CESGA and CITIUS to Deliver International Tutorial on Practical Distributed Quantum Computing Using CUNQA and NetQMPI at IEEE Quantum Week (QCE26)

The Galicia Supercomputing Center (CESGA) will have a prominent presence at the upcoming edition of the IEEE International Conference in Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE26), globally renowned as IEEE Quantum Week (https://qce.quantum.ieee.org/2026/program/tutorial-schedule/). Researchers from the center, in collaboration with the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), will deliver a specialized tutorial titled “Practical Distributed Quantum Computing: Programming distributed applications with NetQMPI over CUNQA Emulator” – Friday, September 18, 2026 (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM).

As quantum computing technologies mature, the physical limitations on qubit counts and coherence times within a single Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) make monolithic scaling increasingly difficult. Distributed Quantum Computing (DQC) offers a highly viable path forward by connecting multiple QPUs via quantum networks to form a unified computational cluster. However, designing, testing, and debugging distributed quantum applications requires specialized programming models and robust simulation environments that bridge the gap between quantum mechanics and classical network topologies.

The primary objective of this training session is to provide attendees —including quantum software engineers, HPC researchers transitioning to quantum architectures, and computer science graduate students— with the practical skills required to prototype, profile, and execute scalable quantum algorithms. Participants will learn how to transition from standard monolithic quantum circuits to distributed architectures, covering remote entanglement management, quantum state teleportation across network nodes, and the simulation of network latency and noise.

Cutting-Edge Tools Developed in Galicia The hands-on component of the tutorial will leverage two powerful, state-of-the-art tools that showcase Galicia’s leading role in the global quantum ecosystem:

  • – CUNQA: A state-of-the-art emulator tailored for distributed quantum computing environments. CUNQA is an in-house development created entirely at CESGA within the framework of the national strategic project QUANTUM SPAIN, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.
  • – NetQMPI: An MPI-inspired message-passing interface designed specifically for quantum network nodes. This library is the result of a successful, close scientific collaboration between CESGA and Citius-USC (Singular Center for Research in Intelligent Technologies at the University of Santiago de Compostela).

The session will be presented on September 18th by experts Jorge Vázquez-Pérez (CESGA), F. Javier Cardama (USC), Tomás F. Pena (USC-Citius), and Andrés Gómez (CESGA), who will lead participants through foundational theory and comprehensive Python-based coding sessions.