Bridging Quantum and Classical: EPFL’s First Swiss Hybrid HPC

Advanced and SupercomputingQuantum ComputingCity Simulations

Imagine a single queue that runs both your classical simulations and cutting‑edge quantum algorithms—EPFL has made that a reality.

TL;DR
• EPFL integrates Quantinuum trapped‑ion QPUs into its SCITAS HPC platform, the first Swiss academic institution to do so.
• The partnership enables hybrid classical‑quantum jobs, supports research in many‑body physics, and offers students hands‑on quantum circuit design.
• EPFL’s move positions it at the forefront of quantum‑enabled high‑performance computing and education.

Summary
EPFL’s Center for Quantum Science and Engineering has teamed with Quantinuum to embed trapped‑ion quantum processor access directly into the SCITAS high‑performance computing environment, marking the first native commercial QPU integration at a Swiss university. The joint effort creates a unified submission workflow, allowing researchers to launch hybrid classical‑quantum jobs from familiar HPC batch interfaces while leveraging Quantinuum’s low‑decoherence, high‑fidelity ion‑trap hardware.
• Deploy hybrid job queues that combine classical HPC resources with cloud‑based QPU cycles.
• Extend quantum hardware access to master‑level curricula for hands‑on circuit design and execution.
• Support many‑body physics and algorithmic benchmarking through integrated digital quantum simulations.

The integration, co‑designed with SCITAS Operational Director Gilles Fourestey, embeds a single authentication layer and academic queue, eliminating the need for separate cloud account management. This streamlined approach positions EPFL researchers to test algorithmic scalability and explore emergent quantum phenomena without disrupting existing computational pipelines.

Research groups led by Professors Giuseppe Carleo and Zoë Holmes will utilize the platform for complex many‑body simulations and to assess practical limits of quantum algorithms. By coupling high‑fidelity trapped‑ion processors with SCITAS’s scalable infrastructure, the collaboration enables rapid iteration on quantum software, fostering adaptive experimentation that can evolve alongside hardware advances.

Academic leadership, including Professors Vincenzo Savona and Nicolas Macris, plans to broaden student exposure by integrating QPU access into the Master’s program in Quantum Science and Engineering. This curriculum expansion cultivates a pipeline of talent capable of designing resilient quantum workflows, ensuring the institution remains agile as quantum technologies mature and industry standards shift.

How will this seamless quantum‑classical integration reshape the next wave of scientific discovery?