The Condensed Matter Physics Department – SPEC (UMR CEA–CNRS) and Greenfield Technology are joining forces through QTech, a new joint research laboratory selected under the French National Research Agency (ANR) LabCom programme 2026, aimed at developing a new generation of programmable digital instrumentation capable of operating directly in cryogenic environments. Primarily designed for quantum experiments, the technology could also find applications in other areas of advanced instrumentation.
Bringing programmable electronics closer to quantum experiments
Today, most of the instrumentations used to control and measure quantum systems is located outside the cryostat, and impacts the experiments in terms of noise, latency, integration and heat dissipation. QTech aims to overcome this technological barrier by bringing critical functions, such as signal generation and acquisition and real-time digital processing, at the closest of the experiment in the cool stages of the cryostat.
The goal is to develop a modular, programmable electronic architecture operating at low temperatures, from 4K to 70K, depending on the components and requirements. The project is built around cryo-compatible electronic printed circuit boards (PCBs) integrating analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters (ADCs/DACs) as well as programmable digital processing. Ultimately, QTech aims to deliver an integrated demonstrator validated in a relevant cryogenic environment and sufficiently mature to pave the way for an industrial solution.
Complementary expertise, from research to industry
QTech brings together the complementary expertise of its two partners. At CEA, SPEC contributes in instrumentation, analog and digital electronics, real-time signal processing and programmable architectures. Greenfield Technology brings its expertise in designing high-performance instrumentation systems, along with its experience in bringing technologies to the international scientific market.
The joint research laboratory builds on an established collaboration between Greenfield Technology and CEA in the field of high-speed instrumentation, including a CIFRE PhD project dedicated to cryogenic electronics. Suport for QTech through the ANR LabCom programme will help provide a long-term framework for this collaboration, with a pathway spanning research, technology maturation and industrial development.
While quantum technologies are QTech’s primary target application, the developments could also benefit other fields that share similar requirements for high-speed signal processing, low latency and energy efficiency, including advanced nuclear instrumentation and radar systems. By bringing these capabilities together within a cryo-compatible, modular and programmable architecture, QTech aims to develop a disruptive instrumentation technology, with industrialisation considered from the outset.