Quantum Hardware Database
Rigetti Novera QPU
The Rigetti Novera is notable for being the first commercially purchasable quantum processing unit (QPU) — allowing research institutions and companies to own and operate a quantum processor on-premise rather than relying solely on cloud access. With 9 qubits, it's designed for research, education, and quantum error correction experimentation.
Qubit Count
9
Qubit Type
Superconducting (tunable transmon qubits)
Architecture
Square lattice
Released
2023
Gate Error (2Q)
~1–2% per two-qubit gate
Coherence Time
T₁ ~40–80 µs
Operating Temp
~15 millikelvin
Cloud Access
Yes — Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services (QCS)
Company
Rigetti Computing
Connectivity
Nearest-neighbor square grid
Key Features
- First commercially purchasable QPU — buy and operate on-premise
- Designed for quantum error correction research and education
- Full control over the hardware — not limited by cloud access constraints
- Comes with Rigetti's full software stack (Quil, pyQuil, QCS)
Limitations
- Only 9 qubits — not suitable for large-scale algorithm demonstrations
- Higher gate error rates than leading research systems
- Requires significant supporting infrastructure (dilution refrigerator, control electronics)
Technical Notes
The Novera's significance is primarily commercial and educational rather than raw performance — it opens the possibility of on-premise quantum computing for the first time, which matters for organizations with security, latency, or customization requirements that cloud access cannot meet.