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🔵 The Quantum Insider Weekly | Russia Announces Advance. Chile Initiative. And More News in Quantum!

🔵 The Quantum Insider Weekly | Russia Announces Advance. Chile Initiative. And More News in Quantum!

Matt Swayne, Cierra Choucair & Alan Kanapin
January 03, 2026

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FROM THE EDITOR.

Happy New Year — It was a quiet end-of-year period for most organizations, but it wasn’t silent.

The quantum community churned out more advances and produced more news and information. Scientists in both China and Russia announced advances in photonics and trapped ion modalities.

The Royal Navy was not spending their time in the Arctic on any sort of Father Christmas spotting mission. Navy officials were putting quantum-enhanced GPS-free technology through its places in this rugged, frigid environment. And, by all accounts, it performed successfully.

This is important because quantum technology is sensitive. If it can only work in the laboratory or pristine environments and conditions -- it won't be of use to the military, which operates in hostile, inhospitable locations almost by definition.

Have a great weekend. Thanks for reading!

— Matt, Chief Content Officer at The Quantum Insider

INSIDER BRIEF.

The Noteworthy & Nuanced

Wordplay, wordplay everywhere! QUDORA Technologies has introduced Qamelion, a quantum computing emulator for testing algorithms under realistic, hardware-like noise conditions. Some features include adjustable noise models, hybrid classical quantum execution, and compatibility with OpenQASM, Qiskit, and QIR, enabling thorough evaluation of near-term and future algorithms. Available through QUDORA’s cloud with a free trial, Qamelion will also be offered in Japan through Fixstars Amplify.

“Pan-European Quantum Corridor” - sounds fancy, doesn’t it? SEALSQ has expanded its Quantum Investment Fund from $35M to more than $100M. All in order to create the aforementioned corridor and advance Europe’s post-quantum security and sovereign quantum computing ambitions. The company is deploying capital across PQC hardware, secure satellites, blockchain identity systems, QKD, and quantum-ready semiconductors in multiple countries.

Illinois is pumping out support for quantum startups. The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) and Silicon Catalyst have formed a partnership that will give companies in Silicon Catalyst’s accelerator access to lab space, specialized equipment, cryogenic infrastructure, and the National Quantum Facility. This is all facilitated by the Illinois EDC, as part of a strategy to attract and retain quantum firms in the state. — Alan Kanapin, Analyst at The Quantum Insider

The Research Rundown

Check out this week’s handpicked quantum research. These are studies headed for real-world impact: improving accuracy, reducing latency, using fewer resources, or solving problems that classical methods struggle with. These are early developments, but they hint at where quantum might earn its keep.

Researchers from Penn State and the Quantum for Healthcare Life Sciences Consortium explore how hybrid quantum–classical computing and AI could help overcome computational bottlenecks in single-cell and spatial omics analysis. The authors argue that quantum algorithms may improve spatial analysis, temporal modeling, and drug-response prediction in high-dimensional, data-limited settings.
New research from Quantinuum and Hiverge shows that large language model–driven systems can automatically generate quantum chemistry algorithms that match or outperform expert-designed methods while using dramatically fewer quantum resources. Using Hiverge’s Hive platform, the team evolved noise-aware, near-term algorithms that reached chemical precision for benchmark molecules with one to two orders of magnitude reductions in circuit depth and gate counts.
Einride and IonQ reported early results from a three-year partnership that applies quantum algorithms to real commercial freight data, integrating them into Einride’s AI-driven optimization platform, Saga. The work modularizes complex fleet orchestration problems so quantum methods can optimize shipment allocation under real-world constraints alongside classical computing.

— Cierra Choucair, Journalist & Analyst at The Quantum Insider

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Quantum Source has released a technical report, developed with The Quantum Insider, comparing all major qubit modalities and outlining engineering pathways toward fault-tolerant quantum computing. The analysis shows the field has shifted from theory to practical engineering, with recent logical-qubit demonstrations and hybrid architectures, such as Quantum Source’s deterministic atom–photon platform, emerging as potential routes to scalable systems.

INSIDER SPOTLIGHT: Russian Researchers Test 72-Qubit Atom-Based Quantum Computer

➡️ Russian researchers report a 72-qubit neutral-atom quantum computing prototype, marking what state officials describe as the country’s third system to exceed the 70-qubit threshold.
➡️ The system, based on single neutral rubidium atoms, is positioned by Russian authorities as evidence of steady domestic progress rather than a discrete technical leap.
➡️ Reported performance includes two-qubit gate operations with 94% accuracy, though the results have not been independently validated through peer-reviewed publication.
➡️ The prototype introduces a three-zone architecture separating computation, quantum state storage, and readout, with only two zones used in current experiments.
➡️ Russian officials frame the work as supporting long-term goals around technological sovereignty, workforce development, and future error-corrected quantum systems.

Analyst Commentary

Reporting by TASS on a newly tested 72-qubit neutral-atom quantum computing prototype offers a snapshot of how Russia continues to position quantum technologies within its broader scientific and industrial strategy. According to the state news agency, researchers from the Physics Department at Lomonosov Moscow State University developed and tested the system using single neutral rubidium atoms, with Rosatom Quantum Technologies describing it as the country’s third quantum computer to surpass the 70-qubit mark.

As with many such announcements, the headline number attracts attention. But the framing around the result may be more revealing than the qubit count itself.

Russian officials emphasize continuity rather than disruption. Yekaterina Solntseva, Director of Quantum Technologies at Rosatom State Corporation, characterized the milestone as confirmation of systematic domestic development and incremental improvements in operational reliability. The language mirrors a broader narrative seen across Russian science policy: progress measured through sustained capability building rather than singular breakthroughs.

From a technical perspective, TASS reports that the prototype introduces a modular architecture dividing the quantum register into three zones — computation, quantum state storage, and information readout. According to Stanislav Straupe, who leads the quantum computing sector at the Quantum Technology Center at Moscow State University, only the computation and storage zones were used in the current experiments, with the readout zone planned for a later stage. The approach reflects a familiar design ambition in neutral-atom systems: separating functions to improve scalability and coherence management over time.

Performance figures reported by TASS indicate two-qubit logical operations achieving 94% accuracy. Without seeing the specs independently, we would place that level short of thresholds typically associated with fault-tolerant operation, but consistent with early-stage prototypes focused on control, stability, and system integration. Officials have pointed to longer-term goals, including reaching several hundred high-fidelity qubits by 2030, which they argue could enable logical operations with error correction and algorithms beyond the reach of classical computing.

The strategic messaging is interesting. Russian sources link the project to technological sovereignty, economic competitiveness and workforce development. Vladimir Belokurov, Dean of the Physics Department at Moscow State University, highlighted the involvement of graduate students and undergraduates alongside senior researchers, framing the effort as both a research program and a talent pipeline.

There is, however, a necessary caveat. All reported specifications — including qubit count, architecture, and performance metrics — originate from TASS and affiliated institutions. At the time of reporting, the results have not been independently verified through peer-reviewed scientific publication or third-party benchmarking. As a result, external comparisons with international quantum platforms should be treated cautiously.

DATA SPOTLIGHT.

PacketLight Networks and NEC demonstrated quantum key distribution over a 400G dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network using a dual-fiber setup. They integrated NEC’s QKD system with PacketLight’s PL-4000M 600G Muxponder, achieving 100% data throughput and low latency, verified via a 100GbE tester. The QKD ran over a dedicated parallel fiber, maintaining quantum signal integrity. The result: a cost-effective, scalable quantum-safe model with zero performance tradeoffs on existing high-capacity infrastructure.

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS.

📈 Investment and partnership data through late 2025 show the quantum industry narrowing around specific hardware architectures, cloud-based software platforms, security technologies, and application areas with clearer near-term commercial potential.

📚️ This collection of expert perspectives frames 2026 as a transition year for quantum technologies, marked by early but credible steps toward commercial relevance through hybrid architectures, quantum sensing, post-quantum security adoption, and deeper AI integration. Across hardware, software, policy, and workforce development, contributors converge on a central theme: quantum is moving out of isolated labs and into real operational, industrial, and national infrastructure contexts.

🎆 As the quantum sector enters 2026, the industry is expected to see faster technical progress alongside financial and strategic recalibration, with advances in logical qubits, hybrid quantum–HPC architectures, AI integration, and quantum sensing driving momentum, while funding cools and consolidation increases.

⚓️ The Royal Navy and Imperial College London have completed Arctic trials of quantum-enhanced inertial navigation sensors that use cold-atom physics to provide accurate, GPS-free positioning resistant to jamming and spoofing.

🔗 A $9 million, five-year U.S. Office of Naval Research MURI led by Zheshen Zhang will investigate whether quantum entanglement combined with error correction and stabilization can push distributed sensor networks beyond classical and standard quantum limits in sensitivity and bandwidth.

🇨🇱 Chile has launched national biotechnology and quantum technology strategies for 2025–2035 aimed at shifting the country toward a knowledge-based economy by translating scientific research into jobs, companies, and regional growth. The quantum roadmap focuses on building domestic capabilities in computing, sensing, secure communications, and materials simulation, while biotechnology targets sectors such as health, agriculture, and mining.

EVENTS.

Jan. 13–14, 2026 -- Quantum.Tech: Commercial Applications of Quantum Computing, Communications and Sensing, Doha, Qatar

Jan. 26-27 -- QuARC 2026, hosted by MIT’s Center for Quantum Engineering (CQE) in partnership with MIT’s Interdisciplinary Quantum Information Science and Engineering (iQuISE) student organization, will be held at the Omni Mount Washington resort in New Hampshire.

Jan. 27-28, 2026 -- Qubits 2026 D-Wave is bringing its annual user conference, Qubits, to Boca Raton, Florida. The event will be held at The Boca Raton resort.

Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, 2026 -- Isfahan University of Technology is hosting Quantum Frontiers in Science and Technology, a five-day, two-part program that integrates foundational education in quantum sensing with a research-focused conference on cutting-edge quantum technologies.

March 16-20 -- Quantum Resources will be held in Tokyo, Japan. The conference brings together leading experts and emerging voices in the field to explore the latest theoretical insights, operational applications, and future directions of quantum resource theories.

Apr 22–23 -- Mathematics & Physics Frontiers 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany is an international forum uniting mathematicians, physicists, engineers, data scientists, and technology innovators from across the globe to explore groundbreaking advances at the intersection of theory and application.

April 27-30 -- The Quantum Matter International Conference & Expo (QUANTUMatter2026) will take place at the Barceló Sants Hotel in Barcelona. The conference to foster the incubation of new ideas & collaborations at the forefront of quantum technologies, emerging quantum materials and novel generations of quantum communication protocols, quantum sensing and quantum simulation.

June 4-5 -- Q2B Tokyo 2026 will be held exclusively in-person and presented in Japanese and English, with real-time interpretation.

June 16 -- France Quantum -- the premier event showcasing the French Quantum ecosystem to the world.

June 22-24 -- IQT Nordics: Oslo, Norway

June 24-26 -- Quantum. Tech World: Boston, Mass

June 25-26 -- Quantum.Tech World -- Empowering Quantum, AI & HPC at Enterprise -- Scale, co-located with Quantum.Tech World will be held at Encore Boston Harbor in Boston, United States.

July 1-3 -- The 2026 IEEE International Conference on Quantum Control, Computing, and Learning (IEEE qCCL 2026) will take place from Wednesday to Friday, July 1-3, 2026