MAQCS by planqc: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · First MAQCS hardware delivered to LRZ

Series A funding securedJul 2024Complete.
Selected for €21M MAQCS development contractNov 2024Complete.
First MAQCS hardware delivered to LRZTarget Sep 2026Not yet reached.
Full MAQCS system integration and testingTarget 2027Not yet reached.
MAQCS operational on Munich Quantum Software StackTarget 2028Not yet reached.

Most important updates

planqc selected to lead €21M MAQCS project: Germany's 1,000-qubit quantum computer at LRZ13 Nov 2024

Upcoming

Sep 2026First MAQCS hardware delivered to LRZ (next)
2027Full MAQCS system integration and testing
2028MAQCS operational on Munich Quantum Software Stack
2028Full system operational on MQSS

Current obstacles

Rydberg blockade gate fidelityPrecise laser timing and atom positioning needed; imperfections reduce fidelity.
Atom loss during computationAtoms escape or decay, limiting computation time and requiring refreshing.

Physics limits

Rydberg lifetimeAtoms in Rydberg states (needed for multi-qubit gates) decay to lower states on microsecond timescales, setting a time limit for gate execution.
Optical resolutionThe wavelength of trapping light limits how close atoms can be packed and how precisely they can be addressed individually, affecting maximum qubit density.

How it works

3 parts

Optical lattice

Strontium atoms in light crystals

Strontium atoms trapped at intensity minima of crossed laser beams.

Multi-core

Two independent processing cores

Two 500-qubit cores reset and process independently, reducing latency.

Integration

HPC-compatible cloud interface

Connects to Munich Quantum Software Stack for cloud and HPC access.

Spec sheet

Spec	MAQCS
Total qubits	1,000^R (reported)
Processing cores	2 independent cores of 500 qubits each^R (reported)
Qubit type	Strontium atoms in optical lattices^R (reported)
Architecture	Multi-core with parallel processing^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Papers & demos

1 item

Nov 2024demo
MAQCS project selected for €21M government funding (opens thequantuminsider.com)Validates neutral-atom approach and readiness for 1,000-qubit integration.

Update log

1 update

Wed 13 Nov 2024

Major: planqc selected to lead €21M MAQCS project: Germany's 1,000-qubit quantum computer at LRZPressCommercial

About planqc

The team behind MAQCS

planqc

Neutral-atom quantum computers, MAQCS, optical lattices

planqc develops neutral-atom quantum processors using atoms trapped in optical lattices. Founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, the company raised €50M in Series A and was selected to build a 1,000-qubit system for Germany's Leibniz Supercomputing Centre.

Selected to lead MAQCS: €21M government-funded 1,000-qubit system for LRZ Munich.
Raised €50M Series A (July 2024) from CATRON Holding and DeepTech & Climate Fonds.
Develops neutral-atom quantum processors using strontium atoms in optical lattices.

planqc.eu (opens planqc.eu)Company profile →

Founded: 20224 yrs
Headquarters: Germany
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Staff: ~120Jul 2026
Raised: $54M1 round
Last round: Government contract (MAQCS) · $21MNov 2024
Works in: QuantumNeutral atom
Coverage: 1 program · 2 updateslatest 13 Nov 2024checked 10 Oct
Lead investors: German Federal Ministry of Education and ResearchCATRON HoldingDeepTech & Climate Fonds
Customers: Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) (opens lrz.de)
Partners: Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) (opens mpq.mpg.de)Ludwig Maximilian University of Science (LMU) (opens lmu.de)
People: Alexander Glätzle (opens planqc.eu)CEO & Co-founderSebastian Blatt (opens planqc.eu)CTO & Co-founderJohannes Zeiher (opens planqc.eu)Co-founder

Spec

MAQCS

Total qubits

1,000^R (reported)

Processing cores

2 independent cores of 500 qubits each^R (reported)

Qubit type

Strontium atoms in optical lattices^R (reported)

Architecture

Multi-core with parallel processing^R (reported)