Zurich Instruments has announced the unveiling of its ZQCS Quantum Control System, a new generation platform that is capable to operate large, scale quantum computers and assist in solving one of the crucial problems in quantum computing the creation of long, lived logical qubits. ‘The new system is designed to be compatible with scalable quantum architectures and meet the high, precision control requirements for fault, tolerant quantum computing, ‘ the company explained. Quantum computers utilize qubits which are extremely sensitive to noise and other environmental disturbances. These changes may lead to the loss of quantum information in just a few microseconds, hence making it very hard to operate in a stable manner. Logical qubits provide an alternative by spreading the information among several physical qubits, which allows the quantum error correction to maintain the computational accuracy. The downside is that this greatly complicates the control systems that coordinate thousands of channels while at the same time producing ultra, stable pulses and maintaining real, time feedback loops within microsecond timescales.
The ZQCS Quantum Control System was created from the ground up to meet these technical needs. The system is capable of programming complex quantum operations even on large groups of qubits through a mixture of scalable direct, RF electronics, deterministic real, time networking together with advanced FPGA, based processing. Thanks to this feature, researchers and system architects can run experiments scaling up from small laboratory settings to large quantum computing infrastructures providing support to thousands of qubits.
“We designed the ZQCS end-to-end for the logical-qubit era – starting from the analog front end, through the real-time fabric, to software – so researchers and system builders can address scale, fidelity, and error correction together,” says Andrea Orzati, CEO at Zurich Instruments.
At the hardware level, the ZQCS platform features a modular Advanced TCA architecture allowing it to expand smoothly from a single shelf setup up to multi, shelf deployments. Each 19, inch rack is capable of delivering over a thousand control channels, thus providing the density necessary for extensive quantum experiments. In addition, the system uses water, cooled enclosures to maintain excellent thermal management and stability, which is a crucial factor for integration within high, performance computing (HPC) environments. To facilitate hybrid quantum, classical workflows, each shelf in the ZQCS system is equipped with programmable FPGAs and high, bandwidth, low, latency links to classical computing devices such as GPUs and CPUs. These connections allow the fast handling of measurement data and offer real, time feedback, both serving as a prerequisite for the implementation of quantum error correction methods. With sub, microsecond feedback loops and deterministic synchronization across channels, the platform offers a way for scientists to carry out large quantum programs with enhanced accuracy and dependability.
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The ZQCS also incorporates a direct-RF front end operating in the first Nyquist zone, delivering high signal-to-noise ratios that allow researchers to optimize quantum gate fidelities without control system limitations. This performance is complemented by a synchronization framework designed to maintain a distributed wall clock across the system, ensuring deterministic timing for every signal involved in a quantum program.
Powering the entire platform is Zurich Instruments’ LabOne Q software stack, which provides interfaces spanning pulse-level control, gate-level programming, and high-level workflow orchestration. The software also enables automation for calibration, tune-up procedures, and experiment management, helping researchers streamline complex quantum experiments and accelerate development cycles.
“We’re excited to see the first ZQCS installations come online, powering quantum error-correction experiments, and helping our partners scale from hundreds to thousands of qubits,” says Sebastian Krinner, Product Manager. “This is a major step in our long-term commitment to help the community reach fault tolerance.”
The introduction of the ZQCS Quantum Control System highlights Zurich Instruments’ ongoing commitment to advancing the infrastructure required for next-generation quantum computing. By providing scalable control electronics, advanced software integration, and high-performance real-time processing, the company aims to support researchers and technology developers working toward practical, fault-tolerant quantum systems.
Backed by the long-term stability and engineering expertise of its parent company Rohde & Schwarz, Zurich Instruments continues to play a pivotal role in building the foundational technologies needed to move quantum computing from experimental laboratories to industrial-scale deployment.