Offering the first open-source trapped-ion quantum computer, Open Quantum Design is inviting partners in industry and academia to “play in the sandbox” of a tech revolution.
There’s a catch-22 in quantum computing. To truly understand the potential power of quantum computing, it really helps to have a quantum computer.
But as tech giants absorb talent and intellectual property in the global race to commercialize quantum technology, access to nascent quantum processors becomes more elusive to the young scientists and entrepreneurs chasing quantum leaps in areas from clean energy to medicine and cybersecurity.
The people most likely to unlock the greatest benefits of quantum computing are increasingly struggling to access the hardware and software they need to test theories, run algorithms, and push the field forward.
Open access with Open Quantum Design
One Canadian startup is taking a different approach. Open Quantum Design (OQD) aims to “democratize” quantum technology by granting full-stack open access to its trapped-ion quantum computer.
“There’s a massive shortage of quantum talent worldwide,” explains Roger Melko, one of OQD’s co-founders, who also holds associate faculty positions at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo. “For every three quantum jobs, there’s only one qualified individual. This gap exists because so few researchers have access to the hardware they need to develop their skills.”
OQD’s trapped-ion quantum computer is housed in the lab of University of Waterloo scientist Rajibul Islam, who co-founded OQD with Melko, CEO Greg Dick, and Crystal Senko, the Canada Research Chair in Trapped Ion Quantum Computing (also based at the University of Waterloo).
The computer uses individual ions as quantum bits, or qubits, held in place by electromagnetic traps in a vacuum and manipulated with precise lasers. Users write algorithms in quantum programming languages, which are translated into instructions that control the qubits’ energy states and entanglement to perform computations.
Everything about OQD’s computer – from ion-trapping hardware to its software code and user interface – is available to OQD’s collaborators.
OQD assembles partners in academia, industry, startups, and government in what Dick describes as a “global sandbox.” On January 15, 2025, four such partners announced that they had joined the sandbox: Xanadu (quantum software and hardware), the University of Waterloo (quantum research and education), Haiqu (quantum error correction and optimization), and the Unitary Foundation (nonprofit support for open-source quantum tools).
“We access the global talent pool, which is already too small,” says Dick. “Open-sourcing ensures the technology’s potential is harnessed safely and effectively.”
Why open-source quantum research matters
The alternative, of course, is unsafe quantum technology – powerful tools that could be misused if not properly safeguarded. One of quantum computing’s most powerful capabilities is also its most nefarious: the ability to factor very large numbers efficiently, which is the math behind practically all existing encryption.
While quantum computers capable of breaking encryption at scale are still years away, the democratic open-source philosophy favoured by OQD will be crucial for the safety of this evolving field. This philosophy is partly a reaction to the vast amount of quantum research now happening behind closed doors and the potential danger that entails.
According to McKinsey and Company, the world’s leading investments in quantum technology come from China ($15.3 billion USD), the European Union ($8.4 billion), and the United States ($3.7 billion) – and much of that research and development is hidden from view.
The democratic model devised by OQD is predicated on the belief that collaboration can achieve greater results than competition.
Open-source software and hardware
“We’ve been supporting open-source quantum technology around the world, but it has mostly focused on software,” says William Zeng, founder and president of the Unitary Foundation. “Partnering with OQD allows us to push forward open quantum hardware as well.”
Other quantum companies are adopting the open-source philosophy; IBM’s Qiskit and Google’s Cirq have developed open-source software platforms to allow researchers, educators, and developers to experiment with quantum programming.
Tim O’Reilly, the American author who helped popularize the term “open source,” said that “empowerment of individuals is a key part of what makes open source work, since in the end, innovations tend to come from small groups, not from large, structured efforts.”
According to Melko, OQD was founded with the vision of applying the open-source ethos to the team’s full stack of software and hardware – a rare combination when companies tend to hyper-specialize on one or the other. “Everything in the quantum computer will be accessible to the user, from the bare metal technical design to application programming interfaces,” he says.
The quest for quantum computing continues
The jury is still out on which hardware platform, or platforms, will form a truly scalable quantum computer; OQD is starting with trapped ions, but the hardware and software will evolve as users tinker, experiment, and improve the system, capitalizing on their collective expertise.
“We’re starting with trapped-ion technology, but we plan to diversify into other architectures,” says Melko. “OQD could eventually host development efforts for photonics, neutral atoms, and more.”
The evolution of the technology will be determined by a community of experts working together on a top-to-bottom quantum computer. It’s a solution to the catch-22.
“Open-source is more than simple access to a quantum computer,” says Xanadu Founder and CEO Christian Weedbrook. “It is access to a global quantum community in a playground that is a rich environment for innovation.”
