ORCA Computing, a UK-based company that specialises in the development of quantum computing technologies, founded as a spin-out from Oxford University, has launched the PT-2 – the latest model in its PT series of photonic quantum processing systems.
Building on the success of the PT-1, which has already seen the deployment of seven on-premises systems, the PT-2 is seen to represent another step forward in making quantum computing practical and commercially viable.
Richard Murray, Co-founder and CEO of ORCA Computing, said: “We are proud to introduce a system that not only accelerates the pace of quantum computing but does so in a way that supports the evolving needs of the industry. The PT-2 doesn’t just represent an important milestone for ORCA; it offers organisations a practical means to adopt quantum technology without the need for massive additional investment. Our continued roadmap ensures that customers can easily upgrade and stay at the forefront of quantum innovation.”
What makes ORCA Computing’s PT-2 different?
The PT-2 is a bold departure from traditional quantum computing approaches, leveraging photonic quantum processors to offer improvements over other methods.
According to ORCA Computing, the PT-2 is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing high-performance computing (HPC) environments, positioning it as an ideal solution for industries looking to incorporate quantum capabilities into their workflows.
Central to its offering is the quantum-enhanced machine learning functionality, which is integrated with NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q development platform. This allows organisations to combine the PT-2’s capabilities with generative AI models, offering a pathway to industrial-scale quantum AI.
Murray added: “The PT-2 opens the door to a wide range of applications and transformative use cases, but it’s also part of a broader vision to bring quantum technology to the masses. With our roadmap, we ensure that our customers can continuously benefit from the latest advancements in quantum computing, allowing them to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving industry.”
The firm says it is these capabilities that allow companies to enhance their optimisation processes and generative AI applications, without requiring major infrastructure changes; this makes it one of the most accessible quantum solutions available on the market.
What’s going on beyond PT-2 at ORCA Computing?
In addition to the PT-2 release, ORCA has also announced that it will deploy a pioneering quantum computing testbed at the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in Harwell.
This technology will feature integrated graphics processing units and focus on exploring a variety of quantum computing methods. Key areas of research will include the development of hybrid quantum-classical neural networks and the testing of photonic quantum processors.
According to ORCA, the testbed represents an industry-first, and will be a key resource for pushing the boundaries of quantum technology in the UK.
This move is part of ORCA’s strategy to accelerate the development of photonic quantum architectures and test them across a wide range of real-world applications, with a particular emphasis on machine learning.
How is ORCA Computing influencing the quantum landscape?
ORCA’s quantum systems are already being applied across several industries, with reported successes in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and pharmaceuticals. For example, In chemical formulation, ORCA’s technology is helping to generate new molecules through machine learning, while in vaccine development, the PT-2 is helping play a critical role in peptide design using quantum-enhanced generative AI.
In collaboration with the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC), ORCA has also demonstrated the power of its hybrid quantum-classical infrastructure, achieving advanced multi-QPU quantum-enhanced applications using the PT series.
PSNC’s Krzysztof Kurowski said: “We are excited about ORCA’s roadmap and the opportunities that the PT Series offers, particularly in biological imaging. The hybrid infrastructure shows the tremendous potential of photonic quantum systems when integrated with classical computing platforms.”
