The holy grail of Quantum Computing: Long-coherence qubit with built-in photonic interface. All in a single molecule.

By carefully engineering the quantum properties of organic molecules, we created a scalable new path to quantum computing on photonic integrated circuits, without increasingly complex hardware.

Scaling is the bottleneck. Photonics is the clearest path to scale...

Quantum computing has made remarkable progress at the level of individual qubits, but scaling these systems into large, practical machines remains one of the field’s central challenges. As a result, much of the industry is increasingly turning toward photonic interconnectivity as a path to scale, using photons to connect qubits or clusters of qubits across systems.

...but the legacy qubits lack a native interface.

Current leading qubit platforms rely on increasingly complex hardware to achieve photonic interconnectivity. In most cases, the interface between stationary qubits and photons is not intrinsic to the quantum system, creating major challenges for scaling and integration.

Molecular engineering by NVision

NVision developed the first-ever long-coherence qubit with native photonic interface. All in one single molecule.

This is not just another qubit. It is the first quantum architecture designed from the molecular level for photonic interconnectivity and scalable integration into the existing infrastructure of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).

We call it PIQC - pronounced “pixie”: Photonic Integrated Quantum Circuits. 

For more information: See our latest publication

At the core of PIQC lies a photon emitting organic molecule.

PIQC utilizes carbene molecules engineered to function as molecular quantum nodes, where laser excitation drives controlled single-photon emission from an optically active electron spin, while a long-lived nuclear spin stores quantum information. This makes the system inherently suited for photonic interconnectivity on photonic integrated circuits

Scaling Through Photonic Chips

PIQC molecules can be deposited as thin organic films directly onto photonic chips, enabling dense photonic connectivity between qubits on a single chip with a path toward millions of qubits in compact systems. At the same time, the architecture leverages the scalable manufacturing infrastructure of the photonics industry, reducing the need for entirely new fabrication ecosystems and increasingly complex hardware.

Key Features

Long Coherence

2 millisecond coherence already demonstrated, with a clear path toward >20 millisecond quantum memory times.

Fast Gate Operations

Optically addressable spin operations in the microsecond regime, enabling fast clock speeds for scalable quantum systems.

Native to Photonic Chips

Printable as ultra-thin organic films (~20–100 nm) directly onto optical cavities in photonic chips and compatible with scalable photonic chip manufacturing processes.

Moderate Temperature Operations

Operates at practical cryogenic temperatures of 2–4 K, avoiding the extreme cooling requirements of other quantum architectures.

The Transistor Moment for Quantum Computing

In the 1940s, vacuum tubes like those in the ENIAC proved computing was possible, yet they remained engineering marvels that were impossible to scale due to heat, failures, and constant maintenance. Much like legacy qubits today, they hit a physical wall. The transition to the transistor in the 1950s solved this by enabling mass replication on Integrated Circuits. PIQC represents that same pivotal leap: moving away from complex, fragile setups toward simpler qubits designed from the ground up for seamless, scalable integration on Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).

The Power of Molecular Quantum Engineering

Legacy Quantum: The Material Gives You What the Material Gives You

Quantum computing has so far relied on quantum systems found in nature, from individual atoms and ions to crystal defects in solids. Whether using rubidium atoms, ytterbium ions, or defects in diamond and silicon, the material gives you what the material gives you. If coherence is limited, if optical properties are unstable, or if the system does not naturally interface well with photons, the solution is often to add more layers of hardware and engineering around the material itself. Over time, this creates increasing system complexity as architectures attempt to force scalability onto quantum systems that were never originally designed for it.

Future Quantum: Engineering from the Molecule Up

Our belief is different. For more than a century, scientists and engineers have continuously designed, tuned, and improved organic molecules for specific functions, from medicines to OLED displays. At NVision, we are applying this same philosophy to quantum systems themselves. We engineer proprietary organic molecules whose quantum properties are shaped directly at the molecular level, shifting complexity away from the hardware and into the molecule. In recent years, our teams have designed and tested dozens of carbene molecules and crystalline host systems, gradually improving coherence, optical stability, spin selectivity, and photonic compatibility. This process led to the emergence of the molecular quantum node: a long-coherence matter qubit with a native photonic interface engineered directly into the molecule itself.

Key Milestones

2022

The Beginning of PIQC

Discovery of organic molecules with exceptional spin and optical properties during development of quantum-enhanced MRI, forming the basis of PIQC and molecular quantum computing.

2024

DLR Quantum Computing Initiative

PIQC selected by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Quantum Computing Initiative for the development of spin-based quantum computing demonstrators.

2025

Ensemble ODMR in Carbene Molecules

Publication in JACS demonstrating optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and coherent spin control in ensembles of carbene molecular qubits, prior to single-molecule operation.

2026

Single-Molecule Spin-Photon Interface

Demonstration of single-molecule ODMR, coherent control, and a spin-photon interface in individual carbene molecular quantum nodes with >2 ms coherence and exceptional spectral stability.