The Week in Quantum Computing - December 26th - HoHoHo!
Issue #119
The Week in Quantum Computing. Brought to you by Sergio Gago (@piratecto). Yes, even after Christmas day!
Quick Recap
It is difficult to decide how to close the year, so I went ahead and asked you about your predictions for 2023. Quantum Zeitgeist and Quantum Insider have their yearly fantastic articles, as well as their recaps, and I’m summarizing some points I got from Linkedin as well. Q-Next from DOE has released a “Roadmap for Quantum Interconnects” which is by itself a 2023-2030 prediction document and a must read.
Also two papers do a head to head review on what is possible for combinatorial problems (and what will be possible with FTQCs). Galicia in Spain gets the second spanish quantum device, awarded to Fujitsu. (Who is another great player in the combinatorial solution world with their digital annealer). This week Biden finally signed the Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Guidelines, so that will pave the way for a great PQC year. And regarding communications, Arqit changes their technology moving away from satellites (and under some scrutiny from authorities).
So, a quick summary of 2023 Quantum Predictions
IQT Research Predicts QRNG Market will Reach $1.2 Billion by 2028 and Become the First “Mass Market” Quantum Device
Jack Krupansky: focus on running advanced algorithms on classical quantum simulators, focusing on advanced algorithms using 24 to 28 to 32 to 36 and even to 40 qubits. Also poses the question on whether we will see general purpose scalable photonic devices as well.
TQI predicts that the runway of money runs out for some companies, leading to potential mergers and also to more top-exec movements. They also bet on PQC and pose the question that in this field, any black swan sudden research will surely make us all revisit our predictions.
Quantum Zeitgeist predicts continued growth from the public hardware companies out there, with an increased focus on software. Talent will remain a bottleneck but we will see an increase in the offer out there. They also expect mergers but also blink an eye to Xanadu for an IPO or SPAC.
Finally, lets close the year with combinatorial problems and two papers.
Is Quantum Annealing an efficient way to solve combinatorial problems? This paper discusses those cases and how the main companies in the field address them.
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2112.07491.pdf
The TL;DR conclusion
"The ultimate question of whether QA offers a provable advantage over classical approaches has yet to be answered. [...] Regardless of the application field, only relatively small problem sizes can currently be addressed efficiently on actual hardware. In addition to the small number of physical qubits, a major limiting factor is the overhead resulting from the restricted connection topology of the physical qubits that is currently realizable in hardware. Typically, the number of physical qubits needed to address a problem scales polynomially with the number of logical variables in the problem formulation. However, after the careful analysis of a given problem class and its mapping to QA hardware, the hardware can be programmed for that problem class and then each instance of that problem can be solved robustly in a fixed amount of time, which is a major advantage of the quantum annealing approach."
In the meantime, fresh from Berlin, the group led by Jens Eisert published “A super-polynomial quantum advantage for combinatorial optimization problems” which is an amazing work proving that FTQC provide a super-polynomial speedup for combinatorial problems. Many of those discussed in the paper above.
“we prove a super-polynomial speedup for approximating the solution of instances of NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems using a fault tolerant quantum computer. We explicitly show such speedups for instances of formula coloring and the much discussed integer linear programming which are proven to be hard to approximate. It would be an interesting line of thought to retrieve similar results for weak learning of representation classes, where the consistency constraint of h is relaxed to 1/poly(n)-consistency.”
Next week, the Quantum Pirate will take a deserved rest from the seas of uncertainty on the not-so-quantum slopes. So PLEASE do not bring any breakthrough just yet! We will be back in your inbox on January 9th. In the meantime: Stay coherent and don’t collapse!
The Week in Quantum Computing
Open Sourcing a Quantum Algorithm for Google’s OpenFermion library
OpenFermion is a quantum AI library developed by Google that is designed to simulate and analyse the behaviour of quantum systems. OpenFermion contains a number of different tools and algorithms, such as the Jordan-Wigner transformation, that are useful for simulating and analysing quantum systems.
Link: https://ift.tt/trDdfi5
December 19, 2022 at 08:32AM
Quantumania: The Quantum Computing Revolution
In the early 2000s, supercomputers gained a reputation for tormenting and enacting dictatorships in fictional worlds. We saw the emergence of movie villains depicted through Terminator’s homicidal supercomputer, Skynet, and Space Odyssey’s heuristic supercomputer, HAL 9000.
Link: https://ift.tt/VFd8hw7
December 19, 2022 at 09:32AM
Researchers release roadmap for the development of quantum information technologies
To guide the development of these devices, the Q-NEXT quantum research center has published a new report, "A Roadmap for Quantum Interconnects," which outlines the research and scientific discoveries needed to develop the technologies for distributing quantum information on a 10- to 15-year timescale.
Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by DOE's Argonne National Laboratory.
Link: https://ift.tt/7r84H3R
December 19, 2022 at 09:31PM
6 Times Quantum Physics Blew Our Minds in 2022
The quantum world defies common sense at every turn. Shaped across hundreds of thousands of years by biological evolution, our modern human brain struggles to comprehend things outside our familiar naturalistic context.
Link: https://ift.tt/6Esno2e
December 19, 2022 at 11:35PM
Cosmic Rays Are Quantum Computers' Kryptonite
The kind of quantum computers that IBM, Google and Amazon are building suffer catastrophic errors roughly once every 10 seconds due to cosmic rays from outer space. Now a new study reveals a way to reduce this error rate by nearly a half-million-fold to less than once per month.
Link: https://ift.tt/oM2rHk0
December 19, 2022 at 11:35PM
A super-polynomial quantum advantage for combinatorial optimization problems
Combinatorial optimization - a field of research addressing problems that feature strongly in a wealth of practical and industrial contexts - has been identified as one of the core potential fields of applicability of near-term quantum computers. It is still unclear, however, to what extent variational quantum algorithms can actually outperform classical algorithms for this type of problems. In this work, by resorting to computational learning theory and cryptographic notions, we prove that fault-tolerant quantum computers feature a super-polynomial advantage over classical computers in approximating solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. Specifically, building on seminal work of Kearns and Valiant, we construct special instances of the integer programming problem (which in its most general form is NP-complete) that we prove to be hard-to-approximate classically but give an efficient quantum algorithm to approximate the optimal solution of those instances, hence showing a super-polynomial quantum advantage. This result shows that quantum devices have the power to approximate combinatorial optimization solutions beyond the reach of classical efficient algorithms.
Link: https://ift.tt/P1WRmlE
December 20, 2022 at 07:31AM
Meet PQShield, creating quantum-secure cryptography to protect from quantum attacks
As part of our quick fire questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Dr Ali El Kaafarani, CEO of PQShield about cutting-edge cryptographic technologies, quantum attacks and the art of explaining the quantum threat to non-technical leaders.
Link: https://ift.tt/CIRp9mq
December 20, 2022 at 01:36PM
How quantum computing can navigate robots through crowded places
Movie scenes with robots and vehicles autonomously moving around and interacting with their environment are no longer science fiction but slowly becoming part of our daily lives. On Mars, robotic vehicles already travel around freely and perform tasks.
Link: https://ift.tt/ZWCrEtJ
December 20, 2022 at 07:31PM
Top 11 Predictions for 2023’s Quantum Technology Industry
If quantum mechanics teaches us anything, it’s that uncertainty rules reality. So, it’s always a risk making prediction about anything, but trying to make accurate predictions in an industry that relies on the fuzzy probabilities of quantum mechanics is exceedingly difficult.
Link: https://ift.tt/SkqYD7G
December 20, 2022 at 07:31PM
World's largest telecom carrier explores quantum computing
China Mobile, the world's largest telecom carrier by mobile subscribers, started officially exploring how to tap into quantum computing to overcome the computational bottlenecks facing 5G and 6G.
The research institute of China Mobile, which has now more than 900 million subscribers, inked a deal with Origin Quantum, a Chinese startup focusing on quantum computers and related technologies.
Link: https://ift.tt/ymKIh63
December 21, 2022 at 10:31AM
2022 was a big year in quantum — but what news dominated the headlines?
Investment in quantum computing has gone from strength to strength this year. A recent report from the World Economic Forum reveals public and private investments will total $35.5 billion by 2022 across a range of quantum technologies.
Link: https://ift.tt/2KlVedL
December 21, 2022 at 10:31AM
QCentroid – Shaping the Future of Using Quantum Algorithms
Quantum computing is moving out of university labs into the real world. Both startups and corporates are pushing the envelope on building large-scale, useful quantum computers. Yet, it takes smart quantum developers to come up with algorithms geared towards tackling specific computational problems using these newly emerging quantum hardware platforms.
Link: https://ift.tt/E59CLJ2
December 21, 2022 at 12:32PM
DARPA’s explorations in quantum computing search for the art of the possible in the realm of the improbable
To discuss the state of quantum computing and its military applications, we talked with Joe Altepeter, a program manager in DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office (DSO). Altepeter manages two of DARPA’s three main quantum programs — including the (US2QC) program, which is about uncovering new, novel, and overlooked avenues in quantum exploration.
Link: https://ift.tt/7uIOM8B
December 21, 2022 at 04:31PM
Coherent manipulation of spin qubits at room temperature
The study was published in Nature Nanotechnology on Dec 19th. Quantum information science is concerned with the manipulation of the quantum version of information bits (called qubits).
Link: https://ift.tt/xf2Zh8m
December 21, 2022 at 06:33PM
El CESGA selecciona su Computador Cuántico
Santiago de Compostela, 19 diciembre, 2022.- El Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia (CESGA) anuncia que Fujitsu será la empresa que proporcionará su computador cuántico, por valor de 14 M€.
Link: https://ift.tt/ism8f1W
December 22, 2022 at 11:30AM
Arqit Announces Technology Update
Arqit has announced it will no longer incorporate quantum satellites or the associated ground infrastructure into its core offering.
Arqit intends to sell its quantum satellite currently under construction and also intends to licence its quantum satellite IP.
QuantumCloud will operated based entirely on classical digital hardware and software, making it more scalable, more efficient, and less risky to operate.
Link: https://ift.tt/dzqGrk2
December 23, 2022 at 09:30AM
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
When Robert Lamm wrote that first hit song for the band Chicago in 1969, he was likely referring to the pressure that time places on society, not the technological advances dependent on precise time keeping.
Link: https://ift.tt/J9Esg3W
December 23, 2022 at 09:30AM
Congress Just Passed Critical Quantum Cybersecurity Legislation– Why It’s Significant
By Jen Sovada, Air Force Col. (Ret.) and President, Public Sector, SandboxAQ Time is of the essence when it comes to making cybersecurity preparations for a future in which quantum computing is a reality.
Link: https://ift.tt/bmjRI5r
December 23, 2022 at 09:30AM
Biden Signs Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Guidelines Into Law
On Dec. 21, the US government's plan for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography became law, committing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to scope out compliance with the recent NIST guidelines.
Link: https://ift.tt/aWOorDp
December 23, 2022 at 09:30AM
Challenging the “Exponential Quantum Advantage Hypothesis“ for Quantum Chemistry
Ever since Feynman‘s statement “Nature isn‘t classical dammit“ there exists the general agreement in the quantum computing community that fault tolerant quantum computers will generically provide an exponential quantum advantage in quantum chemistry for problems of practical interest.
Link: https://ift.tt/IGeXQhb
December 23, 2022 at 09:30PM
Ten Quantum Predictions for 2023
A new year will bring new opportunities and, of course, change in the Quantum Industry. We have listed some predictions for the upcoming year of 2023. Of course we don’t have crystal ball, but some of the trneds of the last few years are likely to continue in the Quantum industry.
Link: https://ift.tt/kvVbtMW
December 24, 2022 at 08:30PM
Paper: Quantum Annealing for Industry Applications: Introduction and Review
Quantum annealing is a heuristic quantum optimization algorithm that can be used to solve combinatorial optimization problems. In recent years, advances in quantum technologies have enabled the development of small- and intermediate-scale quantum processors that implement the quantum annealing algorithm for programmable use. Specifically, quantum annealing processors produced by D-Wave Systems have been studied and tested extensively in both research and industrial settings across different disciplines. In this paper we provide a literature review of the theoretical motivations for quantum annealing as a heuristic quantum optimization algorithm, the software and hardware that is required to use such quantum processors, and the state-of-the-art applications and proofs-of-concepts that have been demonstrated using them. The goal of our review is to provide a centralized and condensed source regarding applications of quantum annealing technology. We identify the advantages, limitations, and potential of quantum annealing for both researchers and practitioners from various fields.
Link: https://ift.tt/0rsOHlK
December 24, 2022 at 08:30PM