MANA Reveals Atomic-Scale Rails for Guiding Superconducting Vortices

thequantuminsider.com Sep 26, 2026

MANA Reveals Atomic-Scale Rails for Guiding Superconducting Vortices

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 26, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Researchers at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science discovered that atomic‑scale surface steps on an ultrathin superconductor act as rails guiding superconducting vortices. Scanning tunneling microscopy visualized vortices aligning along these one‑atom‑high steps, and four‑terminal resistance measurements showed vortices moved over 1,000 times faster along the steps than across them at intermediate magnetic fields. The guiding effect is tunable by temperature and magnetic field, offering a new method to control vortex motion and heat flow in low‑power superconducting devices.

💡 Why It Matters

· Precise vortex steering could reduce energy dissipation in next‑generation quantum circuits, directly impacting the efficiency of superconducting technologies.

Capsules Quantum Computing

Read full article on thequantuminsider.com

Who’s News: Strategic Appointments at D-Wave Quantum, Oxford Quantum Circuits, and Bifrost…

D‑Wave Quantum Inc. added Bernard Gavgan, a former BNP Paribas group CIO and current senior advisor on technology and innovation, to its board of directors and cybersecurity committee, aiming to bolster the firm’s technology infrastructure as it scales its dual‑platform quantum computers for enterprise use. Oxford Quantum Circuits promoted Simon Phillips from chief technology officer to chief product officer; Phillips, who has overseen three generations of OQC’s quantum systems and their deployment in colocation data centers, will now steer product strategy to commercialize enterprise‑ready Quantum‑AI data‑center platforms after a £260 million Series C round and collaborations with JPMorgan Chase and AMD. Bifrost Electronics appointed deep‑tech entrepreneur Doug Campbell as chief executive officer. Campbell, who co‑founded Solid Power and led it to a 2021 IPO, will drive the rollout of the Heimdall Amplifier, a magnetically insensitive quantum read‑out device intended to remove Josephson junction bottlenecks in superconducting and spin‑based quantum hardware.

💡 Bringing a seasoned fintech and cybersecurity leader to D‑Wave’s board signals a push for tighter governance as quantum services move into critical enterprise environments, while OQC and Bifrost’s leadership changes accelerate the transition from laboratory prototypes to scalable, market‑ready quantum hardware.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Sep 26

Fairfax County Public Schools to Install XeedQ 4-Qubit Quantum Computer at Skyview…

Fairfax County Public Schools announced a partnership with Connected DMV and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to install a 4‑qubit XeedQ XQ1e quantum computer at Skyview High School. The device, powered by nitrogen‑vacancy diamond qubits, operates at room temperature, drawing 500 W from a standard outlet and achieving single‑qubit fidelities of 99.9% and two‑qubit fidelities of 97%. Delivery and installation are scheduled for December 2026, with a curriculum rollout in Spring 2027, marking the first public K‑12 quantum‑hardware deployment worldwide.

💡 The installation provides students with hands‑on access to cutting‑edge quantum technology, bridging classroom learning and industry research. It positions Fairfax County as a national leader in quantum education and workforce development.

thequantuminsider.com · Sep 26

Guest Post: Quantum Investment May Start With Post-Quantum Security

Quantum computing threatens current public‑key encryption, prompting a surge in “quantum‑resilient” spending. U.S. federal agencies must adopt post‑quantum encryption by 2030 and signatures by 2031, with the NSA mandating quantum‑safe systems from 2027. The financial sector’s G7 roadmap, though nonbinding, is treated as a benchmark. Private firms like Google target 2029 for migration, driving early investment in discovery, key management, and hardware upgrades. The shift will first hit banks, fintech, and cloud providers, then ripple to smaller entities and edge devices.

💡 The race to secure long‑lived data forces a reallocation of existing security budgets, reshaping the cybersecurity market and accelerating the adoption of quantum‑safe technologies across critical infrastructure.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Sep 26

Pasqal Reports H1 2026 Financial Results: €312.9M Post-SPAC Cash Balance, 14% Revenue…

Pasqal Holding SA, a Paris‑based neutral‑atom quantum computing firm, released its H1 2026 results covering the six months to June 30. Revenue rose 13.7% to €4.87 million, driven by a 34% jump in QPU‑related services, while booked and awarded contracts reached €70.4 million. Operating loss widened to €59.16 million, reflecting €27.3 million in share‑based compensation and €10.2 million of one‑off listing expenses; net loss was €53.24 million. Cash and cash equivalents stood at €110.8 million at period end, but the August 27 SPAC merger with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II boosted the cash balance to roughly €312.9 million, extending the company’s runway. Pasqal also announced a hardware milestone, scaling its quantum processor beyond 1,000 neutral atoms.

💡 The enlarged cash pool gives Pasqal the financial depth to accelerate its 1,000‑atom quantum hardware roadmap, a scale that could shift the competitive dynamics of the emerging quantum‑computing market.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Sep 26

DRDO Signs First High-Value TDF Pact with Startup Zero mK India for…

On 25 September 2026, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed its first high‑value Technology Development Fund (TDF) contract with domestic startup Zero mK India to design and build a 20 millikelvin dilution refrigerator. The project, funded under the expanded ₹500‑crore TDF corpus, aims to secure a domestic supply chain for sub‑kelvin cryogenic hardware critical to quantum computing and defense systems. DRDO’s Solid State Physics Laboratory will mentor and evaluate the work, aligning the effort with the National Quantum Mission to reduce reliance on foreign vendors.

💡 By producing indigenous sub‑kelvin refrigeration, India cuts import dependence on Western cryogenic equipment, directly supporting sovereign quantum‑technology development and strengthening national defense capabilities.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Sep 26

CGI Federal, DLA, and University of Tennessee Launch “Quantum Pathfinder” Initiative for…

CGI Federal, a U.S. government technology provider, has signed an applied research agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to launch the “Quantum Pathfinder” initiative. Based at CGI Federal’s Knoxville on‑shore delivery center, the program will combine agentic artificial intelligence with quantum computing to improve warehouse orchestration, reverse logistics and inventory placement in contested military environments. The partnership moves beyond theoretical demos, targeting real‑world bottlenecks such as dynamic smart‑warehouse coordination and asset disposition to boost supply‑chain resilience during disruptions. It aligns with the Knoxville Quantum Accelerator and the broader Tennessee Quantum Initiative, aiming to develop a regional quantum talent pipeline and commercialize the resulting technologies. Specific DLA use cases will be defined in the coming months.

💡 By fusing AI and quantum tools for defense logistics, the effort could deliver operational‑level optimization that traditional computing cannot achieve, giving the military a decisive edge in contested supply chains.