Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Launches TangleLab
The new $5 million hybrid platform integrates quantum and classical systems for advanced research workflows.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Quantum Computing
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The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center has launched TangleLab, a hybrid platform integrating quantum processing units with classical high-performance computing systems. Supported by a $5 million National Science Foundation grant, the project partners with HPE and Rigetti Computing to serve as an open educational resource.
Why it matters
TangleLab aims to solve complex multi-tiered computational problems by enabling researchers to use quantum hardware as specialized accelerators for sub-tasks. This prototype platform seeks to establish a model for next-generation cyberinfrastructure by bridging classical and quantum architectures.
The system incorporates Rigetti quantum hardware alongside existing infrastructure like the Bridges-2 cluster, which features 128 cores per node. The environment leverages AMD EPYC processors and Instinct MI210 GPUs, though the specific efficiency gains over purely classical clusters remain under investigation.
The players
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
A joint research center that operates high-performance computing clusters and serves as a hub for advanced cyberinfrastructure.
National Science Foundation
A U.S. government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering.
HPE
A multinational information technology company focused on edge-to-cloud solutions and high-performance computing architecture.
Rigetti Computing
A developer of quantum integrated circuits and cloud-based quantum computing systems.
The details
TangleLab functions by pairing quantum processing units—hardware that uses quantum bits to perform specific calculations—with classical high-performance systems. The platform utilizes AMD Alveo V80 accelerator cards and high-core-count EPYC processors to manage the data flow between quantum circuits and classical GPUs. This architecture allows researchers to offload complex, specialized sub-problems to the quantum processor while the classical system handles the remaining computation.
Timeline
- 2026-10-30
Platform launched and project details announced.
The Tech Race
TangleLab builds on the National Science Foundation's cyberinfrastructure framework by explicitly adding quantum processing to existing supercomputing nodes. It positions Pittsburgh as a primary node in the race to demonstrate functional hybrid computing prototypes.
Researchers and students can currently access TangleLab as an open educational resource for workshops and training. The platform provides a pathway for users to experiment with quantum acceleration on multi-tiered workflows before the planned construction of the Bridges-3 architecture by HPE.
The takeaway
The platform provides a new sandbox for testing the viability of quantum-classical integration for complex science. Interested users should monitor the project for the upcoming Bridges-3 system development timeline.
Further reading
For more on the regional trajectory of these systems, see our latest research in Quantum Computing.
More information
For more details on the new platform, visit the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center official website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CIO.
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