohib has been tech-savvy since his teens, always tearing things apart to see how they worked. His curiosity for cybersecurity and privacy evolved from tinkering with code and hardware to writing about the hidden layers of digital life. Now, he brings that same analytical curiosity to quantum technologies, exploring how they will shape the next frontier of computing. Share this article: