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NPL · NQCC · QSL · QCI3 Hub

Defining the QuOp: part I

4 November 2026, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington

A workshop towards a rigorous, platform-independent definition of the quantum operation.

Bushy House, the National Physical Laboratory's historic building in Teddington

About

The UK Government’s National Quantum Strategy sets out an ambitious goal in Mission 1: by 2035, the UK should have accessible, domestically based quantum computers capable of performing one trillion quantum operations (QuOps). These systems should enable applications across key sectors of the economy that deliver benefits beyond the reach of classical supercomputers.

Today, however, “quantum operations” is only loosely understood as the number of operations a quantum computer can perform before a logical error occurs. This is a description, not a precise definition. Without an agreed and measurable standard, hardware providers can interpret the QuOp in markedly different ways—and published roadmaps already use the term to mean fundamentally different things.

The academic community therefore has a vital role in defining the QuOp. It can provide independent, technically rigorous perspectives that are not tied to any particular technology platform, institutional roadmap or commercial interest. Such neutrality will be essential if the definition is to be credible, widely accepted and scientifically meaningful.

Aims of the workshop

This is the first in a short series of workshops, jointly organised by NPL, QSL, NQCC and the QCI3 Hub. The aims of this first workshop are to:

  1. Gather perspectives on the QuOp from industry, and on how it fits into their roadmaps.

  2. Discuss scalable benchmarking methodologies that can be used to obtain device-level performance metrics relevant to the QuOp.

  3. Initiate a focused discussion between the UK quantum computing national lab and the academic community on how the QuOp should be defined.

A successful outcome would be to identify the key questions that need to be answered precisely, and ultimately agreed on, in order to establish a robust and useful definition of the QuOp. The next workshops will build on this by attempting to answer those questions and reach a definition. The discussions will inform one or more whitepapers on the topic.

Sign up

The workshop is a full-day, in-person event at the National Physical Laboratory. Please sign up using the form below so that we can plan numbers and circulate the agenda and logistics.

Date: Wednesday 4 November 2026

Format: Full day, in person

Venue: National Physical Laboratory, Teddington

Sign up for the workshop

Contributed talk and poster abstracts can be suggested during sign up. We will try to accommodate them if the timetable allows.

Venue

The workshop is hosted by the National Physical Laboratory, the UK's national metrology institute.

National Physical Laboratory
Hampton Road
Teddington
TW11 0LW

Arrival instructions, the room and other logistics will be circulated with the agenda.

Organising institutions

The workshop series is jointly organised by the National Physical Laboratory, the National Quantum Computing Centre, the Quantum Software Lab at the University of Edinburgh, and the QCI3 Hub.

Organisers

Code of Conduct

The organisers are committed to a respectful, inclusive and professional environment in which every participant feels able to contribute. Discussion will range across competing technical and commercial perspectives; we ask that disagreement is expressed with courtesy and directed at ideas, not people.

Any form of harassment, discrimination or inappropriate behaviour is unacceptable. The organisers reserve the right to take appropriate action in response to violations of this policy, including asking a participant to leave.