New agreement will also provide access to QuEra's neutral-atom quantum systems through the University of Maryland QLab
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- QuEra Computing, the Boston-based leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, will open an office in Discovery District Maryland, joining the Capital of Quantum's expanding roster of quantum companies.
The move builds on an agreement between QuEra and the University of Maryland's National Quantum Laboratory (QLab) that gives QLab researchers cloud access to QuEra's quantum systems, including its Aquila platform, for research and education.
"We are excited to offer our user community access to QuEra's neutral atom-based systems. This will allow scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs to develop and test hands-on quantum applications with up to 256 qubits offered by this quickly developing hardware platform," said Norbert Linke, Director of QLab, the National Quantum Laboratory at the University of Maryland.
Discovery District Maryland (DDM) is the physical home of the Capital of Quantum – Maryland's statewide initiative to expand the region's quantum ecosystem – and a hub for a growing list of quantum hardware developers. Located steps from the University of Maryland campus, DDM also sits near key federal partners such as NIST, NASA Goddard and the Army Research Laboratory. QuEra's neutral-atom architecture adds a new qubit modality to a portfolio that already spans superconducting, trapped-ion and silicon approaches.
"QuEra's decision to establish an office in Discovery District Maryland strengthens our growing quantum hardware cluster and brings a powerful new neutral-atom platform into Maryland's expanding ecosystem," said Corey Stambaugh, Director of the Capital of Quantum. "This is exactly the kind of industry–university partnership we're building—connecting leading companies with UMD talent, research capabilities, and nearby federal partners to accelerate innovation and grow the region's quantum economy."
"Neutral-atom technology is advancing at a remarkable pace, and putting Aquila in the hands of QLab's researchers, educators, and students is exactly how we help accelerate that progress," said Yuval Boger, Chief Commercial Officer of QuEra Computing. "We're proud to support the University of Maryland's quantum community, and establishing an office in Discovery District Maryland deepens our commitment to the region's thriving quantum ecosystem."
Neutral atoms have emerged as one of the leading approaches to quantum computing. Because atoms of a given element are naturally identical and can be arranged in large, dense arrays, the technology offers a natural path to increasing qubit counts. Recent public demonstrations have also shown several of the key ingredients needed for fault-tolerant operation, including logical qubits, error correction, and large-scale atom control. Neutral-atom systems do not require the dilution refrigerators used by some other quantum computing platforms, relying instead on lasers, optical systems, and vacuum chambers operating at room temperature. And because atoms can be rearranged during a computation, qubits are not limited to fixed wiring patterns. This dynamic connectivity can reduce routing overhead and, for some algorithms, allow computations to be implemented with significantly fewer operations.
QuEra's office will be located in DDM's Discovery Center, the district's anchor building already home to Microsoft, Quantum Motion, IQM and an increasing concentration of quantum firms. The facility provides quantum companies with direct access to the University of Maryland's talent pool and its federal research partners, and features flex-work space, built-to-suit labs and office space.
About QuEra Computing
QuEra is putting quantum to work. As the scientific and commercial leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, we help enterprise innovators leverage quantum to gain competitive advantage, support HPC centers as their users tackle classically intractable problems, and enable government programs to build national and sovereign capabilities. We do this by combining our quantum systems, available on-premises and via the cloud, with application co-design and collaborative research. Born at Harvard and MIT and still advancing together, QuEra builds neutral-atom systems on a public, peer-reviewed path to fault tolerance, and operates globally from Boston, New Mexico, Tokyo, and the United Kingdom. As quantum computing moves from "one day" to "Day One," QuEra delivers practical impact today while leading the path toward large-scale, fault-tolerant systems.
About QLab
QLab, the National Quantum Laboratory at the University of Maryland, provides researchers, students and industry partners with access to a range of quantum computing hardware and platforms to advance quantum research and workforce development.
About the Capital of Quantum
The Capital of Quantum (COQ) is Maryland's statewide initiative that coordinates, promotes, connects, and invests in the region's quantum ecosystem — bringing together industry, research institutions, federal agencies, and investors to make Maryland and the national capital region the premier destination for quantum innovation, talent, and commercialization. Launched in January 2025 and anchored by the University of Maryland, COQ is headquartered in Discovery District Maryland — one of the most concentrated innovation corridors on the East Coast. COQ has already helped attract more than $500 million in public, federal and private quantum investments on the way to a target of $1 billion by 2030. Learn more at capitalofquantum.com.
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SOURCE QuEra Computing
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