Last Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of Excel, one of the most powerful and influential tools ever created by the global software industry. When Microsoft’s now-legendary spreadsheet program was born — originally for Apple’s rival Macintosh computer — it wasn’t the first of its kind. Its predecessor, Lotus 1-2-3, still dominated the market.
What began as a simple, focused tool for accountants and bookkeepers evolved into a global powerhouse that helped drive the personal computing revolution. From students to CEOs, from startups to governments — Excel is now used by some 800 million people worldwide.
What is less known is that a decisive share of this phenomenal success — which has earned Microsoft billions over the years — belongs to hundreds of engineers in Excel’s Israeli development center in Herzliya, and to the two people who lead it: Tamar Tzruya Bar-Zakai, 54, and Yair Helman, 56. The pair, among Microsoft’s longest-serving and most senior executives (Helman has been with the company for 28 years, Tzruya for “only” 16), both live in Even Yehuda and have played a key role in transforming Excel — especially over the past decade — from a technical, even dull spreadsheet into a dynamic online platform now undergoing a revolution through artificial intelligence.
Yair Helman, who studied computer engineering at the Technion, now leads Excel’s Core Engineering team at Microsoft’s Israeli development centre.
I’ll never forget my first visit to the Technion in my early twenties. Visiting the engineering department with my parents, themselves devoted ATS supporters, we watched a professor conduct an aerodynamics experiment with nothing more than a hairdryer. That brilliant mind, working with limited resources, embodied Israeli ingenuity at its finest.
Following in my parents’ footsteps, I’ve only deepened my commitment to the Technion over the years. Recently, I established my first charitable gift annuity (CGA) to achieve two goals: supporting the groundbreaking work of Technion professors and researchers while generating a strong return on my investment.
Sometimes the best financial decisions are also the most meaningful. By funding a CGA, I’ve locked in an attractive interest rate that exceeds those of high-yield savings accounts or CDs while creating a reliable income stream for life. I also received an immediate tax deduction. After my lifetime, the remaining balance will support the Technion’s vital mission.
I’m doing well by doing good.
Here’s an interesting bit of trivia: donors who fund CGAs tend to outlive their actuarial expectations! Confounding factors aside, I’m proud to join this vibrant, long-lived cohort.
There’s no better time to fund a CGA than now. Rates are at historic highs, and Israel needs us more than ever. During my visit to the Technion last summer, I felt my passion for the Technion strengthen. I want to do my part to help brilliant Technion minds make groundbreaking discoveries and secure Israel’s future.
Imagine: After a business lunch in Tel Aviv, you’re back in New York City in time for dinner. Your teen aces her afternoon math exam in Boston before kicking her way to victory at a twilight soccer match in Los Angeles. Academic researchers are discovering new minerals on their weekly expeditions to the moon. You’re looking forward to a well-deserved summer vacation beneath the soaring mountains of Mars.
Possibilities like these may be science fiction today, but tomorrow they could become reality thanks to high-speed (or hypersonic) flight, enabled by technologies that Technion minds are working diligently to develop — not only to expand humanity’s access to distant locales, but also to preserve Israeli lives.
Indeed, the same technologies that will enable rapid transport across the globe and into space will also prepare Israel to defend itself against a new generation of airborne threats: missiles that can travel faster than a bullet and evade even the most cutting-edge defense systems.
Fielding an aircraft at hypersonic speeds — greater than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound — is an extraordinary feat.
“When vehicles travel at hypersonic speeds, conventional aerodynamics, physics, and engineering go out the window,” said Brigadier General (ret.) Amnon Harari, director of the Center for High-Speed Flight at the Technion. “The time-tested mathematical equations that dictate forces like lift and thrust no longer apply.”
The conditions of hypersonic flight are extreme, to say the least. Shock waves form around the vehicle, the surrounding air becomes turbulent and chaotic, and the vehicle’s ability to position itself and maneuver is affected. The friction between the vehicle and the air generates pressure that could crush conventional aircraft and heat that rivals the surface of the sun. The chemical composition of the air changes, transforming the molecules into their atomic components, and then energizing them into ions — substances that attack surfaces and confound engines. Indeed, both the composition of the air and the speed at which it travels present significant challenges related to engine design.
“At hypersonic speeds, igniting an engine is like lighting a match in a hurricane,” said Joe Lefkowitz, associate professor in the Stephen B. Klein Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and co-founder of the Center for High-Speed Flight. In short, hypersonics necessitate a revolution in every aspect of aircraft design: a completely different propulsion system, aerodynamic design, materials, structure, controls, and fuels.
PROF. JOE LEFKOWITZ.
The Vital Importance of Hypersonics Research
Global interest in high-speed flight dates back to the 1930s, when the question of fielding a vehicle at very high speeds was merely a thought experiment.
Theory gave way to practice in the 1960s, as the United States and Soviet Union raced to space — or, more precisely, made the journey back to Earth. The hypersonic regime does not take effect in space, given the absence of air, but rather kicks in once the vehicle approaches Earth, accelerates due to gravity, and makes contact with air.
Today, the world’s interest in hypersonics is driven by military imperatives, as the U.S., China, Russia, Iran, and other nations race to develop these technologies to outgun their adversaries.
“Every world superpower has hypersonic technology in development,” explained Harari. “Most pertinent to Israel, our regional foes, including Iran and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, are developing hypersonic missiles.”
– BRIGADIER GENERAL (RET.) AMNON HARARI, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR HIGH-SPEED FLIGHT AT THE TECHNION.
Such missiles are particularly deadly because they have the ability to maneuver, to curve and swerve, thereby evading traditional defense systems. They also have a greater ability than traditional missiles to strike without warning, because they can travel lower in the atmosphere, flying under the radar.
A Growing Threat to Israel
When Houthis attacked Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4, 2025, they used a ballistic missile that some believe had hypersonic capabilities. The Houthis have claimed the missile has stealth technology, a range of 1,335 miles, high maneuverability, and the ability to travel up to speeds of Mach 16. While these claims have not been validated, we do know the missile defied Israel’s efforts to intercept it using its long-range Arrow Antimissile System and the U.S.-made Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) antimissile system. The strike damaged airport infrastructure, injured Israeli citizens, and temporarily grounded flights to and from the airport.
Iran, like the Houthis, has boasted of having hypersonic capabilities. Though the missiles Iran deployed against Israel in June 2025 lacked the maneuverability of true hypersonic missiles, the nation’s bluster indicates its hypersonic ambitions.
Israel had anticipated such a threat long before 2025. While David’s Sling, Iron Dome, and the Arrow Antimissile System have saved millions of Israeli lives, new defensive technology is needed to counter the hypersonic threats of today and tomorrow.
The Technion began exploring the possibility of a comprehensive program in hypersonic research as early as 2018, when Prof. Lefkowitz and Prof. Dan Michaels in the aerospace engineering faculty began drumming up interest among their colleagues. Their vision was to create a new center that would serve as a national hub for hypersonic research.
PROF. DAN MICHAELS, HEAD OF THE SYLVIA AND DAVID I.A. FINE ROCKET PROPULSION CENTER.
Technion leadership — and the University’s founding partner, Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development — appreciated the relevance of hypersonic capabilities to Israel’s security. If Israel were to successfully defend itself against hypersonic missiles, it would need to understand how they operated.
Today, with the only faculty of aerospace engineering in Israel, the Technion is the national nexus for fundamental research on hypersonics in Israel. Launched in 2023, the Center for High-Speed Flight is breaking new ground in the field.
PROF. LEFKOWITZ’S COMBUSTION AND DIAGNOSTICS LABORATORY. CREDIT: SIVAN SHACHOR
A Technion Research Priority
The Center’s research aims to answer perplexing questions related to hypersonic flight: What kinds of materials can withstand the heat, pressure, and chemical reactions related to high-speed flight? How do you build an engine that can ignite and sustain a flame in air traveling so fast, air that is no longer composed of oxygen? How do you create fuels that not only provide energy, but also double as a coolant? What is the precise balance of lift and thrust needed to field a vehicle when the traditional laws of aerodynamics no longer apply?
Answering these questions will require extensive research infrastructure. Aircraft are designed using very large wind tunnels that simulate the conditions of flight. While the Technion already boasts one impressive tunnel that is designed to test materials and can heat air to temperatures of more than 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit, additional infrastructure is needed to test engines and fuels.
RENDERED IMAGE OF A SUPERHEATED JET ENGINE.
“Hypersonic conditions are so extreme that a single wind tunnel will not suffice,” explained Harari. “You need multiple tunnels to conduct this research, and that’s exactly what we’re building in the Center.”
Hypersonics research also requires expertise from multiple academic disciplines, including materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and physics. By bringing together researchers from these diverse fields — both Technion faculty and visiting professors — the Center will facilitate this kind of collaboration.
“Our hope is that the Center for High-Speed Flight will serve as a hub for world-class, interdisciplinary collaboration on hypersonics,” said Prof. Michaels.
To advance this research, the Technion has assembled a diverse coalition of external collaborators, with funding for the Center coming from the Ministry of Defense, Israeli industry, and donors from the American Technion Society and around the world.
“What we’ve done in the Center is amazing,” said Harari. “Israeli defense companies that compete with one another on a daily basis for market share are sitting together around the same table.” They are also collaborating with branches of the U.S. military — particularly the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Naval Research Laboratory.
Harari continued, “Ultimately, our hope is that fundamental research born in Technion labs will provide our Israeli industry and military partners with the insights needed to create a protective shield around Israel — while also benefiting our greatest ally, the United States.”
The Future of High-Speed Flight
Though the defense applications of hypersonic technology are the most immediately relevant to Israel, the science might eventually lead to civilian applications, too. Perhaps most exciting is the potential for expanded access to space.
“Within the realm of hypersonic research, the civilian dream is space access,” said Prof. Lefkowitz.
As numerous disasters have reminded us, flying to space using a conventional rocket is risky. Rockets carry massive oxidizer tanks that can result in deadly explosions. Hypersonic engines — which are known as scramjet engines and can accelerate a vehicle up to 10,000 feet per second — rely on air flowing into the vehicle, which significantly reduces the oxygen required on board. This can make hypersonic travel to space both safer and cheaper and creates the possibility of making space travel a routine occurrence.
“Today, space travel is reserved for a handful of highly trained astronauts each year,” said Prof. Lefkowitz. “Imagine, though, if traveling to space were as easy as purchasing a ticket and packing your bags.”
Prof. Michaels points to the potential for interplanetary travel as an exciting extension of expanded space access. Just as rockets must withstand hypersonic conditions upon reentering Earth’s atmosphere, the same is true for entry to other planets’ atmospheres. Though fielding manned hypersonic vehicles presents a unique set of challenges — given the need to protect passengers from the intense heat and sound and to compensate for additional size and weight — such vehicles could expand the frontiers of scientific research.
“The potential of hypersonic technology to advance planetary research is quite promising,” said Prof. Michaels.
“From its roots in defense, hypersonic research has the potential to grow exponentially in decades to come, leading to new technologies that will benefit human travel in our solar system.”
– PROF. DAN MICHAELS
On the slopes of Mount Carmel, the Technion’s brightest minds are working hard to crack the code on hypersonics. For Israel, this research is not a luxury, but a vital security need.
Yet the same research that will help create a protective shield around Israel may one day afford humanity the luxuries we can only dream of — whether it’s traversing the Earth in hours or catching a flight to a nearby planet, making the globe smaller while also expanding our world. Though such capabilities may still seem distant, Technion research is drawing us closer to these extraordinary possibilities.
The study was led by Prof. Avi Schroeder and Dr. Patricia Mora-Raimundo at the Technion.
Their music is one of the most influential examples of mind-altering psychedelic rock.
But scientists say listening to Pink Floyd really does have an effect on your brain cells – and could make them more susceptible to future treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The surprising finding comes from a study in which researchers played the band’s 1979 hit, Another Brick In The Wall, and monitored the impact it had on brain cells in humans and mice.
They found the low-frequency sounds in the song made cells ‘vibrate’ and caused certain parts of the brain to ‘light up’, indicating greater activity, and triggering the release of certain proteins.
This increased activity could help scientists deliver medicine to treat complex neurological conditions directly into the brain, researchers at the Israel Institute of Technology said.
Scientists have long puzzled over how to get medication across the blood-brain barrier – a thin membrane which protects brain cells from damaging pollutants in the blood but also stops most drugs.
The most promising way is using microscopic bubbles known as lipid nanoparticles, which have been used to carry the genetic material in Covid vaccines through the body.
They are so small that thousands of them could fit across the width of a human hair.
The latest study shows that low-frequency sounds such as those in Pink Floyd’s music can boost the absorption and effectiveness of these lipid nanoparticles in the brain by up to ten times by making brain cells more active.
Such findings suggest that music could one day be used as a gentle, non-invasive way to enhance treatments for brain diseases.
‘When you go into a dance hall and hear the thump-thump-thump of the bass, it feels as though your body is vibrating. That is what is happening to the brain when Pink Floyd is played,’ explains
Professor Avi Schroeder, who led the team alongside Dr Patricia Mora-Raimundo.
‘This low-frequency sound could be a valuable tool for enhancing drug delivery to specific brain areas. It opens up new possibilities for precision medicine, where sound waves are tailored to activate specific brain regions for targeted treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.’
Treatments for both degenerative diseases are limited and only delay progression of the disease.
But one of the most promising treatments is gene therapy, which could boost healthy brain cells or repair or replace faulty genes inside cells. Lipid nanoparticles are being investigated as a way to deliver such therapies.
The human volunteers for the study, reported in the Journal of Controlled Release, were played different types of music at different frequencies while inside an MRI scanner. The Pink Floyd hit was the most successful at creating activity in key areas of the brain.
Israel’s PillCam revolutionized GI imaging, and now others are following that success with other non invasive solutions that journey through the body.
Every list of the greatest Israeli inventions includes PillCam.
PillCam is a video camera swallowed like a vitamin pill. It travels through the gastrointestinal tract, sending clear images to the physician on its way out of the body.
Invented by an Israeli electro-optical engineer and his neighbor, a gastroenterologist, the camera-in-a-pill endoscopy device signaled a worldwide diagnostic revolution. Capsule endoscopy has been FDA-approved and in use since 2001.
Given Imaging, the Israeli company that commercialized the PillCam, was acquired in 2013 by Irish company Covidien. Following Covidien’s acquisition by US-based Medtronic, the PillCam platform has been further developed through the Covidien Minimally Invasive Therapies Division of Medtronic.
The PillCam capsule endoscopy platform now enables physicians to detect GI abnormalities, monitor disease (such as Crohn’s) and assess treatment efficacy for conditions in the esophagus, stomach, small bowel and colon (large intestine).
This milestone follows significant developments including the 2023 FDA clearance of ReWalk 6.0 for stairs and curbs usage, and the 2024 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) national reimbursement policy approval for qualified beneficiaries. The company, which made history in 2014 with the first FDA-cleared exoskeleton medical device for SCI patients, will commence ReWalk 7 sales in the United States once the product becomes available.
The decision reinforces the medical necessity of ReWalk’s technology and is expected to influence coverage decisions by commercial insurers. The ReWalk 7, the company’s latest innovation and the only personal exoskeleton capable of navigating stairs and curbs, received FDA clearance in March 2025 and is now commercially available in the United States.
Insights
Medicare ruling establishes ReWalk exoskeleton as medically necessary, opening significant reimbursement pathways that should accelerate adoption and revenue growth.
The Administrative Law Judge ruling represents a landmark reimbursement victory for Lifeward’s ReWalk technology. This decision—coming at the highest level of Medicare appeals—establishes legal precedent that the exoskeleton meets Medicare’s critical “reasonable and necessary” standard for medical devices.
From Artificial Intelligence to Aerospace Medicine, These Rising Stars Are Shaping the Future
The Technion is proud to celebrate the inclusion of four exceptional students and alumni on this year’s Forbes Israel 30 Under 30 list. Their groundbreaking achievements span artificial intelligence, space medicine, and deep-tech innovation—each one a shining example of how Technion graduates are making a global impact.
Dr. Dean Leitersdorf CEO & Co-founder, Decart.ai | Age: 26
Dean Leitersdorf isn’t just dreaming big—he’s building big. As co-founder of Decart.ai, Dean is on a mission to create a trillion-dollar AI company that could rival tech giants like Google and TikTok. A triple Technion graduate of the Taub Faculty of Computer Science with a PhD by age 23, Dean previously served in an elite IDF Unit and won the Israel Defense Prize.
Decart’s AI efficiency platform is already disrupting the market, and its AI-powered game Oasis reached 1 million users in just three days—faster than ChatGPT. With $53M in VC funding and profitability in its first year, Dean’s bold vision is just getting started.
“If you’re not in the top 0.1%, it’s not interesting.”
Dr. Summer Sofer Founder, Israeli Society for Aerospace Medicine | Age: 29
From the soccer pitch to NASA, Dr. Summer Sofer is breaking boundaries. A black belt in karate and former player on Israel’s national soccer team, she’s now pioneering space medicine in Israel while completing her medical degree at the Technion’s Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.
Born in New York and raised on resilience, Summer founded the Israeli Society for Aerospace Medicine to grow this underdeveloped field at home. She’s currently completing a specialization at NASA and envisions a national infrastructure for space medicine in Israel.
“It’s easier to advance something you truly believe in.”
Hen Davidov Rhodes Scholar & AI Researcher | Age: 25
“I never thought I fit the profile of a Rhodes Scholar,” says Hen Davidov—yet he’s now one of only two Israelis selected this year. His Technion-based research blends AI and medicine, focusing on building trustworthy diagnostic systems that support doctors with clear probability-based predictions.
Inspired by personal experiences with family illness, Hen’s work is already helping refine breast cancer diagnostics. A graduate of the Taub Faculty of Computer Science and soon to begin his PhD at Oxford, he aims to set new global standards for ethical, reliable medical AI.
“When it comes to medicine, the risks are multiplied.”
Dr. Ameer Haj Ali Founder, Universal AI | Age: 29
Dr. Ameer Haj Ali is redefining what’s possible in deep tech. Raised in Shfaram, a graduate of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ameer completed a record-fast PhD at UC Berkeley in just two years.
In 2025, he launched Universal AI—an ambitious startup focused on the next generation of AI infrastructure. Within two months, the company secured $10M in funding from high-profile investors, including Eric Schmidt, Jared Kushner, and Elad Gil. Ameer’s tireless commitment (including sleeping in the office!) reflects a deep drive to turn bold ideas into real-world impact.
“Time is the most precious resource. I feel behind every day.”
These four honorees represent the best of Technion’s spirit: fearless ambition, technical brilliance, and a commitment to solving real-world challenges. We salute their achievements—and can’t wait to see what they build next.
A new interdisciplinary study by researchers from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion reveals a surprising insight: local release of dopamine—a molecule best known for its role in the brain’s reward system—is a key factor in acquiring new motor skills
From writing and typing to playing a musical instrument or mastering a sport, learning movement-based tasks is one of the brain’s most complex challenges. This collaborative new study reveals how the brain reorganizes its neural networks during such skill learning and uncovers the vital role of dopamine in this process of motor learning.
The research, published in Nature Communications, was led by Dr. Hadas Benisty, Prof. Jackie Schiller, and M.D./Ph.D. student Amir Ghanayim, with contributions from Prof. Ronen Talmon and student Avigail Cohen-Rimon from the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The ability to acquire new motor skills is fundamental for adapting to our environment. This learning takes place in the primary motor cortex—a region of the brain responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements. From this cortical “command center,” signals are sent via the spinal cord to activate muscles and coordinate movement. Neural activity in this region is known to change as we learn new skills. However, the mechanisms that drive these changes remain unclear.
Key findings of the study
The researchers used advanced calcium imaging in behaving mice and chemogenetic inhibition techniques—engineered receptors and specific drugs—to temporarily switch off targeted brain cells, allowing researchers to study their function. They mapped dynamic changes in neural networks with cellular resolution within the motor cortex during the acquisition of a motor skill, and discovered that during learning, neural networks transition from a “beginner” to an “expert” structure.
Crucially, this process depends on the local release of dopamine in the motor cortex. Under normal conditions, dopamine molecules are delivered to this region by neurons originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA)—a central dopamine hub in the brain. The researchers hypothesized that this dopamine release triggers plasticity mechanisms, leading to changes in functional connectivity between neurons in the motor cortex. This process enables motor learning by storing new skills for future use. In essence, this is a form of reinforcement learning, where successful movement outcomes reinforce the brain’s internal wiring.
What happens when dopamine is blocked?
To test the necessity of this mechanism, the researchers examined both the activity and functional connectivity of the neural network and the learning process when dopamine release in the primary motor area was blocked. The results were clear: When dopamine was blocked, learning stopped completely—mice were unable to improve their performance in a forelimb-reaching task. The motor cortex neural network remained static. However, as soon as dopamine release was restored, learning resumed, along with reorganization of the neural network.
The study provides compelling evidence that local dopamine release serves as a crucial signal for neural plasticity in the motor cortex, enabling the necessary adaptations for producing precise and efficient motor commands. A particularly interesting discovery was that blocking dopamine did not affect previously learned motor skills. In other words, the researchers proved that dopamine is essential for learning new movements but is not required for performing already learned ones.
This study represents another step toward understanding brain plasticity and learning mechanisms at the cellular and network levels. It highlights the brain’s ability to reorganize itself, allowing us to refine our motor skills throughout life. These insights may also have important implications for treating neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, where dopamine production is impaired, and motor learning is compromised.
The laser missile defense system will be managed by the newly established Energy Warfare Administration in Rafael’s Land and Naval Systems Division.
With Israel’s Iron Beam laser missile defence system to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2025 Rafael Advanced Defense Systems today announced the establishment of a new Energy Warfare Administration in its Land and Naval Systems Division. The new administration will manage high-power laser systems projects.
The new administration head named only as Dr. Y. will serve under Rafael EVP & General Manager of the Land & Naval Systems Division Tzvi Marmor. Dr. Y., a graduate of the Technion with a Ph.D. in physics, joined Rafael about 12 years ago and has since held a series of senior positions in the engineering sector while leading the development and production of groundbreaking systems for national security. Among other things, she served as head of Israel’s Iron Dome production line and as head of electro-optics, which is integrated into most of the company’s advanced systems.
Rafael’s Land and Naval Systems Division at Rafael will continue to be responsible for the development, production and marketing of complete and integrative products and solutions in the areas of precision attack, including the Spike missile family, active, reactive and passive defense systems for tanks and armored vehicles, including Trophy, and Iron Beam.
The new administration will be responsible for Iron Beam in particular and the development and production of Rafael’s laser systems in general.
Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman said, “Dr. Y. brings with her extensive management experience of teams of hundreds of developers, as well as a deep understanding of technological needs and operational requirements. All of this will allow her to promote these flagship projects and realize the marketing and business potential in Israel and around the world.”
High-power laser system for ground-based air defense
Iron Beam is a high-power laser system for ground-based air defense, against aerial threats (rockets, mortar bombs, drones, and cruise missiles). The Ministry of Defense Directorate of Defense R&D (DDR&D) (MAFAT) is leading the project, along with Rafael, the main developer, and Elbit Systems.
Iron Beam be integrated into Israel’s multi-layered air defense system, alongside Iron Dome, which is an interception system for rocket threats within a range of 40 kilometers. Iron Beam will be a complementary system for intercepting rockets within a range of up to 10 kilometers, using a powerful 100 kilowatt laser beam. The major advantage of Iron Beam is in significant cost savings. While each interception with Iron Dome costs an estimated $30,000, each interception with Iron Beam will cost just $5-$10.
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 19, 2025 — Quantum Machines, the leading provider of advanced hybrid quantum-classical control solutions, announced today the release of QUAlibrate, an open-source framework for calibrating quantum computers.
The framework dramatically shortens calibration times and provides a comprehensive solution for creating, executing, and sharing calibration protocols across different quantum computing platforms. By creating an open ecosystem, QUAlibrate enables researchers and companies worldwide to build upon each other’s advances, accelerating the path to practical quantum computers.
“QUAlibrate has been transformative for our company,” said John Martinis, CTO and co-founder of Qolab. “Its automated calibration capabilities now complete full calibrations in less than 10 minutes – tasks that otherwise would demand up to two hours of manual work. This efficiency boost frees up our team to focus on accelerating our QPU development.”
Calibration has emerged as one of the most critical bottlenecks in scaling quantum computers. To properly initialize and maintain a quantum computer’s performance, calibration must be performed not just once, but frequently during operation to compensate for system drift. As quantum systems grow in size, the calibration challenge becomes exponentially more complex. For instance, calibrating a 100-qubit superconducting quantum computer from scratch can take up to two days, and even recalibrating an already-calibrated system can take an hour or more. This becomes impractical when scaling to future systems with hundreds of thousands of qubits.
“We care both about how long it takes to calibrate and about how good the calibration is, two things that sometimes collide, and this impacts the performance of the quantum computer as a whole,” said Dr. Yonatan Cohen, co-founder and CTO of Quantum Machines. “We built an open-source solution because we believe this is a challenge the community can solve together. Researchers in both academia and industry continuously develop new calibration algorithms and protocols. One day, a team in Boston might develop a protocol that increases quantum operation fidelity, the next day a European company might create a method to speed up calibrations. The path to solving this fundamental challenge lies in a collaborative approach where teams can instantly leverage each other’s advances and build on them.”
To address this fundamental challenge, Quantum Machines has developed QUAlibrate, an open-source calibration framework that transforms quantum calibration from a collection of isolated scripts into a modular, collaborative system. QUAlibrate enables researchers and quantum engineers to create reusable calibration components, combine them into complex workflows, and execute calibrations through an intuitive interface. The platform abstracts away hardware complexities, allowing teams to focus on quantum system logic rather than low-level details.
In a recent demonstration at the Israeli Quantum Computing Center (IQCC), QUAlibrate completed a multi-qubit calibration of superconducting qubits in just 140 seconds. The result demonstrates the system’s speed and efficiency in real-world conditions.
QUAlibrate’s open-source nature and modular architecture mean that when researchers develop new calibration protocols, these innovations can be immediately shared, validated, and built upon by the broader quantum computing community. Companies can also develop proprietary solutions on top of QUAlibrate that leverage advanced approaches like quantum system simulation and deep learning algorithms. This creates an ecosystem where fundamental calibration advances can be shared openly and enables specialized tools that push the boundaries of performance.
“It was fantastic to see QUAlibrate rapidly perform a complex, full tune-up on the Architect system, OQC’s partner system with OINS and Quantum Machines,” said Simon Philips, CTO of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC). “The results clearly demonstrated the power and efficiency of QUAlibrate’s automated calibration approach, as showcased by Quantum Machines.”
“At Quantum Elements, we see QUAlibrate as a meaningful step toward a more open and empowered quantum ecosystem,” said Izhar Medalsy, co-founder and CEO of Quantum Elements. “Calibration has long been a hidden bottleneck, often locked behind proprietary tools and inaccessible workflows. By making it open source, Quantum Machines is helping turn calibration into a shared foundation the entire field can build on. We believe this kind of openness not only accelerates progress — it also gives scientists the clarity and control they need to push quantum computing forward, together.”
“QUAlibrate has laid a vital groundwork for fast, reliable and efficient calibration on our QPU while we continue to scale up the size, connectivity and fidelity,” said David T. Lee, Research Scientist at Academia Sinica. “It’s definitely a game changer.”
Along with the framework, Quantum Machines is releasing its first calibration graph for superconducting quantum computers, providing a complete calibration solution that can be immediately deployed and customized. The graph leverages QUAlibrate’s parallel calibration capabilities to dramatically reduce calibration times. Looking ahead, Quantum Machines and NVIDIA are developing software libraries that will integrate QUAlibrate with accelerators like the NVIDIA DGX Quantum, enabling even faster calibration times and higher fidelity calibrations using machine learning models.
Quantum Machines (QM) is a leading provider of quantum control solutions, driving the advancement of quantum computing with its Hybrid Control approach. By harmonizing quantum and classical operations, Hybrid Control eliminates friction and optimizes performance across hardware and software, enabling researchers and builders to iterate at speed, resolve setbacks, and bring visionary ideas to life. Its platform supports any type of quantum processor, empowering the industry to scale systems, accelerate breakthroughs, and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
