Quantinuum, GE Vernova collaborate to advance superconductivity research

Quantinuum and GE Vernova’s Advanced Research Center are launching a collaboration to apply quantum computing to understanding the behavior behind high-temperature superconductivity.  

The research will focus on Fermi–Hubbard modeling, a framework for studying how interacting electrons give rise to complex material properties. By combining Quantinuum’s full-stack quantum computing capabilities—including access to the company’s Helios computer—with GE Vernova’s expertise in material science and engineering simulation applied to industrial applications, the collaboration will bring an industry perspective to a promising area of quantum research, Quantinuum said in a blogpost.

Potential applications span power generation, electricity grids, and industrial electrification. Superconducting generators could reduce the weight and footprint of industrial equipment. Superconducting windings could also help make utility generators and industrial or marine propulsion motors more compact and efficient. In electricity networks, superconducting cables could carry more power through constrained spaces, while fault current limiters could help protect equipment during short circuits, Quantinuum said.

The research will be enabled through access to Quantinuum’s full-stack capabilities, including cloud-based access to Helios, and Nexus, Quantinuum’s developer platform. Nexus connects quantum hardware with the software tools researchers need to develop and run applications in a unified environment.

GE Vernova’s Advanced Research Center brings the expertise in material science,  engineering, and industrial applications to the research and development activity. 

“High-temperature superconductors could help us overcome important limits on the size, weight, and efficiency of electrical equipment, but understanding and improving these materials remains a significant scientific challenge,” said Jonathan Owens, PhD, Senior Scientist, Computational Materials Physics at GE Vernova. “By combining our materials simulation and industrial expertise with Quantinuum’s quantum computing capabilities, we can explore new approaches to these difficult problems while building the expertise to assess where quantum computing can make a meaningful contribution.”