ETH spin-off Qendra builds quantum control device for trapped ions and neutral atoms
ETH Zurich spin-off Qendra is developing a compact control system that synchronises lasers and detectors and aims to correct errors during trapped-ion and neutral-atom operations.
The story in focus
Qendra, an ETH Zurich spin-off founded in February 2026, is building a control device that generates and coordinates signals for trapped-ion and neutral-atom quantum computers. The unit is currently a minimum viable product and adds continuous measurement evaluation to select correction pulses, a capability the company says existing commercial control systems lack.
- Qendra's device synchronises lasers, cameras and detectors and routes radio-frequency signals to qubits via a modulator or antenna.
- The system evaluates measurements continually and selects a laser or radio-frequency pulse to correct errors mid-calculation.
- Founders Martin Stadler, Ferdinand Felder and Chidzahi Mabritto expect to grow from four to seven employees by the end of 2026.
What the device does
A quantum computer needs lasers, cameras and detectors to interact with precision. Qendra's compact grey unit generates tightly controlled radio-frequency signals that reach qubits along two routes: one pulses a laser beam through a modulator, the other feeds an antenna that addresses the ions directly. The device also reads photodiodes and drives components such as lasers, signal generators and oscilloscopes, allowing specific qubit operations to be triggered.
Stadler compares the control system to an orchestra conductor coordinating the components so the result is a symphony rather than noise.
Error correction gap
Qendra argues that existing control systems lack the ability to identify an error during a calculation and immediately correct it, an if-then capability familiar from classical programming. Qubits are easily disturbed and cannot be measured directly without destroying stored information. Stadler says developers still rely largely on post-processing, collecting measurement data and computing afterward what the result would have been with error correction. Qendra's system instead evaluates measurements continuously and picks the appropriate correction pulse.
Status and outlook
The product is a minimum viable product, not yet ready for large-scale rollout. Early users include Jonathan Home's ETH research group and the ETH spin-off ZuriQ. Qendra is also in discussions with neutral-atom groups including the start-up QuEra in Boston and Mikhail Lukin's research group at Harvard. Stadler forecasts that a market estimated at around USD 50 million today could exceed USD 1 billion in ten years as neutral atoms gain momentum. The company is seeking investors and aims to offer a standard control solution within five years.
When can researchers buy a production version of Qendra's control system?
No date is given. The current device is a minimum viable product that Stadler calls capable but not ready for large-scale rollout; the company targets a standard solution within five years.
Sources & further reading
Help keep the record accurate. Send a correction.
