EuroHPC JU Inaugurates Lucy Quantum Computer in France

On April 14, 2026, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) inaugurated Lucy, a photonic quantum computer located near Paris, France. The system is hosted and operated by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) at the Très Grand Centre de Calcul (TGCC) in Bruyères-le-Châtel.

Lucy is designed to function as a quantum accelerator integrated with the Joliot-Curie supercomputer. This hybrid architecture, referred to as HPC-Quantum, combines the classical processing power of high-performance computing (HPC) with quantum processors to address complex computational problems that are difficult for classical systems alone.

Technical Specifications and Architecture

The system is a MOSAIQ-12 photonic quantum computer developed by Quandela in a consortium with attocube systems AG. It enables computations with up to 12 physical qubits and utilizes a photonic chip design with all-to-all connectivity and 24 modes.

Technical benchmarks for the system include a 1-qubit gate fidelity of 99.6 ± 0.1%, a 2-qubit gate fidelity of 99.0 ± 0.8%, and a read-out fidelity of 99%. The hardware is air-cooled and has a power consumption of 4.8 kW in the main system.

The quantum computer is managed via MosaiqOS and supports several programming environments for developers and researchers, including Qiskit, Perceval, myQLM, and the Quandela Quantum Toolbox SDK.

Strategic Objectives and Sovereignty

Lucy represents the fourth quantum computer inaugurated by the EuroHPC JU. The project, which cost €8.5 million, was acquired by EuroHPC through the EuroQCS-France consortium via GENCI (Grand Équipement National de Calcul Intensif).

The system relies exclusively on European technological components and was produced on Quandela’s production lines in Massy, France. This development is part of a broader European strategy to build sovereign, world-class supercomputing infrastructure and reduce reliance on non-European technology.

Lucy is the fourth EuroHPC quantum computer to be inaugurated. It brings new quantum capabilities to Europe’s supercomputing ecosystem and marks another important milestone for our technological sovereignty.

Anders Jensen, Executive Director of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking

Industrial and Scientific Applications

The hybrid HPC-quantum system is now accessible to European academic and industrial communities. It’s intended to accelerate research and development across several high-impact fields, including:

• Material science and the simulation of new materials
• Meteorology and energy research
• Advanced engineering and logistics network optimization
• Machine learning and the discovery of therapeutic molecules for drug discovery

The inauguration ceremony was attended by several key officials, including Anne Le Hénanff, the French Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, and Kilian Gross, Director in the Directorate-General Communication Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT) at the European Commission.

By coupling photonic quantum processing with existing supercomputing resources, the TGCC aims to provide a scalable infrastructure that allows researchers to explore quantum acceleration in practical, real-world scientific and technological applications.