Our History
Founded in 2019 as a spinoff from Institut d’Optique, Pasqal emerged from groundbreaking research in neutral atom quantum computing led by quantum physics pioneer Alain Aspect. From our origins in a Paris laboratory to becoming a leading force in quantum technology, we’ve rapidly advanced the development of practical quantum processors using our proprietary neutral atom architecture. Today, Pasqal stands at the forefront of quantum innovation, partnering with industry leaders across finance, energy, and manufacturing to solve complex computational challenges previously thought impossible with classical computing systems.
2001 : Single Atom Precision
G. Reymond achieved the first controlled trapping of a single atom in an optical tweezer, published in Nature. This technical milestone demonstrated unprecedented control over individual quantum particles, establishing the foundational technique that would eventually allow Pasqal to manipulate arrays of atoms as qubits.
2009 : Rydberg Blockade Breakthrough
Antoine Browaeys demonstrated the first Rydberg blockade effect between individual atoms, a phenomenon that prevents nearby atoms from simultaneously entering excited states. This discovery, published in Nature Physics, provided a critical mechanism for creating quantum gates between neutral atoms, opening new possibilities for quantum information processing.
2016 : 30-Qubit Quantum Simulation
Thierry Lahaye and Antoine Browaeys achieved quantum simulation with 30 qubits using neutral atoms, published in Nature. This experiment demonstrated that neutral atom platforms could scale beyond the capabilities of other quantum computing approaches, showing impressive coherence and control that validated the technology’s potential.
2018 : 3D Quantum Architecture
The team led by Lahaye and Browaeys pushed boundaries with a simulation using 49 qubits and 72 atoms in a three-dimensional configuration. This advancement, published in Nature and Physical Review X, showcased the unique scalability of neutral atom systems and their ability to implement complex quantum models in three dimensions. principles that would later enable Pasqal’s technology.
2019 : Pasqal’s Birth
Thierry Lahaye, Antoine Browaeys, G. Reymond, and C. Jurczak founded Pasqal to transform their pioneering academic research into commercial quantum computing solutions. The company launched with the mission to harness the power of neutral atom quantum computing to solve previously intractable real-world problems across industries.
2021 : Quantum Simulations with hundreds of Rydberg atoms
Pasqal’s co-founder achieved simulation with 196 qubits published in Nature. This milestone solidified Pasqal’s strategy at the forefront of quantum computing development, proving that our neutral atom technology could outperform classical systems for practical applications.
