The Week in Quantum Computing. Brought to you by Sergio Gago (@piratecto)
So, I think I am not exaggerating if I say that this has been one of the most critical weeks for Quantum this year. Possible in the last few years. Just after the IBM announcement. Why is that? Well, just look at this. It is mesmerizing.
What you are seeing is 48 logical qubits being prepared in a neutral atom device at Harvard. This has been a joint experiment by. MIT, Harvard and QuEra and truly signifies the end of the NISQ era.
What is in the paper?
They ran tests using up to 280 physical qubits, mimicking 48 logical qubits showing different-sized surface codes and color codes, executing over 200 two-qubit transversal gates on their encoded logical qubits. They created and verified an encoded GHZ state and, more impressively, an encoded IQP circuit and verified with Linear Cross-Entropy Benchmark. For a 48-qubit encoded IQP circuit, they achieved an LXEB score of 1.1, surpassing the ~1.01 record for unencoded physical qubits. While they haven't claimed quantum supremacy with logical qubits, their achievements suggest a potential for demonstrating encoded quantum supremacy soon.
To learn more about the impact, read this thread by James Wootton here and notes from Aaronson. And the origina paper.
Incidentally, this last week the Q2B event took place in California, and John Preskill did a great talk on Fault Tolerance. He published his slides and transcript
Quick Recap (if possible)
IBM continues to push the boundaries of quantum computing, unveiling the IBM Quantum Heron and Quantum System Two, both featuring significant advancements in error reduction and performance. IBM's roadmap extends to 2033, with a focus on gate operation improvements and the development of quantum-centric supercomputing. Meanwhile, a team of researchers has proposed a hybrid quantum multiple kernel learning methodology to enhance the quality of predictive models in financial services, highlighting the potential of quantum machine learning in optimizing financial tasks. In the educational realm, researchers Barry W. Fitzgerald, Patrick Emonts, and Jordi Tura have written a paper simplifying the concept of quantum teleportation for high school and early university students, emphasizing the importance of engaging teaching methods for complex subjects. In terms of business developments, AI startup Extropic has closed a $14.1 million Series Seed funding round, aiming to revolutionize computation by integrating generative AI with the physics of the world. Lastly, the race for quantum computing supremacy continues to heat up, as highlighted in a recent CBS News report.
The Week in Quantum Computing
Meta's AI Chief Definitely Thinks We're Overestimating Potential Of AI And Quantum Computing
Yann LeCun, AI Chief at Meta Platforms Inc., expressed skepticism about the future of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and quantum computing at an event marking Meta’s 10th anniversary of the Fundamental AI Research team. Contradicting Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang's prediction of AI matching human capabilities within five years, LeCun argued that current focus on language models and text data won't lead to advanced AI systems. He also questioned the practicality of quantum computing, despite significant investment from tech giants like Microsoft, IBM, and Alphabet.
Paper: Quantum Multiple Kernel Learning in Financial Classification Tasks
A team of researchers, including Shungo Miyabe, Brian Quanz, and Noriaki Shimada, have proposed a hybrid quantum multiple kernel learning (QMKL) methodology to improve the quality of predictive models in financial services. Quantum kernel methods have shown success in binary classification tasks like fraud detection, overcoming issues found in variational quantum machine learning approaches. However, selecting an appropriate quantum kernel for a classical dataset remains difficult. The team's QMKL methodology aims to enhance classification quality beyond a single kernel approach. The methodology's robustness was tested on several financially relevant datasets, demonstrating its benefits particularly in the large qubit regime.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.00260v1
IBM Quantum System Two: the era of quantum utility is here | IBM Research Blog
IBM has announced a new era of quantum utility with the introduction of its Quantum System Two and next-generation quantum processor, IBM Condor. The system is operational at IBM's lab in Yorktown Heights, NY and features three IBM Quantum Heron processors. IBM Condor, a 1,121 superconducting qubit quantum processor, demonstrates a 50% increase in qubit density. IBM Quantum Heron boasts 133 fixed-frequency qubits, providing a 3-5x improvement in device performance over previous models. The company also announced Qiskit 1.0, the first stable release of their quantum computing SDK, and unveiled AI transpilation for circuit compilation. IBM's extended roadmap details the journey toward quantum-centric supercomputing over the next decade. Quantum utility represents a significant leap in quantum computing, enabling advanced utility-scale work and a frictionless development environment.
https://research.ibm.com/blog/quantum-roadmap-2033
Opinion: IBM promises a quantum leap
IBM has introduced its new Quantum System Two, a modular quantum computer powered by a novel IBM-made chip, dubbed "Heron". The Heron chip is reportedly more stable than previous iterations, a crucial feature for quantum technology that rapidly loses utility when disturbed. The Quantum System Two is part of IBM's roadmap towards more usable quantum computers, culminating in 2033 with the proposal for the world's first quantum supercomputer, nicknamed "Blue Jay". Jay Gambetta, IBM's VP of Quantum Computing, and Dario Gil, IBM's SVP and Director of Research, emphasized the current focus on using quantum computers for scientific exploration.
Paper: A Christmas Story about Quantum Teleportation
The authors Barry W. Fitzgerald, Patrick Emonts, and Jordi Tura have written a paper titled "A Christmas Story about Quantum Teleportation", aiming to simplify the concept of quantum teleportation for high school and early university students. They believe this concept will be crucial in future communication technologies and the quantum internet. To effectively communicate this complex topic, the authors introduce an innovative teaching paradigm using Santa Claus as an analogy. They also provide a classroom worksheet based on common quantum physics misconceptions. This approach highlights the need for engaging and unorthodox teaching methods for intricate subjects like quantum teleportation.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.01891v1
Companies, countries battle to develop quantum computers | 60 Minutes
Countries and corporations are competing fiercely in the development of quantum computers, according to a 60 Minutes report on CBS News. These advanced machines have the potential to transform problem-solving approaches across numerous fields, including medicine, physics, chemistry, and engineering. The race to harness quantum computing reflects its potential to revolutionize various sectors, underscoring the strategic importance of this technology. This competition signifies the significant role quantum computing is expected to play in future technological advancements.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/quantum-computer-race-60-minutes-video-2023-12-03/
A new quantum algorithm for classical mechanics with an exponential speedup
Google Research's Quantum AI team, in collaboration with Macquarie University and the University of Toronto, have developed a new quantum algorithm that exponentially speeds up the simulation of coupled classical harmonic oscillators. These oscillators, fundamental systems in nature, describe the physics of various natural systems from electrical circuits to molecular vibrations. The algorithm's exponential speedup over classical algorithms is supported by evidence from the glued-trees problem and BQP-completeness. The result is a new method for designing quantum algorithms through reasoning about classical systems, expanding the potential applications of quantum computing.
http://blog.research.google/2023/12/a-new-quantum-algorithm-for-classical.html
Charge qubits get a thousand-fold boost
Researchers led by Dafei Jin of the Argonne Center for Nanoscale Materials and David Schuster of Stanford University and the University of Chicago have enhanced the coherence time of charge quantum bits (qubits) by a factor of 1000, thanks to advancements in the materials used to construct them. The team also demonstrated the ability to read out the state of these qubits with a fidelity of 98.1%, a figure Jin believes will improve with more advanced readout technologies. Charge qubits, relatively new in the field of quantum computing, represent quantum information through the presence or absence of excess charge on an electron within the qubit system, offering several advantages over spin qubits.
https://physicsworld.com/charge-qubits-get-a-thousand-fold-boost/
Paper: Provable bounds for noise-free expectation values computed from noisy samples
A team of researchers, including Samantha V. Barron, Daniel J. Egger, Elijah Pelofske, Andreas Bärtschi, Stephan Eidenbenz, Matthis Lehmkuehler, and Stefan Woerner, have explored the impact of noise on quantum computing. They have quantified the sampling overhead required to extract good samples from noisy quantum computers and related it to the layer fidelity, a performance metric for noisy quantum processors. The team also demonstrated how to use the Conditional Value at Risk of noisy samples to establish provable bounds on noise-free expectation values. They tested their findings on a real quantum computer with up to 127 qubits, with results strongly aligning with theoretical predictions.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.00733v1
Extropic Announces $14.1 Million Seed Round, Building Entropy Computers for Generative AI
AI startup Extropic has successfully closed a $14.1 million Series Seed funding round, led by Steve Jang of Kindred Ventures, with participation from Buckley Ventures, HOF Capital, and others. Founded by Guillaume Verdon, a former quantum tech lead at Alphabet’s X team, Extropic aims to revolutionize computation by integrating generative AI with the physics of the world. The company’s approach leverages out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics, potentially redefining computation efficiency in terms of space, time, and energy. Extropic's team includes experts from Physics and AI, with several members having backgrounds in quantum computing. Verdon came out as the author of the Beff Jezos e/acc X account and has been very vocal about the power AND limitations of QML for non-quantum data.
Quantum-first microscope could solve chip inspection roadblock
Dutch startup QuantaMap, co-founded by Johannes Jobst, Kaveh Lahabi, Milan Allan, and Jimi de Haan in November 2022, has secured €1.4mn in funding for its "quantum-first" microscope, a quality assurance technology for quantum computer chips. The microscope combines cryogenic scanning technology with quantum sensors, allowing for detailed inspection of quantum chips without disturbing the qubits. QuantaMap's funding includes investment from QDNL Participations, a fund planning to invest €15mn into Dutch quantum computing startups. Ton van ‘t Noordende, QDNL's managing director, believes QuantaMap's unique technology will address the crucial challenge of producing reliable quantum chips.
https://thenextweb.com/news/quantum-first-microscope-solve-chip-inspection
HSBC tests protecting FX trading from quantum computer attacks
LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) has completed what it says is the world's first trial of a tool designed to protect highly sensitive financial data from cyber criminals seeking to harness the power of next-generation quantum computers to launch future attacks.
The British bank said it used the tool to safeguard a trade on its proprietary platform, HSBC AI Markets, exchanging 30 million euros for U.S. dollars.
The test, details of which are reported here for the first time, shows how banks are trying to get ahead of cyber criminals who could use advances in computing to access trading data in global financial systems such as the $7.5 trillion per day foreign exchange market.
Harvard, QuEra, MIT, and the NIST/University of Maryland Usher in New Era of Quantum Computing by Performing Complex, Error-Corrected Quantum Algorithms on 48 Logical Qubits
In a breakthrough study published in Nature, Harvard University, QuEra Computing, MIT, and NIST/UMD have successfully executed large-scale algorithms on an error-corrected quantum computer with 48 logical qubits. This significant leap in quantum computing sets the stage for developing scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of solving classically intractable problems. The research utilized advanced neutral-atom system quantum computer, combining hundreds of qubits and high two-qubit gate fidelities. The achievement of 48 logical qubits with high fault tolerance is described as a "watershed moment" in quantum computing by Matt Langione, Partner at the Boston Consulting Group.
Santandersecurityresearch/cryptobom-forge
Santander Security Research has released "Cryptobom Forge", a tool designed to parse the Multi-Repository Variant Analysis output from CodeQL runs. This tool is part of a broader release aimed at analyzing and creating Cryptographic Bill of Materials (CBOM). The tool requires Python 3.10 or higher and can be integrated into a local Python environment using the Wheel package. The Cryptobom Forge meticulously parses data from each file to produce a comprehensive CBOM, providing detailed insights into the cybersecurity aspects of a project. This tool can be crucial for any PQC strategy.
https://github.com/Santandersecurityresearch/cryptobom-forge
Moody’s launches quantum-as-a-service platform for finance
Moody’s Analytics has launched QFStudio, a quantum-as-a-service platform that allows clients to compare and benchmark quantum and classical algorithms for specific tasks. The quantum computing sector is predicted to grow from $138 million in 2022 to $1.2 billion by 2030, with companies including IBM, Microsoft, Google, D-Wave, and Rigetti leading the market. QFStudio aims to bridge the gap for early adopters in the finance sector, offering a solution that negates the need for maintaining costly quantum hardware. Multiverse Computing's Chief Sales Officer, Victor Gaspar, revealed that QFStudio's algorithms run on AWS GPUs and quantum annealing systems, highlighting a state-of-the-art approach for quantum SaaS applications.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/moody-s-launches-quantum-as-a-service-platform-for-finance
Paper: Quantum Optimization: Potential, Challenges, and the Path Forward
A comprehensive study on quantum optimization has been presented by a team of 46 authors led by Amira Abbas. The work, supported by the Simons Foundation, explores quantum optimization's potential, challenges, and future direction. It offers insights into the core building blocks of quantum optimization algorithms, prominent problem classes, and key open questions. The study emphasizes the role of benchmarking and proposes clear metrics for comparison with classical optimization techniques. It also identifies finance and sustainability as potential sectors for real-world application of quantum optimization. The research underscores the potential of quantum computing to solve problems beyond the capabilities of classical simulations.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.02279v1
Qubit Pharmaceuticals and Sorbonne University achieve a major scientific breakthrough by simulating quantum calculations at more than 40 qubits on conventional computers
Qubit Pharmaceuticals and Sorbonne University have successfully simulated quantum calculations at over 40 qubits on conventional computers, marking a significant scientific achievement. The Hyperion-1 emulator, developed in collaboration, offers accelerated and precise quantum algorithms. Jean-Philip Piquemal, Professor at Sorbonne University and Director of the Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, affirmed the unprecedented achievement in quantum computation. The emulation was performed without error and in a short time, comparable to a true quantum computer. This development positions Qubit Pharmaceuticals among global leaders in quantum computing and reinforces its ambition to lead in molecular modeling-based drug discovery.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/qubit-pharmaceuticals-sorbonne-university-achieve-060000091.html
Rigetti Launches the Novera QPU, the Company’s First Commercially Available QPU
Rigetti Computing has unveiled its first commercially available Quantum Processing Unit (QPU), the Novera, featuring a 9-qubit and a 5-qubit chip for testing single and 2-qubit operations respectively. Built on Rigetti's fourth-generation Ankaa-class architecture, the Novera QPU is manufactured in Rigetti's Fab-1, the industry's first integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Rigetti CEO, Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, highlights that the Novera QPU enables access to quantum computing technology and accelerates quantum computing work. Rigetti CTO, David Rivas, adds that the Novera QPU allows quantum professionals to have on-premise access to Rigetti’s internal R&D. The Novera QPU is available for order starting at $900,000 and ships within 4-6 weeks post order confirmation.
The Role of Technology Vendors in Your Quantum-Safe Migration
The responsibility of migrating systems to quantum-safe algorithms falls primarily on cybersecurity teams, but they will need substantial support from technology vendors. General vendors, like SAP, should provide quantum-safe migration roadmaps, detailing activities to address quantum threats and their impacts. Cryptographic vendors, offering services directly related to cryptography, must provide detailed guidance on migrating between current products and new versions using post-quantum algorithms. While vendors provide support, the cybersecurity team is responsible for the overall migration strategy, prioritizing system migration, and ensuring service interoperability. Vendors should already be discussing their quantum-safe migration plans, and any lack of such conversations should be a cause for concern.
https://www.quantinuum.com/news/the-role-of-technology-vendors-in-your-quantum-safe-migration
"EU Leads in Quantum Technology Investment but Lacks in Cybersecurity Preparedness: CEPS Calls for Coordinated Strategy"
The EU is a global leader in funding quantum technologies, with an investment of approximately €10 billion since 2016. However, it lags behind the US in policies supporting the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography and quantum vulnerability assessment. Quantum technologies, while potentially beneficial to various sectors, pose significant cybersecurity threats, capable of breaking cryptographic algorithms. Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs), capable of breaking codes in hours that would take today's supercomputers trillions of years, are expected to emerge within the next 5-10 years. The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Task Force on Quantum Technologies and Cybersecurity report emphasizes a need for a coordinated European strategy, international collaboration, and standardisation. Quantum technologies' rapid evolution necessitates responsible governance and early transition to quantum-resistant cryptography.
https://www.ceps.eu/quantum-technologies-and-cybersecurity-in-the-eu-theres-still-a-long-way-to-go/
Real-time gigahertz free-space quantum key distribution within an emulated satellite overpass
Satellite quantum key distribution (SatQKD) intermediated by a trusted satellite in a low-Earth orbit to ground stations along the satellite’s path allows remote users to connect securely. To establish a secure connection, a SatQKD session must be conducted to each user over a dynamically changing free-space link, all within just a few hundred seconds. Because of the short time and large losses under which the QKD protocol will be implemented, it has not yet been possible to form a complete key by transmitting all the relevant information required within a single overpass of the satellite. Here, we demonstrate a real-time QKD system that is capable of forming a 4.58-megabit secure key between two nodes within an emulated satellite overpass. We anticipate that our system will set the stage for practical implementations of intercontinental quantum secure communications that can operate over large networks of nodes and enable the secure transmission of data globally.