IonQ announced an expanded relationship with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to deploy two barium-based trapped ion quantum computing systems for quantum networking research and application development. The deal comes one year after IonQ announced an agreement with AFRL to provide access to the company?s trapped ion systems, and will further enhance AFRL?s research mission. As part of the contract, IonQ will deliver and set up systems at AFRL?s location in Rome, N.Y. This announcement follows an upswing of activity by the U.S. federal government supporting development of quantum technology, including Congress?

2018 creation of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI), a broad, interagency program which secured funding for quantum research and development. In the second quarter of 2023, IonQ achieved a record-setting $28 million in bookings. The deal also comes on the heels of a contract IonQ signed with Switzerland-based QuantumBasel to establish a European quantum data center.