ISRAEL'S QUANTUM LEAP: PIONEERING REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS

There was little interest in Israel when Stockholm's Nobel Committee announced it was awarding the 2025 Prize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for their "discovery of microscopic quantum-mechanical tunneling and the quantization of energy in an electrical circuit."

In the quantum physics community — particularly among those following the journey of the quantum computer from concept to reality — the announcement sparked a surge of excitement. Among the celebrants was Prof. Nadav Katz, co-founder of the Israeli startup Qarakal Quantum, who had completed his postdoctoral work under the newly crowned Nobel laureate Prof. Martinis.

Martinis had been the first to show that strange quantum phenomena, once thought to exist only at subatomic scale, could also appear in macroscopic electrical circuits made from superconductors. That insight had paved the way for macroscopic quantum physics and superconducting qubits, the fundamental building blocks of modern quantum computers.

Four decades later, Prof. Katz, together with Qarakal Quantum co-founder Dr. Nissan Maskil and their team, is extending that same scientific legacy. They are harnessing these groundbreaking principles to create a new generation of quantum computing that is more stable, more efficient and truly ready for industrial-scale use.

Global race for quantum hardware
The idea of a quantum computer was first proposed in the early 1980s, but its practical realization has only recently come into focus.

"It took some 15 to 20 years to demonstrate the concept, and another 20 years to mature the technology," explains Katz. "Quantum components enable an entirely new kind of computation, giving quantum computers a huge speed advantage over classical systems. They can solve problems that classical computing systems are simply unable to do — from materials design and quantum chemistry to optimization and cryptography — with theoretical proofs over the years demonstrating this enormous potential.

"There is, however, a big difference between theory and practice," he cautions. "Our physical platform relies on superconductors, electronic circuits that exhibit quantum behavior and enable the computer to function. This is the same physics recognized by this year's Nobel Prize."

Nor is the excitement simply about academic progress, he stresses. "The implications are very practical. They have clear, real-world applications that can profoundly impact humanity. We're in the midst of a global race to develop advanced algorithms to tackle highly complex problems and, even more importantly, the hardware that can unlock the advantages of quantum computation."

When academia meets industry
Katz, today Qarakal Quantum's CTO, has spent more than two decades advancing quantum technologies, from basic research to applied engineering. After earning his PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he focused on lasers and cold atoms, he then continued his post-doctoral research on superconducting qubits under Prof. Martinis at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Returning to Israel, Katz became one of the nation's pioneers in superconducting-based quantum computing. He founded the Quantum Circuits Laboratory and established the Quantum Information Science Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem — an interdisciplinary academic community that unites researchers from physics, computer science, chemistry and engineering. Since 2018, he has represented Israel in the European Quantum Community Network (QCN) under the EU's Quantum Flagship program, and he currently serves as President of the Israel Physical Society.

His partner, co-founder and Qarakal Quantum's CEO, Dr. Nissan Maskil, came to quantum computing after a long and distinguished career in Israel's defense industry. A former Israel Air Force pilot, he has a PhD in physics, but turned down a postdoctoral position at Harvard to join ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), where he founded a group for algorithmic signal- and image-processing. Following a stint as VP of Conntrop, he returned to ELTA as IAI CTO, and established Israel's Quantum Technologies Program.

Today, Maskil chairs the Israeli Quantum Computing Consortium, an Israel Innovation Authority initiative which links academia (the Hebrew University, Technion, Bar Ilan, Weizmann Institute) with industry and healthcare organizations. This collaboration builds on Israel's national quantum ecosystem, aiming to position the country at the forefront of the global quantum-computing revolution.

Katz and Maskil first met some five years ago, when Maskil was developing quantum radar at ELTA. This encounter between academic physicist and systems engineer sparked lively discussion about translating quantum principles into practical engineering — eventually evolving into a shared vision to create a company. Two years ago, they launched Qarakal Quantum with Israel Aerospace Industries/ELTA, the Hebrew University's tech-transfer company Yissum and Omnisys. Omnisys provides logistical support and serves as a bridge between the defense industry and the emerging quantum-tech sector. Its CEO Ofer Yarden chairs Qarakal.

From research to commercialization: a risky leap?
Risk is minimized by correct timing, says Katz. "It's a combination of knowing that the research is sufficiently mature for commercialization, and that industry can offer the structure and resources academia lacks. Academia excels in bold ideas and prototypes, but you need an industrial framework to build a complete quantum computer in all its complexity."

Maskil agrees. "In my defense-industry experience, I saw that fulfilling quantum technology's promise would require a mindset shift from theory to real-world, market-ready quantum hardware. That understanding has shaped Qarakal Quantum and the breakthroughs that we've achieved."

The goal: a working quantum system by 2028
Qarakal Quantum currently employs 21 experts, most with PhDs in physics, electrical engineering or computer science, and it plans to expand. Operating from offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the company is now preparing for a major venture-capital funding round.

"We already have our first superconducting-based quantum computer," says Maskil. "We've demonstrated early applications in the lab and are now fabricating our next-generation system."

Katz explains the company's engineering philosophy. "Our strength is in top-down system analysis, integrating every layer, from the chip up," he says. "The true test of a quantum computer is its performance, so each chip generation is designed and analyzed using data-driven precision metrics."

The team can design, integrate and simulate advanced quantum chips tailored to specific applications, adds Maskil. "Manufacturing will be abroad. We're seeking strategic partnerships to scale production. We also collaborate closely with the Innovation Authority consortium, leveraging national expertise to enhance system performance."

Roadmap and applications
"Our development roadmap is clear," continues Maskil. "We've demonstrated the first prototype. The second demonstrator, featuring improved design, will launch next year. By 2028, we aim to unveil a working quantum system with real-world value."

He identifies three major areas where the technology can be applied. "One is aviation and transportation optimization, such as air-traffic management, where classical computers perform well in stable conditions but struggle when they are dynamic or chaotic," he explains. "A second is quantum machine learning, where demonstrations are already underway. And a third is medical genomics for personalized medicine, where we're working in collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority."

The company's goal, according to Katz, is "to address critical global challenges in logistics and beyond, whose data and complexity are beyond classical computing systems. That's why the global race is so urgent. Everyone recognizes that quantum computing will constitute a paradigm shift."

Is the market ready?
Katz has no doubts. "We're talking about a multi-billion-dollar market that's currently limited by hardware," he says. "Classical computers can't manage today's complex problems. Qarakal specializes in hybrid computation, integrating classical and quantum processing. Our algorithms let classical and quantum processors work together — the classical system formulates the problem and quantum computation provides the critical speed and insight. Data analysis bounces back and forth between them, with the final output is synchronized."

Strategic partnerships and global collaboration
Qarakal already has patents for some of its innovations, while others remain trade secrets to maintain its competitive advantage in a fast-moving, global market.

"We're collaborating widely, both in Israel and internationally," says Maskil. "Beyond the Israel Innovation Authority consortium, we're active in global projects such as EUREKA, partnerships which accelerate our development by leveraging specialized international expertise. We believe that true innovation comes from cooperation — combining unique expertise worldwide to create a quantum computer with real, practical impact."

Quantum computing meets AI
Katz sees deep synergy between quantum computing and AI. "They're converging," he says. "The challenge is to integrate them meaningfully, leveraging the best of both to create genuine, mutual value."

The long-term vision
"Quantum computing is just beginning its transition into real-world applications," notes Maskil. "We're only just starting to understand where quantum computing is needed and what it can offer. Its potential is enormous, and the global market is expected to reach tens of billions of dollars within a decade. Our goal is to build a usable and competitive quantum-computing architecture and position Israel as a leader in the field."

"With the right combination of human talent and resource pooling, we can achieve breakthroughs across every layer of quantum design and measurement," says Katz. "Two decades ago, we wondered whether quantum phenomena could exist at the macroscopic scale. Today, Israel is turning those same phenomena into the foundation of practical computation — and perhaps the next great scientific revolution."

Israel must not fall behind in the quantum race
Experts worldwide agree that quantum computing will be one of the most disruptive technologies of our time, transforming industries that include medicine, pharmaceuticals, materials science, energy, transportation, logistics and defense.

"Global powers are racing for quantum supremacy," says Maskil. "Europe has a coordinated program, China is investing heavily, and the US is partnering the UK, Japan, and Australia. Everyone understands that this is strategic infrastructure."

Israel, too, is investing. "Israeli academia is developing advanced quantum capabilities, notably at the Hebrew University through collaboration with industry," says Maskil. "The Defense R&D Directorate (MAFAT) and the Israel Innovation Authority both view quantum computing as a national priority. The five-year NIS1.2 billion National Quantum Program has just ended, and we hope it will be renewed — ideally in dollars," he smiles. "Every shekel invested in quantum computing creates new capabilities and will yield long-term strategic returns."

This quantum technology race directly impacts Israel's national security and economy, he stresses. It will shape the future and profoundly influence many sectors. It is one of the highest-impact investments that the nation can make.

In collaboration with Qarakal Quantum