Quantum/Machines/Oxford Ionics QUARTET
United Kingdom · operational · Trapped ions
Oxford Ionics QUARTET
Oxford Ionics QUARTET is a trapped ions quantum computer operated by National Quantum Computing Centre in United Kingdom. Its physical qubit count has not been published. 6 sourced specs are in the spec sheet. No benchmark figures are recorded for it yet.
Also known as QUARTET
Full-stack trapped-ion computer installed by Oxford Ionics in the NQCC quantum data centre at Harwell, announced 2025-08-13, funded by NQCC with Innovate UK. Oxford Ionics was acquired by IonQ in 2025. Qubit count was not published in the pages consulted, and the upgrade path is a swappable QPU.
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 | Credit-card sized Oxford Ionics QPU with electronic qubit control on a chip | Vendor reported | Oxford Ionics says the QPU can be swapped for higher-performing versions without changing the surrounding infrastructure (2025-08). | oxionics.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Qubit type | Trapped ions controlled electronically instead of by lasers | Vendor reported | Ion species is not stated in the pages consulted. | oxionics.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Cooling and environment | Room-temperature vacuum chamber, no dilution refrigerator (trapped-ion family) | Independent | The Quantum Insider states this for trapped-ion systems in general, not specifically QUARTET (2026-06). | thequantuminsider.com |
| Fabrication | Chip made through standard semiconductor foundries (foundry not named) | Vendor reported | Oxford Ionics says everything needed to trap and control qubits sits on a standard electronic chip. | oxionics.com |
| Access and pricing | On-premises testbed at the NQCC Harwell data centre, funded by NQCC with Innovate UK | Vendor reported | Used for applications research and development; no price published. | oxionics.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Roadmap | Q-Surge project to upgrade QUARTET with 2D qubit connectivity | Vendor reported | Announced 2025-03 by Oxford Ionics with Riverlane and Bay Photonics under the UK Quantum Missions pilot. | oxionics.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
Timeline
- 2025-08: First operational
- 2026-10: Status checked: operational
More from National Quantum Computing Centre
- Infleqtion Sqale at NQCC (operational, 100 qubits)
- ORCA PT-2 at NQCC (operational)
- Quantum Motion at NQCC (operational)
- Rigetti 24-Qubit Testbed at NQCC (operational, 24 qubits)
- Aegiq ARTEMIS at NQCC (operational)
- QuEra Testbed at NQCC (under construction)
Comparable trapped ion machines
Closest in physical qubit count within the same technology. Counts of different qubit types are not interchangeable across technologies.
| Machine | Operator | Qubits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IonQ Forte Enterprise at EPB | EPB | 36 | operational |
| AQT LYNX | AQT | - | operational |
| JION | Forschungszentrum Julich | - | operational |
| IonQ Superion 256 | IonQ | 256 | under construction |
| Quantinuum Helios | Quantinuum | 98 | operational |
| Reimei | RIKEN | 20 | operational |