The Week in Quantum Computing - May 6th 2024 - PsiQuantum ❤️ Australia. QuEra ❤️ Japan
Issue #184
The Week in Quantum Computing. Brought to you by Sergio Gago (@piratecto).
Quick Recap
The quantum arms race gets hotter. Australia over takes from the right with a massive investment in PsiQuantum ($940 million!) plus $18 to build Quantum Australia, a consortium to bring together universities, industry and other partners. Meanwhile IBM installs their device next to Fugaku and QuEra wins $41M to install their device at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in a hybrid mode with a supercomputer.
A new method called Quantum Error Correction with a Single Ancilla Qubit (QEC-SAQ), is a major breakthrough in the field. It uses a single ancilla qubit to correct errors in a quantum system. Google Chrome's latest update has introduced a quantum-resistant encapsulation mechanism, highlighting the growing importance of post-quantum cryptography. On the research front, teams in China and India have made significant advancements in quantum memory and algorithms respectively, while a large research team has developed a manufacturable platform for photonic quantum computing.
The Week in Quantum Computing
Photonic Quantum Memory Capacity Expanded, Paving Way for Quantum Internet
Researchers from Tsinghua University and Hefei National Laboratory in China have developed a photonic quantum memory with a capacity of 72 qubit cells, demonstrating a significant advancement in quantum computing and networking. The memory, with a coherence time above 0.5 ms, can perform 1000 consecutive operations in a random access way, marking a crucial step towards quantum repeaters and large-scale quantum networks. The team, including Sheng Zhang, Jixuan Shi, Zhaibin Cui, Ye Wang, Yukai Wu, Luming Duan, and Yunfei Pu, faced challenges in integrating various elements of quantum memory into a single setup.
Plan for Australia to stay ahead of the pack in cutting-edge computing
The Australian government is investing $18 million to establish Quantum Australia, a body intended to strengthen the country's lead in quantum technology. Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic highlighted the potential of quantum technology, comparing its impact to the shift from typewriters to personal computers. Quantum Australia will connect major universities, industry groups and strategic partners, aiming to translate innovative research into practical applications. The global quantum industry has seen an investment of $64.2 billion by 2023. Dr. Xanthe Croot, University of Sydney Nano Institute, emphasized the consortium's role in accelerating research and development, positioning Australia as a leader in quantum technologies.
Google Chrome's new post-quantum cryptography may break TLS connections
Google Chrome's latest update, Chrome 124, has introduced a quantum-resistant X25519Kyber768 encapsulation mechanism, leading to connection issues for some users. The issue arises from servers, firewalls, and other network devices failing to properly handle larger ClientHello messages required for post-quantum cryptography. The Chrome Security Team explains that this update protects against 'store now decrypt later' attacks, where encrypted data is stored for future decryption using advanced methods such as quantum computers. Other companies, including Apple and Signal, have also begun incorporating quantum-resistant encryption. While the issue can be temporarily resolved by disabling the TLS 1.3 hybridized Kyber support, Google emphasizes that post-quantum secure ciphers will be essential for future TLS.
Bold $1b bet from Australia on quantum start-up
The Australian government is set to invest $940 million in Silicon Valley start-up PsiQuantum, marking a significant commitment to the development of quantum computing. This funding, split evenly between the federal and Queensland governments, will be allocated through share purchases, grants, and loans. PsiQuantum, co-founded by two Australians, aims to build the world's first commercially viable quantum computer in Brisbane.
https://www.afr.com/technology/labor-s-bold-1b-bet-on-aussie-quantum-start-up-20240429-p5fnb7
Efficient Quantum Algorithm for SUBSET-SUM Problem
Researchers Sanchita Ghosh, Anant Sharma, Shibdas Roy from TCG Centres for Research and Education in Science and Technology, Kolkata, India, and Sreetama Das from Istituto Nazionale di Ottica del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-INO), Florence, Italy, have developed an efficient quantum algorithm for the SUBSET-SUM problem, a notable NP-complete problem. The algorithm allows a quantum computer to determine in polynomial time whether a set of integers, positive or negative, includes a subset that sums to zero. This breakthrough suggests that a quantum computer could solve all problems in the NP complexity class in polynomial time, potentially revolutionizing areas like stock-market data analysis or brain activity recording.
https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/646
Groundbreaking Platform for Photonic Quantum Computing Developed by PsiQuantum Team
95 of PsiQuantum researchers have developed a manufacturable platform for photonic quantum computing, addressing the need for millions of beyond-state-of-the-art components. The platform utilizes monolithically-integrated silicon photonics-based modules to generate, manipulate, network, and detect photonic qubits. The team demonstrated high fidelity in state preparation and measurement (99.98%), Hong-Ou-Mandel quantum interference (99.50%), two-qubit fusion (99.22%), and a chip-to-chip qubit interconnect (99.72%). The researchers also previewed next-generation technologies, including low-loss silicon nitride waveguides and components, fabrication-tolerant photon sources, high-efficiency photon-number-resolving detectors, low-loss chip-to-fiber coupling, and barium titanate electro-optic phase shifters.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.17570
The U.S. Must Win the Quantum Computing Race. History Shows How to Do It
Quantum computing advancements in 2023 indicate a new era of technological revolution. Quantum computers, first theorized by physicist Richard Feynman in 1981, could potentially process calculations that would take standard computers millennia. However, they could also break daily encryption used for everything from texting to financial transactions. The U.S., previously a leader in quantum technology due to the Manhattan Project, risks falling behind as current quantum funding bills stall. Meanwhile, other nations are investing billions into quantum research. Private tech companies like IBM, Google, and Microsoft have made significant investments, pushing the field forward. In 2023, IBM and a Harvard team made strides in error correction, a major hurdle in quantum computing. However, Chinese physicists, who've invested over $15 billion in quantum technologies, are making impressive achievements that could potentially outpace U.S. developments.
https://time.com/6963281/quantum-computing-history/
AIST Selects QuEra’s Neutral-Atom Quantum Computer to Be Installed Alongside NVIDIA-Powered ABCI-Q Supercomputer
QuEra Computing, a leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, has been contracted by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) for 6.5 Billion JPY (approx. $41M USD) to deliver a state-of-the-art quantum computer. The computer will be installed alongside the NVIDIA-powered ABCI-Q supercomputer, aiming to develop a powerful hybrid quantum-classical computing platform. QuEra's gate-based neutral-atom quantum computers, known for unique scale and fidelity, will be installed on-premises in 2025. QuEra's first-generation 256-qubit computer has been available on a major cloud service since November 2022. The integration of quantum computers with GPU supercomputing is a key milestone in accelerating scientific discovery.
https://www.quera.com/press-releases/aist-selects-quera
Quantum challenge to be solved one mile underground
Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and University of Waterloo, Canada, are undertaking a unique project to mitigate the impact of cosmic radiation on quantum computers. Cosmic radiation, which can disrupt the quantum state of qubits and limit computation time, has been identified as a significant cause of errors in quantum computing. The research will be conducted in the world's deepest clean room, two kilometers underground at SNOLAB in Canada, which boasts the world's lowest muon flux. The project aims to understand the correlation between cosmic rays and qubit decoherence, and to develop methods to reduce correlated errors.
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-quantum-mile-underground.html
Revolutionizing Quantum Computing: Researchers Propose Tenfold Efficiency Boost Using Optimized Rydberg Gates
A research paper by C. Poole, T. M. Graham, M. A. Perlin, M. Otten, and M. Saffman proposes an improved architecture for the fast implementation of quantum Low-Density Parity-Check (qLDPC) codes using optimized Rydberg gates. The new design, based on long-range Rydberg gates between stationary neutral atom qubits, reduces the maximum Euclidean communication distance needed for non-local parity check operators. The optimized Rydberg gate pulse design enables entangling operations with a fidelity greater than 0.999 at a distance exceeding 12 micrometers. This combination of optimized layout and gate design results in a quantum error correction cycle time of approximately 1.2 milliseconds for a [[144,12,12]] code, marking a tenfold improvement over previous designs.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.18809
Novo Holdings commits DKK 1.4 billion (€188 million) to build a quantum technology start-up ecosystem
Novo Holdings has pledged DKK 1.4 billion (€188 million) to foster a quantum technology start-up ecosystem. This substantial investment signifies the company's commitment to advancing quantum technology, a field with significant potential for future technological development. The initiative is a clear indication of Novo Holdings' strategic focus on supporting the growth of nascent technologies that could reshape industries and bring about significant economic and societal benefits.
Keysight Introduces New Testing Capabilities to Strengthen Post-Quantum Cryptography
Keysight Technologies, a California-based company, has launched an industry-first automated solution for testing the robustness of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). This development marks a significant step towards securing data in the era of quantum computing. The innovation by Keysight Technologies is set to pioneer the exploration and implementation of PQC, ensuring secure and reliable data encryption in the quantum age.
Quantum Machines and Hamamatsu Photonics Join Forces to Revolutionize Quantum Computing Control
Quantum Machines (QM) and Hamamatsu Photonics have collaborated to enhance quantum computing control. The partnership sees the integration of QM's Observe camera interface with Hamamatsu's high-speed ORCA-Quest camera, boosting speed and flexibility in quantum computation, communication, and sensing. The combination provides ultra-fast camera readout capabilities for cold atom and trapped-ion qubits. Itamar Sivan, CEO of Quantum Machines, stated the partnership is a "game-changer" in quantum measurements' precision and speed. Tadashi Maruno, CEO of Hamamatsu Photonics, expressed enthusiasm about photonics' potential in the quantum world.
Quantum startup Riverlane awarded £2.1m Horizon Europe grant
Cambridge-based quantum computing startup, Riverlane, has been awarded a £2.1m grant from Horizon Europe, a European Union program funding scientific and technological development. The grant, supported by the UK's tech department, will aid Riverlane's research on quantum error correction decoders. The project aims to decode quantum operations in real-time, a significant step towards achieving 'quantum advantage'. Riverlane's CEO, Steve Brierley, emphasized the importance of real-time decoders for scaling quantum computers. Last year, Riverlane secured £15m in a Series B funding round, making it one of the UK's best-funded companies in its field.
https://www.uktech.news/deep-tech/riverlane-quantum-horizon-europe-20240501
JPMorgan Chase and AWS study the prospects for quantum speedups with near-term Rydberg atom arrays
JPMorgan Chase and Amazon's Quantum Solutions Lab (QSL) have been conducting a systematic study of optimization problems in finance, using Rydberg atom arrays. Their research is driven by recent experiments suggesting a potential super-linear quantum speedup. The team identified a class of problem instances with controllable hardness and minimal overhead for neutral atom quantum hardware. They believe their work lays the groundwork for future experiments towards quantum advantage. The study focuses on the maximum independent set problem on unit-disk graphs, a problem native to Rydberg atom arrays. The results have been published in Physical Review Research.
RIKEN Selects IBM’s Next-Generation Quantum System to be Integrated with the Supercomputer Fugaku
IBM has partnered with Japanese national research lab RIKEN to deploy IBM's next-gen quantum computer at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan. The computer will be integrated with the supercomputer Fugaku, marking the only instance of a quantum computer co-located with Fugaku. The project, funded by Japan's METI via NEDO, aims to demonstrate the benefits of hybrid computational platforms in the post-5G era. IBM's Quantum System Two, featuring its best performing quantum processor, Quantum Heron, will be used in the project. Dr. Mitsuhisa Sato of RIKEN and Jay Gambetta of IBM highlighted the potential of quantum computers to accelerate scientific applications and solve complex problems.
Tech Translated: Quantum cryptography
Quantum computers, utilizing quantum physics to enhance problem-solving capabilities, could render existing security systems obsolete, warns Kei Kumar, emerging technology advisory senior manager at PwC UK. Current encryption systems, based on complex math, could be cracked in hours or minutes by quantum computers, undermining the security framework of online commerce and communication. This threat extends to any secure communication over the internet, including the entire cryptocurrency sector, and any stored information, from personal cloud drives to hospital databases. Quantum cryptography, an emerging field, is focused on assessing the vulnerability of digital information and devising new defenses to counter the hacking potential of quantum computers.
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/technology/quantum-cryptography.html
Get started with Qiskit 1.0 at the 2024 IBM Quantum Challenge
IBM has announced the 2024 Quantum Challenge, starting on June 5, utilizing their Qiskit SDK 1.0 software for programming utility-scale quantum computers. Authored by Brian Ingmanson and Vishal Sharathchandra Bajpe, the challenge aims to educate participants on how quantum computational scientists use Qiskit, with a focus on utility-scale experiments involving 100 or more qubits. The challenge, which will demonstrate new features of Qiskit 1.0, consists of a series of Jupyter notebooks with tutorial material, code examples, and coding challenges. IBM is also introducing new AI integrations with their Qiskit code assistant, powered by IBM Watson. The challenge's workflow represents a shift away from IBM Quantum Lab, focusing on utility-scale workloads.
https://ibm.com/quantum/blog/2024-quantum-challenge
Paper: Digital-Analog Counterdiabatic Quantum Optimization with Trapped Ions
Shubham Kumar, Narendra N. Hegade, Alejandro Gomez Cadavid, Murilo Henrique de Oliveira, Enrique Solano, and F. Albarrán-Arriagada have introduced a hardware-specific, problem-dependent quantum algorithm for optimization problems. The research focuses on trapped-ion architectures, using both global Mølmer-Sørensen gates and digital gates, which lead to a significant reduction in circuit depth compared to a digital-only approach. This allows larger optimization problems, requiring more qubits, to be tackled while maintaining device coherence time. The research also examines the minimum gate fidelity required by the analog blocks. The digital-analog encoding was validated by addressing the maximum independent set problem, which required fewer resources than the digital case.