Quantum

Alice & Bob Reports Cat-Qubit Progress in French Quantum Computing Program

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 20/10/2026, 07:49:25 UTC.

Briefings

Alice & Bob successfully demonstrated core cat-qubit error-correction components on three hardware demonstrators during Phase 1 of the French PROQCIMA program. The team built integrated multi-block demonstrators using 6-qubit and 12-qubit chips, successfully testing noise-biased CNOT gates, measurement-and-reset sequences, and a non-Clifford gate. However, the measured logical error rate remained above the error-correction threshold, and while a digital twin identified longer coherence as a priority, the company has not yet achieved the consistent coherence required to operate below the threshold. The program aims for industrialization by 2032 with a 10-year competition structure.

Key points

• Alice & Bob demonstrated noise-biased CNOT gates between cat qubits on 6-qubit and 12-qubit chips, successfully testing measurement-and-reset sequences and a non-Clifford gate.
• The logical error rate across the full register remained above the error-correction threshold despite optimized error-correction cycles and a digital twin monitoring software.

Context

Alice & Bob is a leader in fault-tolerant quantum computing participating in the French government's PROQCIMA program, which aims to develop two universal quantum computers with 1,000 logical qubits by 2032. The program is a 10-year competition where five companies compete to build integrated multi-block demonstrators. This finding is significant as it represents the first Phase 1 results for the French quantum computing initiative, showing progress on cat-qubit architecture but highlighting the gap between demonstrated capabilities and the threshold for fault tolerance.

Limitations

Evidence covers only Phase 1 of PROQCIMA, which concluded in 2024. The logical error rate remained above the error-correction threshold, preventing the achievement of the threshold. The digital twin identified coherence as a priority but did not confirm the consistent coherence needed to operate below the threshold. The program's full 10-year timeline and final selection results beyond Phase 1 are not covered.

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