Quantum/Machines/Helmi
Finland · operational · Superconducting circuits
Helmi
Helmi is a superconducting circuits quantum computer operated by VTT in Finland. It has 5 physical qubits. It ranks 69 of 74 superconducting machines in this table by physical qubit count. 6 sourced specs are in the spec sheet. No benchmark figures are recorded for it yet.
Also known as VTT Helmi, Pearl
Finland's first quantum computer, built by VTT with IQM under a 20.7 million euro government grant announced 16 November 2020 and made at the Micronova clean room in Espoo. LUMI says it became operational in 2021 and was connected to LUMI in 2022, with a pilot open call to Finnish researchers from 1 November 2022. Aalto's page of November 2023 still lists it as operational and plans upgrades to 20 and then 50 qubits, which became the Aalto Q20 (aalto-q20) and the VTT Q50 (vtt-q50). CSC's September 2026 device docs list only Q20 and Q50 and the old Helmi docs page redirects, so current service status is unconfirmed; the status date reflects the latest page that names Helmi as operating.
Co-located supercomputer: LUMI. This machine is integrated with, or hosted beside, that system.
Spec sheet
Technical details as the builder or a paper states them, each with its own source. A blank is a fact we could not source, not a zero. Fidelity and coherence figures are in the benchmark table below.
| Spec | Value | Basis | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | 5-qubit superconducting processor co-developed by VTT and IQM | Vendor reported | Aalto page names VTT and IQM; LUMI page gives 5 qubits and VTT hosting. | aalto.filumi-supercomputer.eu |
| Qubit type | superconducting | Vendor reported | Stated on the Aalto infrastructure page, November 2023. | aalto.fi |
| Fabrication | Micronova clean room, Espoo (VTT and Aalto) | Vendor reported | VTT said the quantum components would be made at Micronova; Aalto places Helmi in the Micronova building. | vttresearch.comaalto.fi |
| Access and pricing | Through LUMI after applying for a project, via FiQCI; pilot open call from 1 November 2022 | Vendor reported | Open to Finnish university and research-organisation users in the pilot. | lumi-supercomputer.euaalto.fi |
| Successor | VTT Q50 | Vendor reported | Aalto page plans 20 then 50 qubits; VTT Q50 launched 4 March 2025 alongside, not clearly replacing Helmi. | aalto.filumi-supercomputer.eu |
| Roadmap | Upgrades to 20 and then 50 qubits planned as of November 2023 | Vendor reported | VTT originally targeted a 50-qubit device by 2024. | aalto.fivttresearch.com |
Timeline
- 2020-11-16: Announced
- 2021: First operational
- 2023-11-21: Status checked: operational
More from VTT
- VTT Q50 (operational, 50 qubits)
Comparable superconducting machines
Closest in physical qubit count within the same technology. Counts of different qubit types are not interchangeable across technologies.
| Machine | Operator | Qubits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IQM Spark at Chungbuk National University | Chungbuk National University | 5 | operational |
| IQM Spark at TSRI | Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute | 5 | operational |
| JIQCER-5 | Forschungszentrum Julich | 5 | operational |
| Quantum Inspire Tuna-5 | QuTech | 5 | operational |
| Academia Sinica 5-Qubit System | Academia Sinica | 5 | operational |
| Aqumen Seeker | Quantum Circuits | 8 | operational |