Japan turned on the first quantum computer designed and built with national components. The system is ready to take on workloads from the base of Osaka University’s Quantum Information Quantum Biology (QIQB).
The new system, released on July 28, will replace all previously imported components with homemade technology, a representative from Osaka University said in a statement. It also runs on open source software developed in Japan called the Open Quantum Toolchain (OQTopus) for operators and users.
The system uses a quantum chip with superconducting kitbits. This is a qubit derived from a metal that exhibits zero electrical resistance when cooled to a temperature close to absolute zero (459.67 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 273.15 degrees Fahrenheit). The quantum processing unit (QPU) was developed by the Japanese laboratory Riken.
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Other components that make up the “chandelier” (the body of a quantum computer) include Seiken, magnetic shielding, infrared filters, bandpass filters, low-noise amplifiers, and chip packages delivered by various cables.
All of these are housed in diluted refrigerators (special cryogenic devices that cool quantum computing components) allowing for extremely low temperatures. There is also a pulse tube refrigerator (which cools the various components in use again), a controller and a low-noise power source.
Oqtopus, on the other hand, is a collection of open source tools that contain everything you need to run quantum programs. It includes a core engine and cloud modules, graphical user interface (GUI) elements and is designed to be built on top of QPU and quantum control hardware.
Related: Scientists hit quantum computer error rate of 0.000015% – Achieving world record that could lead to smaller and faster machines
New frontiers in computing
Quantum computing can overcome the world’s fastest supercomputers, do calculations, and technology can solve problems by running simulations beyond what is today. Scientists speculate that quantum computers can help with drug discovery, mitigating the flow of traffic through cities and finding the best delivery route for logistics companies amid many other efforts.
This is because by leveraging the strange laws of quantum mechanics, calculations can be processed in parallel rather than in order. The idea is that the more you add to the system, the more powerful it becomes.
However, there are many barriers to simply adding Qubits to quantum computers. In particular, scientists are trying to solve the very high error rates that occur during calculations. For this reason, most research is currently focused on quantum error correction (QEC).
Japan’s first quantum computer was exhibited at Expo 2025, held in Osaka from August 14th to August 20th. At the exhibition, organizers exhibited key components of quantum computers. Visitors can connect remotely to the system through the cloud and run basic quantum programs. The exhibit also included interactive elements that allowed visitors to explore quantum entanglements and other quantum phenomena.
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