Quantum/Machines/Rigetti Novera at Montana State University
USA · operational · Superconducting circuits
Rigetti Novera at Montana State University
Rigetti Novera at Montana State University is a superconducting circuits quantum computer operated by Montana State University in USA. It has 9 physical qubits. It ranks 40 of 43 superconducting machines in this table by physical qubit count. 7 sourced specs are in the spec sheet. No benchmark figures are recorded for it yet.
Also known as MSU QCORE Novera QPU
A 9-qubit Rigetti Novera QPU delivered and installed in August 2025 at Montana State University's QCORE facility in Bozeman, the first on-premises Rigetti system at a university. QCORE was funded with about $44.7 million from the US Air Force Research Laboratory. No fidelity or coherence figures for this specific unit are given in the sources used.
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 | Rigetti Novera QPU: 9-qubit Ankaa-class chip | Vendor reported | The Novera product also ships a separate 5-qubit fixed-frequency chip per Rigetti; whether the MSU unit includes it is not stated. | rigetti.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Qubit type | Tunable transmon | Vendor reported | Rigetti product page describes a 3x3 array of tunable transmons; this is a product-level fact, not specific to the MSU unit. | rigetti.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Topology | 3x3 square lattice with a tunable coupler between each adjacent pair | Vendor reported | Product-level description from Rigetti; each 3-qubit column shares a readout line. | rigetti.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Couplers | 12 | Vendor reported | Rigetti Novera product page lists 12 tunable couplers; PostQuantum analysis repeats the figure. | rigetti.compostquantum.com |
| Cooling and environment | Customer-supplied dilution refrigerator: 14 uW cooling power at 20 mK, 290 mm or larger mixing plate | Vendor reported | This is the Novera product requirement from Rigetti, not a measured operating temperature of the MSU installation. | rigetti.com |
| Fabrication | Rigetti Fab-1, in-house quantum device manufacturing facility | Vendor reported | Both sources say the Novera QPU is manufactured in Rigetti Fab-1. | rigetti.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Access and pricing | On-premises purchase; Novera QPU lists from $900,000, price paid by MSU not stated | Independent | List price is the product starting price reported in December 2023 and again in March 2026; MSU is the first academic institution with an on-premises Rigetti system. | sdxcentral.compostquantum.com |
Timeline
- 2025-08: Announced
- 2025-08: First operational
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigetti Novera at PSC (TangleLab) | PSC | 9 | planned |
| OQC GENESIS (New York) | Oxford Quantum Circuits | 16 | under construction |
| IQM Spark at Chungbuk National University | Chungbuk National University | 5 | operational |
| IQM Spark at TSRI | Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute | 5 | operational |
| Alice & Bob Helium | Alice & Bob | 18 | operational |
| ORNL Pathfinder | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | 20 | operational |