Quanta and Quantinuum, Caltech, Riverlane China neutralizes atoms, Qunova - The Week in Quantum Computing, August 18th
Issue #248
Quick Recap
This week’s quantum computing news highlighted significant progress across investment, research, and commercial readiness. Quanta Computer invested approximately US$50 million for a minority stake in Quantinuum, underscoring sustained industrial confidence despite an auditor issuing an unreasonable opinion on governance. Meanwhile, the Quantum-Safe 360 Alliance (Keyfactor, IBM Consulting, Thales, Quantinuum) released a joint white paper emphasizing the urgent enterprise need for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) readiness, while Marin Ivezic of Applied Quantum reinforced this urgency by forecasting quantum attacks on RSA-2048 cryptography as possible by 2030, supported by recent advances in quantum hardware and error correction. On the research front, Columbia Engineering introduced HyperQ, a virtualization breakthrough enabling up to 40x faster quantum processor turnaround and 10x more jobs per chip, successfully tested on IBM’s 127-qubit system. Pan Jianwei’s team at USTC set a new record by arranging over 2,000 neutral atom qubits in microseconds, tenfold surpassing previous benchmarks, marking a key step for scalable quantum systems. Caltech hinted at innovative quantum memory leveraging sound, and Riverlane cautioned that broad implementation of quantum error correction remains a major bottleneck. These developments, alongside forward-looking analyses by Deloitte and a broad theoretical perspective from John Preskill and colleagues, illustrate a maturing field—yet one still wrestling with practical, architectural, and cybersecurity challenges as efforts shift from demonstration to real-world utility.
The Week in Quantum Computing
The vast world of quantum advantage
In "The vast world of quantum advantage," Hsin-Yuan Huang, Soonwon Choi, Jarrod R. McClean, and John Preskill provide a 17-page perspective on defining and identifying quantum advantage in 2025. The authors analyze five fundamental properties—predictability, typicality, robustness, verifiability, and usefulness—that collectively characterize an ideal quantum advantage across computation, learning, sensing, and communication. They present a mathematical proof that some quantum advantages are inherently unpredictable using only classical resources, indicating a much broader landscape than currently envisioned. This work underscores that, while mathematical rigor is essential, quantum technologies may eventually reveal benefits that remain unanticipated today, highlighting the field's ongoing conceptual and practical challenges.
Quantum computing over the next five years: Scenario planning for strategic resilience
Deloitte Center for Integrated Research’s 2025 report underscores quantum computing’s disruptive potential for sectors such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, aerospace, and manufacturing. The authors—Scott Buchholz, Diana Kearns-Manolatos, and Natasha Buckley—noted that commercial impact hinges on achieving 200–1,000 reliable logical qubits, versus the current approximate maximum of 50. Advances in chip technology, networking, and error correction have led vendors to project tangible business benefits by 2030, with accelerated timelines to commercial scale in five to seven years. Yet, despite these advances, many enterprises remain hesitant due to the technology’s complexity and uncertain breakthroughs, suggesting a risk of falling behind as quantum hits its critical “hockey-stick” growth phase.
Quantum computing gets cloud style virtualization
Columbia Engineering has introduced HyperQ, a breakthrough virtualization system enabling multiple users to share one quantum processor simultaneously, a first that could significantly increase quantum machine utilization. HyperQ deploys isolated quantum virtual machines using a central scheduler to optimize chip resources without interference, and was successfully tested on IBM’s 127-qubit Brisbane system. Results show up to 40x faster turnaround, 10x more quantum jobs executed, and improved accuracy.
Quantum-Safe 360 Alliance Helps Organizations Accelerate PQC Readiness with Industry Expertise and Guidance
The Quantum-Safe 360 Alliance—comprising Keyfactor, IBM Consulting, Thales, and Quantinuum—has released its inaugural white paper, “Digital Trust & Cybersecurity in the Era of Quantum Computing,” offering a comprehensive guide for organizations to accelerate post-quantum cryptography readiness. The guide details the urgent need for cryptographic agility, challenges in securing internal buy-in, and case studies emphasizing holistic preparation. Keyfactor CTO Ted Shorter stressed, “Quantum computing is no longer a distant possibility—it’s an impending reality.” Alliance members highlight the necessity of collaboration, practical solutions for algorithmic defences, quantum-generated randomness, and best practices for building quantum-safe infrastructures—signaling a coordinated industry response as enterprises begin urgent preparations for the quantum era in 2025.
Q-Day.org - Q-Day, Y2Q, PQC, Quantum Readiness, Quantum Security
Marin Ivezic, founder of Applied Quantum and author at PostQuantum.com, predicts “Q-Day”—the breaking of RSA-2048 by a quantum computer—will occur by 2030. Ivezic highlights that recent breakthroughs in quantum algorithms, error correction, and hardware scaling signify a shift from scientific to engineering challenges in achieving cryptographically relevant quantum computing (CRQC). He warns that simple metrics like qubit count are misleading; meaningful estimates require considering logical qubit capacity, error-corrected circuit depth, and operational throughput. Ivezic offers a transparent Q-Day Estimator tool, emphasizing scenario-based forecasting over hype. His approach is carefully focused on the cryptographic threat, noting, “Score 1.0 ≈ quantum capability to factor RSA-2048 in about one week.”
Quantinuum''s Issuance of Series B Preferred Shares
On August 12, 2025, Quanta Computer’s board approved a subscription for 1,867,840 Series B preferred shares in Quantinuum at US$26.7689 per share, totaling approximately US$50 million. This long-term investment represents less than 0.49% of Quantinuum on a fully diluted basis. The acquisition was evaluated internally and ratified by Quanta’s Audit Committee, with CPA Lin-Lin Chen of PROSERVACE & Co., CPAs issuing an unreasonable opinion regarding the transaction. The funding derives from Quanta's own capital.
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Chinese scientists build largest array of atoms for quantum computing in the world
A team led by Pan Jianwei at the University of Science and Technology of China has developed an atom-arranging setup capable of assembling arrays exceeding 2,000 rubidium atoms as qubits—ten times larger than previous systems. Their artificial intelligence system precisely configures these arrays within 1/60,000th of a second, as detailed in Physical Review Letters. Peer reviewers called this “a significant leap forward in computational efficiency and experimental feasibility within atom-related quantum physics.” This work addresses the previous scaling limitations of atom-based quantum systems, which had been restricted to a few hundred atoms, and highlights neutral atoms' promise over superconducting circuits or trapped ions due to greater stability and control at larger scales.
Using Sound to Remember Quantum Information
A team of Caltech scientists has used a hybrid approach for quantum memories, effectively translating electrical information into sound so that quantum states from superconducting qubits can survive in storage for a period up to 30 times longer than in other techniques. The new work, led by Caltech graduate students Alkim Bozkurt and Omid Golami, supervised by Mohammad Mirhosseini, assistant professor of electrical engineering and applied physics, appears in a paper published in the journal Nature Physics.
Quantum error correction is crucial, but the ecosystem isn’t ready
Riverlane asserts that quantum error correction remains a pivotal challenge, with the current ecosystem not yet equipped to implement it at scale. The company emphasizes that “quantum error correction is crucial, but the ecosystem isn’t ready,” highlighting a critical bottleneck in the transition from laboratory research to practical quantum computing. This observation comes at a time in 2025 when the field is increasingly focusing on scalable architectures, yet underlying infrastructure and supporting technologies lag behind.
Quantum Tech and Espionage: What Every Researcher Must Know
Marin Ivezic, CEO of Applied Quantum, details a rise in espionage targeting the quantum technology sector worldwide in 2025. Drawing on personal surveillance experiences in Vienna and industry cases, Ivezic notes active campaigns by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and others, with tactics ranging from insider recruitment and cyber attacks to surveillance and social engineering. Chinese and Russian actors have intensified their activities, as highlighted by Germany’s military counter-intelligence, which reports Russia has “doubled its hybrid-espionage caseload in 2025.” The FBI’s Quantum Information Science Counter‑Intelligence Protection Team warns that quantum research at companies, labs, and universities faces “espionage at real scale.”.
Qunova Closes $10 Million Series A Funding Round
DAEJEON, South Korea (August 18, 2025) – Qunova Computing, a developer of software applications designed with the goal of bringing quantum advantage to the chemical, pharmaceutical and industrial engineering sectors, today announces it has raised Series A funding in the amount of $10 million USD (13.5 billion Korean Won). Investors participating in the round include GS Ventures, Korea Development Bank, GU Equity Partners, Company K, Quantum Ventures Korea, JB Investment, CKD Venture Capital and Daesung Private Equity.
This funding reflects strong investor confidence in Qunova's flagship product, its quantum algorithm known as 'HI-VQE' (Handover Iteration Variational Quantum Eigensolver). The algorithm has demonstrated promising results using a range of quantum computing modalities, which positions the company well to deliver practical quantum advantage in the near-term. Chemistry, drug discovery and materials science are among the industries where Qunova’s algorithm is delivering added value today.