Researchers from the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Science and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) are prioritizing collaboration over competition to advance quantum computer development and the field of quantum information. They are doing this through Open Quantum Design (OQD), a non-profit organization that boasts the world's first open-source, full stack quantum computer.
OQD was co-founded in 2024 by faculty members in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and IQC, Drs. Crystal Senko, Rajibul Islam and Roger Melko, alongside CEO Greg Dick (BSc '93).
The group is helping reshape how quantum research is shared, opening doors for the next generation of quantum scientists, and even seeding new quantum startups.
"We are offering a shared hub where groups can contribute what they're comfortable sharing and, as a non-profit, we can be transparent about real progress without commercial pressures," Senko says.
OQD's stack spans hardware, the electronic and computing layers that run it, and open software. Their quantum computer uses ion-trapping, which involves isolating charged atoms (ions) in a vacuum and manipulating them with lasers and electromagnetic fields. This isolation allows the atoms to act as quantum bits (qubits), storing and processing information with carefully controlled interactions.
