From CNRS research to Quandela: Pascale Senellart awarded a 2025 CNRS Innovation Medal
On Wednesday 17 December 2025, Pascale Senellart received one of the four 2025 CNRS Innovation Medals, in recognition of her work at the interface of fundamental research and innovation, notably through the co-founding of the start-up Quandela. This award recognises scientists whose research has led to innovations addressing key societal challenges.
Pascale Senellart is a research director at CNRS, at the Centre de nanosciences et de nanotechnologies (C2N - Université Paris-Saclay/CNRS). Since 2013, she and her team have been developing innovative sources capable of emitting single photons with extremely high efficiency and in a controlled direction, allowing them to be guided and manipulated in photonic circuits. These devices rely on quantum dots embedded in tiny optical cavities, which act as "artificial atoms" capable of producing high-quality quantum light.
Building on this fundamental research, Pascale Senellart co-founded the start-up Quandela in 2017 with Niccolò Somaschi and Valérian Giesz. Founded as a spin-off from C2N, Quandela has gradually established itself as a pioneer in photonic quantum computing. The company leverages highly efficient and reliable single-photon sources, a breakthrough technology essential for light-based quantum technologies. Photons are particularly well suited to carry and process quantum information, as they are naturally robust and can easily connect different quantum processors.
Starting in 2020, Quandela expanded its ambitions to develop full photonic quantum computers, designing both the hardware components and the associated software. In 2024, the company installed Lucy, a 12-qubit universal digital photonic quantum computer, at the French national high-performance computing centre (TGCC, CEA) in Bruyères-le-Châtel (France, Essonne). By bridging fundamental research and industrial development, Quandela is helping shape the future of photonic quantum technologies for practical applications.
Created in 2011, the CNRS Innovation Medal honours men and women whose outstanding research has led to a significant technological, therapeutic, or social innovation, highlighting the value of French scientific research.
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