Technology hub: Quantum memories

Quantum memories is a technology family of Quantum communication, highlighted with its area and its parts tree subsystems; every node opens its page. Open the full taxonomy map

Overview

The technology atlas of Quantum memories: its value chain, the documented actors by role, facilities, funding, patents and publications, standards and policy measures on one page, each from a source the portal already publishes. Each section says whether these sources document the technology, show an evidence gap or hold nothing about it.

The atlas at a glance: state and number of records per section
Section	State in these sources	Records
Value chain	Documented in these sources	13
Actors by role	Documented in these sources	23
Facilities and access	No evidence found in these sources	0
Funding	Documented in these sources	5
Patents and publications	Documented in these sources	3
Standards	No evidence found in these sources	0
Policy measures	Documented in these sources	4
Evidence gaps	Evidence gap in these sources	1

Documented in these sources: at least one record of these sources is about this technology.
Evidence gap in these sources: the parts tree names a stage, but no documented European actor is linked to it here. Evidence gap in these sources, not a finding of dependency.
No evidence found in these sources: No evidence found in these sources. It means only that these sources hold nothing on it.

Public layer: structure and documented actors only. Actor roles come from typed, dated relationships and are never inferred from shared projects or patents. Supplier assessments of the restricted dependency map are not shown on this public page. No technology readiness level is given.

External context: EPO Observatory: quantum technologies · EPO Deep Tech Finder

Value chain

The stages of this technology in the parts tree, a reference structure from review articles and EU law, with the European companies whose own product page names a product line for the stage or a part under it (the curated supplier directory).

Documented in these sources: 13 stages; 1 stage with an evidence gap.

Quantum memories for networks

Value chain of Quantum memories for networks: stages, materials and documented European actors
Stage	Level	Part of	Materials	Documented European actors	State
Storage media	Subsystem	Quantum memories for networks		Element Six; SAES Getters	Documented in these sources
Rare-earth-doped crystals	Component	Storage media	Yttrium (host lattice); Erbium, europium, praseodymium and thulium dopants		Evidence gap in these sources Evidence gap in these sources, not a finding of dependency.
Diamond colour centres	Component	Storage media	Synthetic diamond	Element Six	Documented in these sources
Alkali vapour cells and cold-atom sources	Component	Storage media	Rubidium and caesium	SAES Getters	Documented in these sources
Control lasers and frequency references	Subsystem	Quantum memories for networks		Hamamatsu Photonics A/S (formerly NKT Photonics); Menlo Systems	Documented in these sources
Narrow-linewidth lasers	Component	Control lasers and frequency references		Hamamatsu Photonics A/S (formerly NKT Photonics); Menlo Systems	Documented in these sources
Cryogenics	Subsystem	Quantum memories for networks		Air Liquide; attocube; Bluefors; Entropy; ICEoxford; kiutra; Leiden Cryogenics; Quantum Design Oxford	Documented in these sources
Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Component	Cryogenics	Helium-3 and helium-4 (critical raw material)	Air Liquide; attocube; Bluefors; Entropy; ICEoxford; kiutra; Leiden Cryogenics; Quantum Design Oxford	Documented in these sources
Single-photon detection and frequency conversion	Subsystem	Quantum memories for networks		Covesion; QphoX; Single Quantum	Documented in these sources
Single-photon detectors	Component	Single-photon detection and frequency conversion		Single Quantum	Documented in these sources
Frequency converters	Component	Single-photon detection and frequency conversion		Covesion; QphoX	Documented in these sources
Packaged memory modules	Subsystem	Quantum memories for networks		Welinq	Documented in these sources
Repeater nodes and network testbeds	Subsystem	Quantum memories for networks		Nu Quantum	Documented in these sources

Parts tree of Quantum memories for networks · Suppliers of Quantum memories for networks in the supplier directory

Supply-chain parts and critical raw materials

From the parts tree: a reference structure of what each technology needs, down to materials, compiled from public review articles and EU law. It is not a supplier assessment.

Parts and materials of Quantum memories for networks 18 parts
Critical raw materials: Helium-3 and helium-4.

Critical raw materials as listed in Annex II of the Critical Raw Materials Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1252).

Actors by role

Organisations with a documented relationship to this technology: a product line on the company’s own product page, the host or programme the infrastructure catalogue names for a facility, or the operator of an access route. Each row names its source and the date it was read. Roles are never inferred from taking part in the same project or patent.

Roles and their documented actors
Role	Actors	State	Where
Manufacturer or supplier of a part	17	Documented in these sources	17 organisations in the table below.
Host, operator or access provider	0	No evidence found in these sources	0 organisations in the table below.
Funder or programme	0	No evidence found in these sources	0 organisations in the table below.
Researcher or developer	4	Documented in these sources	Organisations confirmed under this technology by the classification; listed in “Organisations and companies” below. Participants in EU-funded projects are counted per pillar in technology intelligence.
User	0	No evidence found in these sources	These sources record no user of this technology.

Documented actors of Quantum memories by role
Organisation	Role	Country	Relationship	Stages	Source and date read
Air Liquide	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	FR	Helium-3 He3 (helium-3 gas supply for dilution refrigerators of quantum computers)	Cryogenics; Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26)
attocube	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	DE	attoDRY (closed-cycle cryostats)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26) Partly verified: the page does not state the quantum use.
Bluefors	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	FI	XLDsl, LD, Ultra-Compact LD, SD and LH systems (dilution refrigerator measurement systems for superconducting and spin qubit experiments)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Covesion	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	GB	MgO:PPLN (periodically poled lithium niobate crystals and waveguides for photon-pair generation and frequency conversion)	Frequency converters	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Element Six	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	GB	DNV-B1 (CVD quantum-grade diamond with nitrogen-vacancy ensembles)	Storage media; Diamond colour centres	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Entropy	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	DE	Dilution, ADR and closed-cycle cryostats (dilution refrigerator, ADR and closed-cycle cryostats)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26) Partly verified: the page does not state the quantum use.
Hamamatsu Photonics A/S (formerly NKT Photonics)	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	DK	Koheras (single-frequency fibre lasers and amplifiers for atom trapping, cooling and quantum information)	Narrow-linewidth lasers	Source (read 2026-10-26)
ICEoxford	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	GB	Dilution Dry Systems and Dilution Wet Systems (dilution cryostats)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26) Partly verified: the page does not state the quantum use.
kiutra	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	DE	L-Type Rapid (adiabatic demagnetisation (ADR) sub-kelvin cryostat for quantum computing and cryo-electronics)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Leiden Cryogenics	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	NL	CF-CS110 and QUPER dilution refrigerators (dilution refrigerators, including a fast-turnaround inverted unit for qubit testing)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-30)
Menlo Systems	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	DE	FC1500-Quantum (rack-mounted frequency comb with ultrastable and CW lasers for quantum applications)	Control lasers and frequency references; Narrow-linewidth lasers	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Menlo Systems	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	DE	ORS ultrastable lasers (cavity-stabilised narrow-linewidth lasers for quantum technologies and optical clocks)	Narrow-linewidth lasers	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Nu Quantum	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	GB	Quantum Networking Units (QNUs) and Qubit-Photon Interfaces (QPIs) (networking units and qubit-photon interfaces that distribute entanglement between quantum processors)	Repeater nodes and network testbeds	Source (read 2026-10-26)
QphoX	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	NL	QphoX Quantum Transducer (microwave-to-optical quantum transducer)	Frequency converters	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Quantum Design Oxford	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	GB	ProteoxLX (cryogen-free dilution refrigerator for quantum computing scale-up)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Quantum Design Oxford	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	GB	ProteoxS, ProteoxMX and Proteox5mK (cryogen-free dilution refrigerators)	Closed-cycle cryostats and dilution refrigerators	Source (read 2026-10-26) Partly verified: the page does not state the quantum use.
SAES Getters	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	IT	Rubidium dispensers (alkali metal dispensers (pills and wires) releasing rubidium for atomic clocks, quantum sensors and quantum computers)	Storage media; Alkali vapour cells and cold-atom sources	Source (read 2026-10-30)
Single Quantum	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	NL	Single Quantum Eos (compact superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) systems)	Single-photon detectors	Source (read 2026-10-26)
Welinq	Manufacturer or supplier of a part	FR	QDrive (quantum memory for scaling out quantum technologies)	Packaged memory modules	Source (read 2026-10-26)

Supplier capability directory

Organisations and companies

4 confirmed items. Including suggestions by rules or AI, not yet reviewed and not listed here: 6.

Sorbonne Universite Organisation
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas Organisation
Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin Organisation
Welinq SAS Organisation Company brief for investors: Welinq SAS

Companies of Quantum memories in the investor screener

Facilities and access

Facilities of this technology in the infrastructure catalogue, the furthest milestone the deployment tracker evidences for each, and the current access routes that open them.

No evidence found in these sources. The infrastructure catalogue lists no facility for this technology.

Funding

Upcoming work-programme topics in this technology (the EU programme pipeline) and the funding instruments whose stated quantum relevance names it. The awards of its EU-funded projects and the announced funding rounds follow below.

Upcoming topics in the programme pipeline

No evidence found in these sources. No upcoming topic of the pipeline (read 2026-11-01) names this technology.

Pipeline topics of Quantum memories

Funding instruments

Funding instruments that name Quantum memories
Instrument	Programme	Stated quantum relevance	Why it is shown
EIC Accelerator	Horizon Europe: European Innovation Council	The EIC Work Programme 2026 states that the Accelerator Open call remains available to start-ups and SMEs, including for quantum technologies, with specific safeguards on investments in quantum.	Names its pillar, Quantum communication
EIC STEP Scale Up	Horizon Europe: European Innovation Council, Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP)	Quantum technologies are among the digital and deep-tech priority areas, and the EIC Work Programme 2026 says support for quantum start-ups will be pursued in particular through this call.	Names its pillar, Quantum communication
EuroHPC JU quantum technology calls (Quantum Flagship)	Horizon Europe: Quantum Flagship, implemented by the EuroHPC JU	Since Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150 entered into force on 20 January 2026, the JU implements the Union's quantum technology agenda, including the Quantum Flagship funded through Horizon Europe, and its 2026 calls cover quantum computing platforms, QKD, testing infrastructure, pilot lines, sensing, machine learning and standards.	Names its pillar, Quantum communication
QuantERA joint transnational calls	QuantERA: network of national research funders with European Commission co-funding	QuantERA is a network of research funders for quantum technologies, and Call 2025 covered quantum phenomena and resources and applied quantum science across communication, computing, simulation, sensing and metrology.	Names its pillar, Quantum communication
CEF Digital: EuroQCI quantum communication interconnections	Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital)	CEF Digital funds the cross-border interconnections of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) for the secure exchange of cryptographic keys across the EU.	Names its pillar, Quantum communication

6 more instruments are open to any field of research and are not listed here.

Funding instruments registry

EU and national projects

46 confirmed items. Including suggestions by rules or AI, not yet reviewed and not listed here: 50.

Awards of the confirmed projects: EU programmes, one line per measure and currency
Measure	Total	Projects with an amount	Projects without one
EU contribution (maximum grant agreed)	EUR 8,024,626.06	11	0
Total cost (includes the award)	EUR 4,521,695.64	5	0

Awards of the confirmed projects: National programmes, one line per measure and currency
Measure	Total	Projects with an amount	Projects without one
award value (Gateway to Research)	GBP 2,394,999	5	0
funded amount	EUR 369,760	2	0
ANR aid allocated	EUR 355,792	1	0
approved FWF funding	EUR 148,480	1	0
NWO award amount	0	0	1
award value (Gateway to Research)	0	0	13
current total commitment	0	0	1
funded amount	0	0	10

Each project counts once. A total adds the amount each source states for its projects within one measure and one currency only: EU contributions, national awards and other measures are never added together. Total cost includes the award and is shown separately. A country filter keeps whole projects with a participant in the country, so its total is not the country's share. Programme envelopes, partner shares, co-funding and payments are separate layers and are never added to awards; payments are not published by the sources used. Outputs are linked only through an explicit project or grant identifier or reviewed documentary evidence, never by name alone; only a reviewed document can show a demonstrated contribution. CORDIS and Funding & Tenders amounts are one measure, the EU contribution (maximum grant agreed in the grant agreement, not payments). Country codes EL and UK are read as GR (Greece) and GB (United Kingdom). National and regional rows whose title names no quantum technology are left out unless asked for. EU and national totals are shown apart and never added.

Includes projects from the ANR open data: ANR, data.gouv.fr, ODbL 1.0; those rows are shared alike under the Open Database Licence.

1 confirmed project page has no award record and is not in the totals.

Welinq: Industry-grade Quantum Memory Links enabling the Quantum Internet CORDIS; EU contribution (maximum grant agreed) EUR 2,499,375
SQOUT: Scaling-up quantum computers with quantum memory links CORDIS; EU contribution (maximum grant agreed) EUR 2,486,312.50
QUREP: Quantum Repeater Architectures Based on Quantum Memories and Photonic Encoding CORDIS; EU contribution (maximum grant agreed) EUR 1,500,000
WAQUAM: Waveguide architecture for integrated quantum memories ANR (France); ANR aid allocated EUR 355,792
HyQuArch: Spin-based quantum memory coupled to superconducting qubits in a Hybrid Quantum Architecture CORDIS; EU contribution (maximum grant agreed) EUR 246,384.48

See all 46: EU and national projects

Patents and publications

Patent counts come from EPO Open Patent Services in technology intelligence, by CPC group, and per EPO quantum concept in the technology intelligence reports; publications by OpenAlex topic. The patent series of this node and its documents follow below.

Documented in these sources: 2 indicator pages of this technology.

OpenAlex topics

Quantum optics and atomic interactions

Patent landscape of Quantum communication in technology intelligence · Technology intelligence report: Quantum memories · All technology intelligence reports

Patents

No patent series for this node. No CPC group names this technology, so no patent series is drawn for it.

Patent landscape of the pillar Quantum communication in technology intelligence

Standards

Standards, specifications, committees and roadmaps of the standards tracker in the scope of this technology, each with its body and status.

No evidence found in these sources. The standards tracker has no scope for this technology.

9 tracked items are about quantum technologies in general.

Standards tracker

Policy measures

Actions of the Quantum Europe Strategy (COM(2025) 363) that name this technology or its pillar, or that link one of its facilities, with their status in the strategy tracker.

Documented in these sources: 4 actions.

Strategy actions about Quantum memories
Action	Status	Target	Why it is shown	Where in the strategy
Deploy the first EU-interconnected quantum communication network	In progress (evidence)	By 2030	Names its pillar, Quantum communication	Section 2.2.2, The EuroQCI Initiative (pp. 8-9) and action list (p. 10); Appendix, Area 2 (p. 23)
Launch the Eagle-1 QKD satellite	Announced	2026	Names its pillar, Quantum communication	Section 2.2.2, The EuroQCI Initiative (p. 8)
Publish a Quantum Communication Roadmap	Announced	2026	Names its pillar, Quantum communication	Section 2.2.2, action list (p. 10); Appendix, Area 2 (p. 23)
Launch a pilot facility for the European Quantum Internet	In progress (evidence)	2026	Names its pillar, Quantum communication	Section 2.2.2, The Quantum Internet Initiative (p. 9) and action list (p. 10); Appendix, Area 2 (p. 23)

Strategy implementation tracker

Evidence gaps

Stages of the value chain for which these sources link no documented European actor. Evidence gap in these sources, not a finding of dependency. A company may well supply the stage without a product page the directory has read; a missing record is never proof of a strategic dependency.

Evidence gap in these sources: 1 stage. Evidence gap in these sources, not a finding of dependency.

Evidence gaps of Quantum memories in these sources
Stage	Level	Part of	Platform	Reading
Rare-earth-doped crystals	Component	Storage media	Quantum memories for networks	Evidence gap in these sources, not a finding of dependency.

Know a European supplier for one of these stages? Tell the editors

News and events

1 confirmed item.

Atomic memory keeps distant ions entangled for about 10 seconds News

JRC and EU analysis

Reports and pages of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). Identifiers are those of the JRC Publications Repository; the portal does not reproduce their data.

JRC Quantum Communication and Sensing Laboratory (EuroQCI testing and evaluation laboratory) (JRC page, 2026)
The JRC has been selected to host the EuroQCI testing and evaluation laboratory, building on the Digital Europe project NOSTRADAMUS (launched January 2024). The JRC describes its role as generating reproducible technical evidence with a view to future certification, not as guaranteeing that a product is free of vulnerabilities.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) experimental assessment (ThinkQuantum QuKy) (Test report, 2026, doi:10.2760/4833349)
Functional testing of a commercial QKD system at the JRC. An experimental assessment, not a certification.
EU role in the global quantum race (Policy brief, 2025, handle JRC142902)
Policy brief on the global quantum technology landscape: public and private funding, innovation potential and market perspective.
Future Directions for Quantum Technology in Europe (Report, 2025, doi:10.2760/0891087, doi:10.2760/0209304, CC BY 4.0)
Background analysis for the Quantum Europe Strategy: companies, patents, publications, supply chains, public funding and venture capital, by sector (communication including QKD, computing including simulation, sensing, and post-quantum cryptography).
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Experimental Assessment (QTI Quell-X) (Test report, 2024, doi:10.2760/3530905)
Performance assessment of a commercial QKD system installed at the JRC in February 2024. An experimental assessment, not a certification.
Patent analysis of selected quantum technologies (Report, 2019, doi:10.2760/938284)
Patent applications in the EPO Global Patent Index for quantum computing, quantum key distribution, quantum entanglement and cold atom interferometry, with a discussion of method (EUR 29614 EN).