Nu Quantum exploiting CERN's White Rabbit for quantum computing

High energy particle physics happens at high speeds. To detect and study subatomic particles, thousands of devices across CERN’s vast accelerator complex need to be synchronised across multiple systems and a wide geographic area with very high precision. Back in 2008 during a meeting at CERN, a vision emerged for the development of a new synchronisation technology which would be high-performance, standards-based and fully open-source. This became known as White Rabbit.

Since then the technology has been adopted not just at CERN but across a wide range of applications in both industry and academia. The open source model allows individuals and organisations to use the technology without restriction, crucially allowing them to develop the technology and make improvements to be shared with the White Rabbit community.

In March 2024 CERN launched the White Rabbit Collaboration, to foster uptake of the technology across industry. The Collaboration provides dedicated support and training, facilitating R&D projects between those with common interests and complementary expertise. In July 2024 Cambridge-based start-up Nu Quantum became the White Rabbit Collaboration’s first quantum industrial partner. Since then, the Collaboration has grown to involve more than 20 partners to date.

Quantum computing has the potential to solve problems too complex for current technologies, which would have an impact upon multiple societal challenges. While quantum computers do exist, the current challenge is scalability – moving from a thousand to millions of qubits. Nu Quantum propose that instead of building a single colossal quantum processor, it would be possible to create a modular quantum computer by interconnecting smaller processors into a larger, distributed quantum computing machine. This approach requires hardware capable of generating high-quality quantum networking links between processors, which is the focus of Nu Quantum’s technology. Orchestrating such systems also requires ultra-high precision synchronization across the network-enabled architecture and this is where White Rabbit comes in.

“The high-value systems we are creating need very precise and synchronised orchestration: White Rabbit is the perfect tool to deliver this, and we are delighted to be collaborating with CERN to make it happen,” says Ed Wood, VP of Product at Nu Quantum

The technology underpins plans for a scalable control architecture, critical to operating distributed quantum computers at data centre scale. Earlier this year (2025) Nu Quantum announced the world’s first modular, rack-mounted, data centre compatible Quantum Networking Unit (QNU), a key component in realising quantum data centres. This was developed under the UK Government’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), and Nu Quantum recently received £2.3M from Innovate UK to lead a project (Hyperion) demonstrating a scalable, industrialised qubit-photon interface which will serve to connect quantum processors efficiently into the computing network.

Weaving together multiple quantum nodes via a QNU into a distributed network is the next step to bringing the new concept of a distributed quantum computing machine to life. Ed Wood says, “A first-of-its-kind product, the Quantum Networking Unit brings the industry closer to quantum networking solutions that can be deployed in the data centre. The high-value systems we are creating need very precise and synchronised orchestration: WR is the perfect tool to deliver this, and we are delighted to be collaborating with CERN to make it happen.”

Adopting White Rabbit has allowed Nu Quantum to accelerate development of their pioneering technology, and members of Nu Quantum’s technical team have visited the WR team at CERN on several occasions to engage in workshops and collaborative troubleshooting discussions. “By porting White Rabbit to our control platform, we enable the development of an orchestration system where nodes can take for granted the concept of time synchronised to the sub-nanosecond regime,“ says Romerson Oliveira, Senior FPGA Engineer at Nu Quantum. “This entails a big effort in terms of hardware, gateware, and software development; and to this end, the collaboration with CERN and the guidance from the White Rabbit bureau has been fundamental.”

The CERN-based bureau was created by the White Rabbit Collaboration to support its members to adopt and use the technology. For a relatively young company (Nu Quantum was founded in 2018) being associated with CERN also brings credibility.

“Being able to say we are collaborating with CERN boosts trust,” says Simone Eizagirre Barker , Product Manager at Nu Quantum. “It’s been a very positive and constructive relationship. Beyond the very fruitful technical collaborations, CERN invited us to present at their international quantum conference, and we were also lucky to have a distinguished CERN speaker at the inaugural Forum of the Quantum Datacenter Alliance, an industry forum focused on scaling quantum computing, led by Nu Quantum.