The Week in Quantum Computing - March 11th 2024 - Raining Money! IQM, Rigetti, Google and XPrize, LuxQuanta & Multiverse DWave Advantage?
Issue #176
The Week in Quantum Computing. Brought to you by Sergio Gago (@piratecto).
Quick Recap
Ok, this week the money has been flying. Multiverse has announced their €25M round. LuxQuanta also in Spain €2,5M. Maybell also raised $25M and OQC got $100M from Chevron Ventures. And in the midst of the investment frenzy Google and Xprize announce a prize of €5M to find actual relevant quantum use cases. France goes and gives €500M to some of the top 5 QC companies in the region: Alice & Bob, C12, Pasqal, Quandela, and Quobly to develop the national quantum program. IQM (Radiance) and Rigetti (Novera) have launched new devices. And in the meantime, at the APS conference, Qblox, Maybell and Quantware build in a couple of days a QC based on their components. Now that’s a mic drop. Quantinuum on the side published a paper that promises reducing extensively the scalability problems of the qubit connections, all the while roasting IonQ’s “Algorithmic Qubits”. ScalingQ also released LINQER600 that works towards qubit connection scalability and is the vendor of choice for IQM’s device.
Lastly, two research papers bridge the Generative AI and Quantum worlds. Tensor networks may be able to “compress” LLMs reducing their inference cost. Both Multiverse Computing and Terra Quantum are working extensively on this.
The Week in Quantum Computing
Harnessing quantum computing for smart agriculture: Empowering sustainable crop management and yield optimization
The United Nations reports a steady rise in global population, from 2.5 billion in the 1950s to 8 billion in 2022, with projections of 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion by 2080. This significant growth underscores the need for sustainable crop management and yield optimization, for which quantum computing could play a pivotal role. Quantum technology could revolutionize agriculture, providing innovative solutions to meet the food needs of the expanding global populace.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168169924000711
Your Gateway to Quantum Advantage
IQM, a quantum computer manufacturer, has unveiled its most advanced superconducting quantum computer, the IQM Radiance™. The scalable architecture offers high-performance computing centers, data centers, leading businesses, and governments a chance to master quantum system operations and perform quantum advantage experiments. The Radiance™ system comes with 54-qubits, with an upgrade option to 150-qubits. The system will be delivered with 144 total qubits, 90 of which are used as coupler qubits for high fidelity. The modular architecture allows an upgrade to a 150-qubit system with 416 total qubits. IQM plans to deliver a 54-qubit system to the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in Q2 2024.
https://www.meetiqm.com/products/iqm-radiance
Novera
Rigetti Computing introduces Novera QPU, a 9-qubit version of its most potent quantum computer. The device, based on Rigetti's Ankaa-class architecture, provides superior performance and flexibility, allowing users to control the entire tech stack and easily customize configurations. The Novera QPU is built using the same technology as Rigetti's large-scale Ankaa systems and 9-qubit R&D devices, providing high performance for complex problems. It is available to ship immediately, with delivery expected in 4-6 weeks. The device is designed and manufactured at Fab-1, the industry's first dedicated integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. The Novera QPU signifies a significant step towards making quantum technology more accessible.
https://www.rigetti.com/novera
Maybell Quantum Announces $25M Series A Funding Led by Cerberus
Quantum infrastructure firm, Maybell Quantum, has secured $25M in Series A funding led by Cerberus Ventures. The investment will help Maybell scale manufacturing and establish a new production facility in 2024. Maybell, founded in 2021, is renowned for its cryogenic platforms— the Fridge and the Big Fridge, and MayQ Labs, quantum research spaces in Denver and Copenhagen. CEO Corban Tillemann-Dick stated the funding will "accelerate the deployment of Maybell systems worldwide" and "transform the theoretical into the tangible." Chris Darby from Cerberus, who will join Maybell's board, emphasized the investment's importance in securing a future underpinned by quantum capabilities. Existing investors Lavrock Ventures, Caruso Ventures, Mark IV Capital, Decisive Point, In-Q-Tel, and Olive Capital also participated.
Google launches $5m prize to find actual uses for quantum computers
Google and XPRIZE have launched a $5 million competition to find practical applications for quantum computers. The three-year contest invites researchers to develop new quantum algorithms that could address real-world problems, such as improving battery storage capacity. The algorithms will be judged on potential impact, alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and feasibility on current or near-future quantum machines. The prize fund will be divided among multiple winners. Ryan Babbush at Google believes this initiative could shift the focus of quantum computing research towards practical applications. However, Bill Fefferman at the University of Chicago highlights the need for a better understanding of quantum computers' operation to achieve this goal.
Quantum startup Multiverse Computing triples valuation as it takes on AI
Quantum software startup Multiverse Computing has raised €25m in a funding round led by Columbus Venture Partners, Quantonation Ventures, European Innovation Council, and Redstone QAI Quantum Fund, tripling its valuation to €100m. The San Sebastián-based company will use the funds to develop applications for large language models (LLMs), expand internationally, and enhance existing products. CEO Enrique Lizaso revealed plans for a product called "Lobotomizer" that uses quantum tensor networks to erase knowledge from LLMs without complete retraining, addressing copyright infringement issues. Another focus is on reducing the energy usage of LLMs with a product called CompactifAI that can compress models by 85% without accuracy loss.
https://sifted.eu/articles/ai-quantum-computing-startup-multiverse-news/
Quantum computing will radically alter the application of copyright law, study says
Quantum computing will significantly change the application of copyright law, according to a study led by Dr. James Griffin from the University of Exeter Law School. The technology's exponential speed will enhance tracking and tracing of legal owners of art, music, culture, and books, potentially leading to more copyright infringements. However, it will also empower lawyers to clamp down on violations more effectively. Quantum computing could make judgment calls on potential infringements, increasing their frequency, but also enforcement. Dr. Griffin suggests a quantum paradox is developing, with more infringements possible while technical devices simultaneously evolve to prevent them.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1036506
China to step up quantum computing, AI in tech self-sufficiency drive
BEIJING, March 5 (Reuters) - China will formulate plans to develop emerging industries including quantum computing and continue striving to achieve self-sufficiency in technology, a government work report said. It will also step up efforts in big data and artificial intelligence (AI) and intends to launch a number of major science and technology programmes to meet major strategic and industrial development goals, the report shows. "We will fully leverage the strengths of the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide to raise China's capacity for innovation across the board." it said.
Qblox, Maybell, and Quantware team up to deploy a full-stack quantum system built in 2 days at the APS March Meeting 2024
At the APS March Meeting 2024, Qblox, Maybell, and QuantWare unveiled a full-stack quantum computer system assembled in just two days. The system, featuring Maybell's Fridge, QuantWare's Soprano chip, and Qblox's Cluster control electronics, performed live qubit operations on the conference floor. Qblox CEO Niels Bultink highlighted the event as a "new chapter in the quantum technology value chain", while Maybell CEO Corban Tillemann-Dick emphasized the company's commitment to making quantum technology more accessible. QuantWare CEO Matthijs Rijlaarsdam noted the rapid maturation of the technology. This collaborative effort underscores the potential for rapid deployment of quantum computing systems.
https://www.qblox.com/blog/aps-mm-quantum-computer
Paper: Scalable Multispecies Ion Transport in a Grid Based Surface-Electrode Trap
Robert D. Delaney and a team of 15 authors have developed a scalable method for controlling ion crystals in a grid-based surface electrode Paul trap. The method combines co-wiring of control electrodes at symmetric locations with the ability to exchange voltages applied to two special electrodes. This allows for site-dependent operations with a fixed number of analog voltage signals and a single digital input per site. The team demonstrated the method using $^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$-$^{138}\mathrm{Ba}^{+}$ crystals and $^{137}\mathrm{Ba}^{+}$-$^{88}\mathrm{Sr}^{+}$, achieving sub-quanta motional excitation following operations at exchange rates of 2.5 kHz. The method shows potential for sorting qubits and implementing other conditional operations.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00756v1
SCALINQ Redefines the Quantum Computing Landscape by Launching the Biggest Commercially Available Qubit Device Packaging Solution
Quantum computing hardware provider, SCALINQ, has launched LINQER600, the largest commercially available quantum device packaging solution. Developed in partnership with IQM, the LINQER600 can control quantum devices with hundreds of qubits, surpassing systems previously only available within major computing companies. The product has undergone extensive testing with Radiance, a 150-qubit chip, demonstrating its functionality. SCALINQ's CEO, Zaid Saeed, emphasises this launch as a testament to the industry's rapid development and the need for collaborative R&D. The LINQER series, first launched in 2022, has already assisted global researchers with its scalable design, state-of-the-art performance, and quick sample exchange. This innovation takes quantum computing a significant stride forward.
Quantinuum researchers make a huge leap forward demonstrating the scalability of the QCCD architecture, solving the ‘wiring problem’
Quantinuum has made significant progress in the scalability of Quantum CCD (QCCD) architecture, addressing the "wiring problem" in quantum computing. The issue involves the increase in control signals as the number of qubits scales up, which becomes impractical and eventually impossible. The company's latest results demonstrate a method that minimizes the number of signals required to control the qubits without scaling with the number of qubits. The approach uses a fixed number of analog signals and a single digital input per qubit, allowing complete motional control. Curtis Volin, Principal R&D Engineer and Scientist at Quantinuum, highlighted this as the first scalable architecture with a reasonable number of signals. The results also address the "sorting problem" offering a more flexible and robust design.
Paper: Computational supremacy in quantum simulation
A team of 61 researchers led by Andrew D. King has demonstrated the potential of quantum computers in simulating non-equilibrium dynamics of a magnetic spin system quenched through a quantum phase transition. The study found that superconducting quantum annealing processors can rapidly generate samples that closely align with the Schrödinger equation solutions. The research also revealed area-law scaling of entanglement in two-, three-, and infinite-dimensional spin glasses. The team concluded that no known approach, including tensor networks and neural networks, can match the accuracy of the quantum annealer within a reasonable timeframe. This emphasizes quantum annealers' unique ability to address complex problems that are beyond the reach of classical computers.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00910v1
"Chevron Backs Quantum Computing Pioneer OQC in $100M Series B, Fuelling Growth in Energy Sector's Quantum Revolution"
Quantum computing-as-a-service (QCaaS) global leader, OQC, announced Chevron Technology Ventures' participation in its $100M Series B funding round. The energy market's quantum computing sector is set to grow at a CAGR of 37.9%, driven by increasing demand for efficient optimization and simulation. OQC's recent launch of the upgradable 32-qubit platform, OQC Toshiko, marks the first integration of quantum computing into commercial data centers. Jim Gable, VP of Innovation and President of Technology Ventures at Chevron, emphasized the potential of quantum computing to revolutionize information processing.
Debunking algorithmic qubits
Quantinuum's H-Series computers have been recognized for their industry-leading performance, backed by quantum volume benchmarks. However, the company has criticized the use of an alternative benchmark called algorithmic qubits (AQ), which they argue can be manipulated to overstate a quantum computer's performance. Quantinuum's researchers demonstrated this flaw using simulations, highlighting that AQ can overestimate quantum volume when certain tricks are applied. They emphasized that algorithmic qubits are not equivalent to logical qubits, which are crucial for full fault-tolerant quantum computing. Dr. Charlie Baldwin, a leader at Quantinuum, warned that error mitigation techniques, such as plurality voting, can obscure actual device improvements and may not scale to larger systems.
https://www.quantinuum.com/news/debunking-algorithmic-qubits
Qiskit 1.0 release summary
IBM's Quantum Computing Blog announced the full release of Qiskit 1.0 SDK, marking a new chapter in quantum programming focused on performance, stability, and usability. Key changes include the ability to build and transpile circuits with 100+ qubits, a more stable API, and a leaner set of libraries. Additionally, the redesign of Sampler and Estimator primitives introduces SamplerV2 and EstimatorV2, which accept vectorized inputs, facilitating parameter sweeps and more efficient results collection. The release also includes an experimental OpenQASM 3 parser, written in Rust, for faster instruction loading.
https://www.ibm.com/quantum/blog/qiskit-1-0-release-summary
The state of the post-quantum Internet
Currently, around 2% of all TLS 1.3 connections with Cloudflare are secured with post-quantum cryptography, with projections of double-digit adoption by end of 2024. Apple plans to secure iMessage with this cryptography by year-end, while Signal chats are already secured. Quantum computers, while not replacing regular computers, are capable of breaking key cryptography in use today, necessitating the shift to post-quantum cryptography. Despite their current limitations, encrypted traffic can be harvested today and decrypted with a future quantum computer. The US government aims to complete its migration to post-quantum cryptography by 2035, while the NSA plans to prefer post-quantum ready vendors by 2025.
https://blog.cloudflare.com/pq-2024
Classiq and Alice & Bob to Deliver End-to-End Quantum Computing From High-Level Development to Logical Qubit Emulator
Quantum software company Classiq and quantum computing firm Alice & Bob have announced a partnership aimed at bridging the gap between quantum software and hardware. The collaboration will enhance the Classiq platform with Alice & Bob's cat qubit technology and tooling for logical qubits, marking a shift towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. CEO of Alice & Bob, Théau Peronnin, emphasized the importance of logical qubits and the need for new tools. The partnership will expand Classiq's range of quantum computing back-ends to include an early-access program for the first logical qubit emulator.
Vescent Announces $5M in Series Seed Funding Led by Corporate Fuel
Golden-based quantum technology firm Vescent has successfully raised $5 million in a Series Seed funding round. The investment was led by Corporate Fuel, with Caruso Ventures also participating. Vescent is recognized as a leader in Quantum 2.0 Technologies, a field that is paving the way for the commercialization of quantum computing.
LuxQuanta secures €2,5M funding
Spanish company LuxQuanta has secured €2.5 million from the European Innovation Council Accelerator (EIC) program for scaling its quantum cybersecurity technology. The funding will be primarily directed towards the development and commercialization of the photonic chip and will also be invested in the company's growth. This includes enhancing commercialization, scaling production, and optimizing their product 'Nova LQ'. The funding combines the €2.5 million grant and access to venture capital of up to €15 million. CEO Vanesa Díaz highlighted that the support comes as they are working on a second funding round, a 'Series A', to further scale operations, open new markets, and expand their professional team.
Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Stable Qubits at Room Temperature
Researchers led by Associate Professor Nobuhiro Yanai from Kyushu University, in collaboration with Professor Yasuhiro Kobori of Kobe University, have achieved a significant breakthrough in quantum computing by maintaining quantum coherence at room temperature. This was accomplished by embedding a chromophore within a metal-organic framework (MOF), thereby preserving a quantum system's state without external interference. This advancement could pave the way for more efficient generation of multiple qubits at room temperatures, potentially opening doors to room-temperature molecular quantum computing and quantum sensing of various target compounds. "This is the first room-temperature quantum coherence of entangled quintets," remarked Professor Kobori.
https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-computing-breakthrough-stable-qubits-at-room-temperature/
French defense ministry picks startups to develop quantum computers
France's defense-procurement agency has awarded contracts worth up to €500 million (US$545 million) to five domestic computer-research startups: Alice & Bob, C12, Pasqal, Quandela, and Quobly. The aim is to develop technology that will enable France to have two universal quantum computer prototypes by 2032, particularly for defense requirements. The project will be coordinated by the Defense Digital Agency (AND). The chosen startups have already made significant strides in quantum computing, with Alice & Bob working on error correction, C12 using carbon nanotubes, Pasqal developing a system using neutral atoms, Quandela focusing on photonics, and Quobly developing error-tolerant processors.
Paper: TQCompressor: improving tensor decomposition methods in neural networks via permutations
A research team led by V. Abronin introduced TQCompressor, a novel method for neural network model compression that improves tensor decompositions. The method addresses computational and storage demands of pre-trained language models in NLP tasks by using a permutation-based enhancement to Kronecker decomposition, reducing loss in model expressivity usually linked with factorization. Applied to GPT-2$_{small}$, the result is a TQCompressedGPT-2 model with 81 million parameters, down from 124 million. Enhanced further via a multi-step knowledge distillation training strategy, the TQCompressedGPT-2 outperforms DistilGPT-2 and KnGPT-2, marking a significant step forward in deploying models in resource-constrained environments.