IonQ and Q-CTRL Partner to Unlock Quantum Optimization with Fire Opal on Forte Quantum Processors
Native integration of Q-CTRL’s Fire Opal software with IonQ’s hardware will accelerate real-world applications without specialized quantum expertise
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 23, 2026 – Q-CTRL, the global leader in quantum infrastructure software, and IonQ, the world’s leading quantum platform company, today announced the native integration of Q-CTRL’s Fire Opal software into IonQ’s quantum processors to maximize their quantum performance.
Quantum optimization is a compelling candidate for near-term quantum acceleration across problems in logistics, finance, energy, and more. For the typical customer, even an expert in quantum computing, extracting high-quality solutions from real hardware is highly challenging; many parameters and techniques must be manually tuned or adjusted by the user, mandating a depth and breadth of specialized skills few end users possess.
Q-CTRL and IonQ are reducing the barriers to achieving true commercial value from the most advanced quantum processors, natively integrating Fire Opal’s Optimization Solver directly into IonQ Quantum Cloud as a single, fully configured, easy-to-use function. Now any end user can focus on their optimization problem, allowing Fire Opal to automatically handle all aspects of execution on real hardware to achieve the most valuable results.
IonQ Quantum Cloud users can access Fire Opal’s Optimization Solver directly on IonQ’s Forte and Forte-Enterprise devices, the company's highest-performing, commercially available quantum computers.
At Q-CTRL, we’re focused on providing the infrastructure software that makes it possible for end users to achieve true positive ROI from the most advanced quantum computers available. The capability to solve world-changing problems is right there inside of these extraordinary machines. We’re thrilled to partner with IonQ in empowering customers with the quantum-control infrastructure software that brings this power within reach. Alex Shih, VP of Product at Q-CTRL
The value of the Fire Opal optimization solver coupled to IonQ Forte is captured in a telecommunications industry case study, delivering the correct solution to reduce network interference out of 68 billion possibilities.
In addition to this native optimization solver on the IonQ Quantum Cloud, Fire Opal’s performance-management capabilities for integrating error suppression into an arbitrary quantum circuit remain available for IonQ hardware via Amazon Braket. These expanded access points now enable users to achieve meaningful industrial outcomes and reliable results without specialized expertise in quantum hardware.
Q-CTRL has an unrivaled track record of creating modular, enterprise-grade infrastructure software, integrated across a range of quantum computing architectures, from trapped ions and semiconductor spins to superconducting qubits. Algorithm performance can be boosted by up to 1,000x, making Fire Opal an extraordinarily powerful and versatile tool for enterprise end users seeking reliable performance enhancement across their varied applications.
In our experience, IonQ has been a leading hardware platform, and we are excited by what the native integration of Fire Opal error suppression and optimization can unlock. We expect the Fire Opal optimization solver will significantly streamline our workflow by abstracting away from the specific quantum circuits and unlocking latent hardware performance, allowing us to focus fully on solving the core problem rather than managing the complexities of implementation. Dr. David Benoit, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Physics and Astrochemistry at the University of Hull
To use Fire Opal on IonQ Quantum Cloud, visit Q-CTRL’s website to request access: https://q-ctrl.com/fire-opal/ionq
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum platform and merchant supplier - delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security. IonQ’s newest generation of quantum computers, the IonQ Tempo, is the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance.
Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Our quantum computing services are available through all major cloud providers, while we also meet the needs of networking and sensing customers across land, sea, air, and space. IonQ is making quantum platforms more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
About Q-CTRL
Q-CTRL is a global leader in quantum infrastructure software that makes quantum technology useful. Q-CTRL delivers field-deployable capabilities for navigation in GPS-denied environments based on software-ruggedized quantum sensors, with collaborators including Lockheed Martin and Airbus. Their efforts in leveraging software to solve the most challenging problems in making quantum technologies useful carry over to quantum computing, where Q-CTRL partners with industry pioneers like IBM, Rigetti, and AWS to enhance quantum computer performance through AI-driven control solutions. The company’s breakthroughs have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and recognized by TIME Magazine as transforming both commercial and defense operations. Founded in 2017 by Professor Michael J. Biercuk, Q-CTRL operates globally from offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Huntsville, Berlin, and Oxford.
