Quantum Computing User Forum highlights advances in quantum research

Researchers, software developers and technology leaders from across the global quantum computing ecosystem gathered at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in July for the seventh annual Quantum Computing User Forum (QCUF). The event highlighted ORNL's leadership in advancing the future of computing through quantum technologies integrated with high-performance computing.

Hosted by the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), the forum welcomed 184 attendees, including users of the Quantum Computing User Program (QCUP), as well as researchers from universities, industry and national laboratories.

QCUP provides researchers around the world with cloud-based access to leading quantum computing systems, allowing scientists to explore how quantum computing can support a broad range of research applications. The program is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Quantum User Expansion for Science and Technology (QUEST) initiative, which seeks to expand access to quantum computing resources for scientific research.

At the forum, QCUP users shared scientific discoveries and research enabled by the program. Discussions also highlighted advances in quantum applications, software development and simulations, as well as efforts to combine quantum computing with high-performance computing. These hybrid quantum-high-performance computing (QHPC) workflows are helping lay the groundwork for the next generation of scientific computing.

"This year's Quantum Computing User Forum was the most packed yet," said Claire Marvinney, an ORNL research scientist who co-organized the event with Josh Cunningham, chief operating officer of the DOE's Quantum Science Center. "We brought together current users, prospective users, technology vendors and collaborators from across the quantum computing community to create a truly remarkable week."

Cunningham said the forum's continued growth reflects the expanding role of quantum computing in scientific research.

"QCUP isn't standing still. It's growing year after year, and QCUF is growing right along with it," Cunningham said. "We're seeing more researchers who may not yet be QCUP users coming to learn what's possible with quantum computing and how it can advance their research. It's exciting to watch the forum evolve into a community where people come not only to share their work, but to build new partnerships and explore new ideas together."

The event featured hands-on workshops led by QCUP sponsors Quantinuum, IonQ, IBM and IQM, followed by keynote presentations from each company. Technical sessions gave participants direct access to the companies developing today's leading quantum computing technologies, covering topics ranging from quantum hardware and advanced job execution to algorithms, hybrid HPC-quantum workflows and the latest scientific applications.

"Our presentations covered topics from quantum error correction primitives and hyrbid HPC-QC, as well as subject areas with applications in astrophysics, finance, quantum chemistry, and optimization algorithms.," Marvinney said. "Researchers at ORNL highlighted work performed through QCUP's cloud-access resources as well as research using our on-site quantum systems, including the six-qubit Quantum Brilliance Quoll quantum computer and the 20-qubit IQM Pathfinder quantum computer."

Showcasing Quantum Research

One of the week's highlights was the interactive poster session, where researchers presented their latest work and explored new collaborations across the quantum community. Attendees selected three posters for recognition during the event:

• Machine Learning-Enhanced Adaptive Fidelity Optimization in W-State Quantum Teleportation, by Faisal Ahmed Chowdhury and Farah Ferdaus, Lamar University.
• Qiskit-Kokkos: A Kokkos-Accelerated, Multi-Engine Quantum Circuit Simulator, by Chao Lu, Murali Gopalakrishnan Meena and Kalyan Gottiparthi, ORNL.
• Quantum Singular Value Decomposition and Transform for Solving Multidimensional Partial Differential Equations in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Nuclear Physics, by Esam El-Araby, University of Kansas.

The forum concluded with a workshop focused on the Open Quantum-HPC Software Ecosystem, or openQSE, a community-driven initiative developing an open, modular software ecosystem that enables seamless integration between quantum computing and HPC through interoperable, vendor-neutral technologies. Researchers from industry, academia and national laboratories discussed software standards and shared interfaces needed to support future heterogeneous computing systems.

Beyond the technical program, the forum fostered new collaborations among researchers, quantum hardware vendors and software developers.

Ashley Barker, OLCF program director, said the forum's greatest value extends beyond the presentations.

"The forum isn't just about sharing knowledge; it's about building a community," Barker said. "Bringing together users, facilities and organizations investing in quantum technologies gives us an opportunity to learn from one another, build partnerships and leverage our collective expertise and resources. We want people to leave with new insights and new connections - and a stronger community working together to advance the future of quantum science."

As quantum technologies continue to mature, the QCUF plays an important role in connecting researchers with the tools, expertise and partnerships needed to develop the next generation of quantum applications. The forum also complements DOE's Genesis Mission by bringing together researchers, technology developers and users to accelerate the development, evaluation and adoption of quantum computing technologies.

By combining leadership-class computing, advanced software and emerging quantum technologies, ORNL is preparing researchers to harness hybrid computing systems and building the collaborations needed to transform quantum computing into a practical tool for scientific discovery.

The OLCF is a DOE Office of Science user facility at ORNL that is supported by DOE's Advanced Scientific Computing Research program.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE's Office of Science, the nation's largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Learn more at energy.gov/science.