At the QIA PI+ Meeting 2024, Qblox was honored with the QIA Innovation Award for their Qubit Time Tagging Module (QTM). This cutting-edge technology integrates signal generation, time-to-digital conversion, and readout into a single instrument, significantly reducing the complexity of quantum network setups. In this interview, we spoke with Mafalda Jotta Garcia and Niels Bultink of Qblox about the challenges behind the development of this innovation, its impact on quantum networking, and what lies ahead for the company as they continue to push the boundaries of quantum technology.

Could you tell us about the innovative technology or product that led to Qblox receiving the Innovation Award?

It’s the Qubit Time Tagging Module (QTM): what makes it so innovative is that it integrates digital signal generation, counting and timetag acquisition into a single instrument – reducing the complexity of typical experimental setups. We developed the QTM in close collaboration with other QIA partners to ensure that it meets real lab needs and works seamlessly for platforms like NV-centers, REIDS quantum memories, and trapped ion qubits.

What were some of the key challenges you faced while developing this technology, and how did you overcome them to bring your innovation to market?

One of the biggest challenges was introducing time as a measurement within our control electronics. This required integrating time-to-digital conversion and ensuring that all modules operated with an identical and synchronized time reference. Significant updates to the Qblox hardware, firmware, and software were involved. Combining the expertise of these domains into a strong project team led us to solve all challenges in the different domains.

How do you see your innovation contributing to the future of quantum networks, and what new possibilities does it unlock for researchers and industry?

By enabling the control and readout of quantum nodes within a single system, our innovation significantly simplifies the overall setup. This improvement in ease of use allows researchers to accelerate their experiments. On top of that, Qblox’s integrated solution offers an excellent step towards deploying quantum internet testbeds – a necessary milestone to building a worldwide quantum internet.

Qblox has been recognized for its cutting-edge developments in the quantum field. What’s next for the company? Are there any exciting projects or collaborations you are currently working on?

Our mission is to enable useful quantum technologies, focusing on scaling quantum computers for FTQC (fault-tolerant quantum computing). We are a part of many exciting collaborations, connecting to different qubit modalities. An example of this is our participation in QLSI2, a Horizon FPA program that is working toward demonstrators for spin qubits. In the field of superconducting qubits, we are a part of the Hectoqubit/2 project, a Dutch consortium of SMEs and QuTech building a quantum computer together. Our roadmap includes further work towards deployment of the quantum networks.

What advice would you give to researchers or startups trying to bring innovative quantum technologies to the market, based on your experience at Qblox?

Our advice is to prioritize collaboration and find partners to validate requirements or even co-develop solutions. Establishing connections with end-users outside of your own environment is a crucial step for understanding market demand. For us, being a member of QIA has been a great way to engage directly with our customers and better align our innovations with their real-world needs.

How did it feel to receive the Innovation Award at the QIA PI+ Meeting? What does this recognition from the quantum community mean to you and your team at Qblox?

It was very exciting to receive this recognition from the consortium. It validates that we are heading in the right direction and makes us proud of everyone at Qblox with whom we work towards the QIA goals. We are proud to be part of such an innovative community and grateful for the continued support from our collaborators.

Find out more about Qblox here.