The UK government has announced the creation of four new quantum technology hubs – with the University of Surrey working alongside the University of Oxford and partners on the Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded Hub – which is led by Oxford – will help position the UK as the world leader in quantum computing and simulation. The facility will drive progress toward an era of practical quantum computers that will have revolutionary impact on real-world challenges across disciplines, including the discovery of novel drugs and new materials, and quantum-enhanced machine learning, information security and even carbon reduction through optimised resource usage.

The Hub will gather leading quantum research teams across 17 universities into a collaboration with more than 25 national and international commercial, governmental and academic bodies. This broad expertise will address critical research challenges, and accelerate the development of quantum computing in the UK.

Hub research will focus on the hardware and software that will be needed for future quantum computers and simulators. The Hub will advance a range of different hardware platforms, encompassing simulation, near-term quantum computers and longer-term fully scalable machines. It will also develop fundamental software techniques, algorithms, new applications and the means to verify the correct operation of any future machine.

Hardware and software research will be closely integrated in order to provide a full-stack capability for future machines, an understanding of the architecture of these machines, and emulation techniques to accelerate their development.

Professor Ravi Silva, Director, Advanced Technology Institute and Head of Nano Electronics Centre, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively with talented colleagues, not only at the University of Oxford but across the country to finally come to grips with the immense potential of quantum computing.”

Dr Eran Ginossar, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Physics and Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey, said: “In recent years we developed a new approach for designing control for two-qubit entangling gates that will theoretically enhance the gate fidelity beyond the state of the art. We look forward to implementing and testing our methods with experimental partners at the University of Oxford.”