A 689-nm VECSEL developed by III-V Epi and the University of Strathclyde. Courtesy of the University of Strathclyde.
BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Quantum computing company Quantinuum revealed a major upgrade to its System Model H1 technology that includes expanding to 20 fully connected qubits and increasing the number of quantum operations that can be completed in parallel. The upgraded system has undergone extensive testing by internal and external users to verify performance and functionality, including a private preview with JP Morgan Chase. The second version of the System Model H1, the H1-2, is scheduled to undergo similar upgrades later this year. Quantinuum is the combined company of Cambridge Quantum and Honeywell Quantum Solutions.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — VIGO Photonics’ infrared detector products were selected to monitor critical environmental systems on board NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The detectors will be used in the Laser Air Monitor System, which will be used to measure the concentrations of carbon dioxide, water, and oxygen. Part of the Artemis program, Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe reentry from deep space return velocities.
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — Northrop Grumman Corp. demonstrated a secure networked laser communications system for proliferated low-Earth orbit constellations supporting the U.S. military. The work was done under contract with the Space Development Agency (SDA), which awarded the company $692 million in February to develop the network. Performed for SDA leadership, the demonstration validated compatibility between commercially developed laser communication and secure U.S. government encryption hardware, providing a baseline for Northrop Grumman’s future proliferated space crosslink communications offerings including SDA’s Transport and Tracking programs.

UPTON, N.Y. — The University of Illinois Chicago joined the Brookhaven National Laboratory-led Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), making the public research university C2QA’s 24th partner institution. C2QA is one of five U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Quantum Information Science Research Centers (NQISRCs) established in support of the National Quantum Initiative Act.

