About

Silent Waves is a pioneering quantum hardware company specializing in high-performance readout solutions for superconducting quantum processors and ultra-sensitive cryogenic applications. Founded as a spin-off from the Institut Néel, one of France’s premier CNRS research laboratories, the company is based in Grenoble—at the heart of a vibrant European quantum and deeptech ecosystem. Co-founded by quantum electronics experts Luca Planat, Nicolas Roch, and Baptiste Planat, Silent Waves is built on decades of fundamental research in superconducting circuits, parametric amplification, and cryogenic microwave engineering.

At its core, Silent Waves is addressing one of the most pressing bottlenecks in quantum computing: scalable, high-fidelity, low-noise readout of solid-state qubits. The challenge is not merely technical—it is systemic. As quantum processors grow in qubit count and complexity, the requirements on the cryogenic readout chain intensify. Signal fidelity, noise suppression, bandwidth, and physical footprint all become limiting factors. Silent Waves was created to resolve these challenges with hardware that performs at or near the quantum limit, engineered for real-world integration into next-generation quantum systems.

The company’s flagship technologies center around superconducting traveling-wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs), based on Josephson junction architectures. The Argo is Silent Waves’ first-generation photonic crystal TWPA. It is designed for ease of use, requiring no DC flux bias, and offers robust, plug-and-play operation. With a typical gain of 15 dB over a bandwidth of more than 2 GHz, the Argo delivers up to 6 dB of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement compared to HEMT-only setups. Its flux-insensitive design, combined with a customizable photonic bandgap, allows tailored gain profiles centered on user-defined frequencies, making it ideal for multiplexed single-shot readout of superconducting qubits.

The Carthago amplifier represents Silent Waves’ next-generation solution. Based on a reversed Kerr effect using arrays of asymmetric SNAIL loops, the Carthago delivers high, flat gain over bandwidths exceeding 3 GHz without the presence of stop-bands in the gain profile. It is highly tunable in situ, enabling users to adapt the amplification band dynamically via pump frequency and embedded magnetic flux coils. With gains up to 18 dB and significant dynamic range, Carthago is well-suited to demanding multi-qubit systems and more advanced quantum processor architectures.

Recognizing the integration challenges faced by many quantum labs and OEMs, Silent Waves has also developed the Dreadnought—an all-in-one cryogenic readout platform that bundles a TWPA (Argo or Carthago), shielding, and microwave conditioning electronics into a compact, stackable module. This plug-and-play solution drastically reduces installation time, system complexity, and debugging overhead, making it an ideal option for scalable deployments, pilot programs, or joint development partnerships.

All Silent Waves products are manufactured using a proprietary, patented process that ensures high reproducibility, excellent yield, and short lead times. Each amplifier is shipped with a detailed characterization data sheet and integration guide. The company maintains full control over its cryogenic electronics supply chain and offers a one-year warranty on all products, underscoring its commitment to quality and customer support.

Customer engagement at Silent Waves is designed to be collaborative and high-touch. Through its Evaluation Engagement Program, customers can trial TWPAs via flexible two-week to six-month pilot programs. Each engagement includes a dedicated Technical Account Manager, application notes, setup support, and regular optimization check-ins. Following evaluation, partners can transition seamlessly into OEM integration, scale purchasing, or joint development agreements, supported by volume pricing and technical customization.

With its roots in academic research but a clear path to industrial scalability, Silent Waves uniquely straddles the line between scientific excellence and commercial readiness. The company’s vision is not only to deliver the most advanced readout solution on the market but also to enable its customers—from national labs and universities to quantum computing startups and aerospace integrators—to scale quantum systems without being constrained by legacy readout architectures. In doing so, Silent Waves is shaping the infrastructure layer of quantum information processing, enabling breakthroughs in computing, sensing, and fundamental physics.