The rate at which quantum computing is hitting the media stream is ever-increasing. This piece is a compilation derived from The Shorts posted on The Qubit Report this week. Mea Cubitt
Business & Industry
The time to get started with Quantum Computing is now | Quantum computing has the potential to transform a huge number of industries. The race to build quantum technology is on as you are reading this. All business and technology leaders should start looking into the impact that quantum computing can bring to their industry. Experts estimate that the first commercial applications will appear in 2-5 years. In 5-10 years we can build more and more complex applications. By that time, the golden opportunity to be among the first ones will be gone. In this blog post, I’ll give an overview of where the quantum computing industry is today and where it may be going to. Source: QUANSCIENT. The time to get started with Quantum Computing is now…
Is Quantum Tech All Hype? | In spring 2019, a mysterious account called Quantum Bullshit Detector emerged on Twitter, which started commenting on all kinds of news in the quantum scene. Announcements of breakthroughs, industry forecasts and lectures by top-tier universities all received one word of commentary: “Bullshit.” Source: builtin. Is Quantum Tech All Hype?…
IonQ Stock Is Risky, But It’s a Worthwhile Quantum Computing Play | Maybe you don’t know much about quantum computing – that’s perfectly fine. You’re still invited to consider IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) as the company just recently went public and IonQ stock is now available for trading. Source: INVESTORPLACE. IonQ Stock Is Risky, But It’s a Worthwhile Quantum Computing Play…
Hub technologies to be demonstrated at UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase 2021 | Source: QUANTUM COMMUNICATIONS HUB. Hub technologies to be demonstrated at UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase 2021…
Can quantum computing re-route our supply chain issues | What if there was a solution that could optimize shipping routes in the face of changing conditions, discover new materials, and determine option pricing quickly and accurately? As quantum computing continues to advance and become more available to global markets, it has the potential to offer significant ROI and solutions for supply chain professionals especially. Source: EP&T. Can quantum computing re-route our supply chain issues…
The Week in Quantum Computing – October 25th | Big contratulations to Multivers Computing for their new funding round, pushing the spanish quantum ecocystem. A potentially revolutionary reserach paper on QML removing one of our biggest enemies: Barren plateaus. GAO releases the US federal government roadmap and strategy. Toshiba releases chip for QKD on small devices. Zapata releases research that improves amplitude estimation, useful for many financial cases and beyond. Source: Quantum Pirates. The Week in Quantum Computing – October 25th…
AWS’s new quantum computing center aims to build a large-scale superconducting quantum computer | Cloud computing giant AWS is expanding its presence in the quantum industry with the opening of a shiny new Center for Quantum Computing in California. Here, top academics and engineers will be working to build the company’s very own superconducting quantum computer. Source: ZDNet. AWS’s new quantum computing center aims to build a large-scale superconducting quantum computer…
AWS launches new quantum computing center | Quantum computers have the potential to drive major advances in everything from medicine, to manufacturing, to the way we produce materials. Source: amazon. AWS launches new quantum computing center…
AWS Announces Opening of the AWS Center for Quantum Computing | What if by harnessing the properties of quantum mechanics we could model and simulate the behavior of matter at its most fundamental level, down to how molecules interact? The machine that would make that possible would be transformative, changing what we know about science and how we probe nature for answers. Source: HPCwire. AWS Announces Opening of the AWS Center for Quantum Computing…
AWS Announces New Quantum Computing Service (Amazon Braket) along with AWS Center for Quantum Computing and Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab | Quantum computing has the potential to solve computational problems that are beyond the reach of classical computers. It promises to transform areas such as energy storage, chemical engineering, material science, drug discovery, process optimization, and machine learning. However, the application of quantum computing to date has been limited mainly to proof of concept studies with limited practical use. To help accelerate the development of this potentially disruptive technology, AWS is establishing the AWS Center for Quantum Computing, where quantum experts from Amazon and academia will collaborate on the research and development of new quantum computing technologies and applications with the goal of solving real-world problems. While the Center’s work will be focused on solving longer-term technical challenges to quantum computing, some customers are ready to begin exploring quantum computing and gain experience now. But today, it’s hard for customers to engage with quantum computers, particularly if they want to evaluate different early stage technologies, each with their own development, simulation, and test environments. Without the opportunity to develop the necessary skills, it’s difficult for customers to identify when quantum computing will provide benefit, and learn how they can design algorithms and discover new applications. To help customers overcome these challenges, AWS is launching the Amazon Braket service and the Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab so that customers can begin learning and experimenting with quantum computing today. Source: amazon. AWS Announces New Quantum Computing Service (Amazon Braket) along with AWS Center for Quantum Computing and Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab…
$675M investments in quantum computing in 2020, IBM, Google, Honeywell, IonQ, PsiQuantum lead | Confidence that quantum computers will solve major problems that are beyond the reach of traditional computers- a milestone known as a quantum advantage—has grown fast in the past twelve months, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), titled, What Happens When “If” Turns to “When” in Quantum Computing? Source: GLOBAL CIO FORUM. $675M investments in quantum computing in 2020, IBM, Google, Honeywell, IonQ, PsiQuantum lead…
Cybersecurity & Cryptography
US State Department to form cyber bureau | Hackers, often backed by other nation states and their resources, have repeatedly struck US companies this year, with particular concerns about a surge of ransomware attacks. In May, a ransomware attack targeting pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline led to a temporary disruption to the fuel supply on the East Coast. Source: E&T. US State Department to form cyber bureau…
The Quantum Blockchain Technologies share price just jumped 25% | In early trading Tuesday morning, the Quantum Blockchain Technologies (LSE: QBT) share price spiked 25% to 2.7p. At the time of writing, the shares are back a bit to 2.5p. But that’s still a gain of 15% on the day so far. Source: The Motley Fool. The Quantum Blockchain Technologies share price just jumped 25%…
QuintessenceLabs Raises A$25 million to take Quantum Safe Cybersecurity Worldwide | QuintessenceLabs, a pioneer and leader in quantum cybersecurity solutions, announced today that it has recently raised a A$25 million round of capital funding led by Main Sequence and TELUS Ventures, with participation from Mizuho Financial Group-backed InterValley Ventures and Terry Snow’s Capital Property Group. This investment underscores QuintessenceLabs’ commitment of providing quantum safe crypto solutions and services to support security communities worldwide. Main Sequence is Australia’s deep tech investment fund, founded by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO. TELUS Ventures is the strategic investment arm of TELUS Corporation and one of Canada’s most active and longest-standing corporate venture capital (CVC) funds. Source: businesswire. QuintessenceLabs Raises A$25 million to take Quantum Safe Cybersecurity Worldwide…
QUANTUM COMPUTING WILL BRING ABOUT A TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION IN THE FIELD OF SECURITY AND DEFENSE | Technology is advancing so fast that we seem to be living in a constant digital revolution. However, what has been achieved so far is part of the evolution of binary computing. It is from this moment on, with the introduction of quantum computing, that we can refer to an authentic new technological revolution. Source: THALES. QUANTUM COMPUTING WILL BRING ABOUT A TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION IN THE FIELD OF SECURITY AND DEFENSE…
Microsoft Digital Defense Report shares new insights on nation-state attacks | Microsoft is proud to promote Cybersecurity Awareness Month as part of our ongoing commitment to security for all. Year-round, Microsoft tracks nation-state threat activities to help protect organizations and individuals from these advanced persistent actors. We’re constantly improving our capabilities to bring better detections, threat context, and actor knowledge to our customers so they can improve their own defenses. To learn more about how Microsoft responds to nation-state attacks and how to defend your organization, watch the Decoding NOBELIUM docuseries. Hear directly from the frontline defenders who helped protect organizations against the most sophisticated attack in history. Source: Microsoft. Microsoft Digital Defense Report shares new insights on nation-state attacks…
Cybersecurity for Quantum Computing | With rising cyberattack frequency and range, Quantum Computing companies, institutions and research groups may become targets of nation state actors, cybercriminals and hacktivists for sabotage, espionage and fiscal motivations as the Quantum computing race intensifies. Quantum applications have expanded into commercial, classical information systems and services approaching the necessity to protect their networks, software, hardware and data from digital attacks. This paper discusses the status quo of quantum computing technologies and the quantum threat associated with it. We proceed to outline threat vectors for quantum computing systems and the respective defensive measures, mitigations and best practices to defend against the rapidly evolving threat landscape. We subsequently propose recommendations on how to proactively reduce the cyberattack surface through threat intelligence and by ensuring security by design of quantum software and hardware components. Source: arXiv. Cybersecurity for Quantum Computing…
Technology & Hardware
Thwarting Counterfeiting with Programmable Hardware | Susan Fullerton, Ke Xu, and their colleague, Eric Beckman, recently received a $553,482 NSF grant for their project titled “Ion-Locked Polymorphic Electronics for Hardware Security.” Source: PITTSBURGH QUANTUM INSTITUTE. Thwarting Counterfeiting with Programmable Hardware…
The quantum computer that uses light evolves – Technologies | The quantum computer that in February 2021 had earned China the primacy in this field evolves: it is called Jiuzhang 2.0 and, like its predecessor, uses particles of light (photons) to process data. The first example used 76, this new model 113. Its computing power is therefore billions of times higher than that of a conventional supercomputer. The research that made it possible is published in the journal Physical Review Letters and was coordinated by physicist Pan Jianwei, of the Chinese University of Science and Technology (Ustc). Source: ITALY 24 NEWS. The quantum computer that uses light evolves – Technologies…
Quantum computing: A step towards the future | The term quantum computers always have some sort of mystery around it, thanks to all those science fiction and novels! Nevertheless, we are living in a relatively sophisticated era where technological innovation is shaping up humanity. Commercialization of quantum computers is happening and tech enthusiasts couldn’t be more excited! Source: Way2Smile Solutions. Quantum computing: A step towards the future…
Quantum Leap for Quantum Primacy | Two experimental quantum computers tackle the most complex problems yet, suggesting an end to the debate on whether quantum “primacy”—the point at which a quantum computer outperforms the best possible classical computer—can be reached. Source: APS physics. Quantum Leap for Quantum Primacy…
Commercial and Military Applications and Timelines for Quantum Technology | This report provides an overview of the current state of quantum technology and its potential commercial and military applications. The author discusses each of the three major categories of quantum technology: quantum sensing, quantum communication, and quantum computing. He also considers the likely commercial outlook over the next few years, the major international players, and the potential national security implications of these emerging technologies. This report is based on a survey of the available academic literature, news reporting, and government-issued position papers. Source: RAND CORPORATION. Commercial and Military Applications and Timelines for Quantum Technology…
City Tech Research Team’s Quantum Technology Patent Could Revolutionize Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity | A City Tech professor and his then-undergraduate research partner have been granted a patent that may revolutionize quantum technology and cybersecurity. Their work has the potential to provide the missing part of the ultimate quantum technology: coupling of existing internet/data transfer telecom lines with quantum encryption/computing hardware. Source: City Tech (CUNY). City Tech Research Team’s Quantum Technology Patent Could Revolutionize Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity…
China’s New Quantum Computer Has 1 Million Times the Power of Google’s | It appears a quantum computer rivalry is growing between the U.S. and China. Physicists in China claim they’ve constructed two quantum computers with performance speeds that outrival competitors in the U.S., debuting a superconducting machine, in addition to an even speedier one that uses light photons to obtain unprecedented results, according to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journals Physical Review Letters and Science Bulletin. Source: INTERESTING ENGINEERING. China’s New Quantum Computer Has 1 Million Times the Power of Google’s…
Government & Policy
US Missile Defense Agency plans to reissue data center contract, considers cloud shift | The US Missile Defense Agency is asking for guidance on the cloud, and is looking to replace its data center contract, after gaping security holes were revealed in missile defense bases. Source: DCD. US Missile Defense Agency plans to reissue data center contract, considers cloud shift…
The Quantum Leap Hinges on Worker Skills and Supply Chain Limits | Remember that Sci-Fi show Quantum Leap? In the late-1980s/early-90s, Quantum Leap predicted that (in the near future) quantum technologies could be used to, among other things, travel back in time to solve crimes and correct historic wrongs. Source: GAO. The Quantum Leap Hinges on Worker Skills and Supply Chain Limits…
The National University of La Plata becomes an Academic Partner of aQuantum | The National University of La Plata (UNLP) and aQuantum sign a Collaboration Agreement for the joint realization of R&D in the area of Quantum Software Engineering and Programming, as well as promoting a Quantum training activities in these areas in Argentina. In order to carry out the training activities provided for in the Agreement, the UNLP becomes an “Academic Partner” of the aQuantum Partner Network (aQNetwork). Source: aQuantum. The National University of La Plata becomes an Academic Partner of aQuantum…
Quantum Crossing | In conjunction with the National Q-12 Education Partnership and the NSF-funded program Q2Work, APS is hosting Quantum Crossing, a virtual event for middle and high school students to showcase the unique careers available in Quantum Information Science (QIS). Students will get a chance to take virtual tours of quantum technologies and facilities and chat with scientists working in the quantum industry, all while traveling video-game style on the platform throughout the day! Source: APS physics. Quantum Crossing…
Quantum computing: Expensive, uncertain, nascent — and essential | Quantum computing and communications technology is at least 10 years away, likely to require billions in investments that may not pay off, but absolutely essential to the nation’s future. Source: GCN. Quantum computing: Expensive, uncertain, nascent — and essential…
Post-quantum cryptography oversight lacking for agencies | The Department of Homeland Security’s post-quantum cryptography roadmap lacks deadlines and oversight needed to ensure agencies’ compliance, according to the leader of Thales’ encryption team. Source: FEDSCOOP. Post-quantum cryptography oversight lacking for agencies…
NCSC to Prioritize Outreach Efforts in AI, Quantum Information Science Sectors | The National Counterintelligence and Security Center has issued a fact sheet listing artificial intelligence, bioeconomy, quantum information science and technology, semiconductors and autonomous systems as emerging technology sectors that should be protected from foreign threats. Source: EXECUTIVE GOV. NCSC to Prioritize Outreach Efforts in AI, Quantum Information Science Sectors…
How we can become quantum citizens by focusing on digital skills | Upskilling and inclusion was on the agenda as techUK lead the way at the Quantum Computing Summit at London Tech Week 2021, writes Nimmi Patel for techUK’s Quantum Week. #QuantumUK techUK was delighted to be front and centre in the conversations taking place at the Quantum Computing Summit. Among the technical talk came a focus on the skillsets needed to be developed to implement and scale quantum computing in the UK. No country can become a quantum leader without attracting the best talent. Source: techUK. How we can become quantum citizens by focusing on digital skills…
Quantum Ponzi | I have seen bubbles and winters(*) in AI, Internet, computer architecture, and even the PC. (And I’ve seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.) Now, some argue, we are in a quantum bubble that will inevitably pop and lead to a prolonged (and deserved) quantum winter. I agree that there is excessive hype making the rounds, but some of the current reaction to that has its roots in the basic academic/industrial culture clash. There are always those in academia who dislike the charlatanism and shamanism of capitalism, but it is inevitable. Our job as academics is first, of course, to advance the science itself, and (also first) to nurture the next generation of talent, but second, to convey the scientific results to colleagues, funders and investors in a way that tempers expectations to minimize the depth of the winter when it comes. Source: rdv live from tokyo. Quantum Ponzi…
Algorithms & Software
QPath® is finally available for developing truly real agnostic quantum systems | The present decade (2020s) is considered to be the “quantum decade”, in which “quantum computing is poised to expand the scope and complexity of the business problems we can solve” [1] offering a true “quantum advantage”. According to the Institute for Business Value we will witness “the most important computing revolution in 60 years” as a result of the integration of classical computing, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Source: QuantumPath. QPath® is finally available for developing truly real agnostic quantum systems…
Exploring Quantum Technology: Qiskit and RasQberry | Proponents of quantum technology believe its will change the world. Others remain skeptical, as they do of technologies like fusion energy. Speaking at a quantum developers’ forum, IBM Distinguished Engineer Jan-Rainer Lahmann retraced the history of quantum computing, reviewing IBM’s hardware and development roadmaps and describing the ingredients of “Raspberry Pi quantum”. Source: EETimes. Exploring Quantum Technology: Qiskit and RasQberry…
Quantum Algorithms and Lower Bounds for Linear Regression with Norm Constraints | Lasso and Ridge are important minimization problems in machine learning and statistics. They are versions of linear regression with squared loss where the vector θ∈Rd of coefficients is constrained in either ℓ1-norm (for Lasso) or in ℓ2-norm (for Ridge). We study the complexity of quantum algorithms for finding ε-minimizers for these minimization problems. We show that for Lasso we can get a quadratic quantum speedup in terms of d by speeding up the cost-per-iteration of the Frank-Wolfe algorithm, while for Ridge the best quantum algorithms are linear in d, as are the best classical algorithms. Source: arXiv. Quantum Algorithms and Lower Bounds for Linear Regression with Norm Constraints…
Adapting Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) for Unit Commitment | In the present Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ), hybrid algorithms that leverage classical resources to reduce quantum costs are particularly appealing. We formulate and apply such a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm to a power system optimization problem called Unit Commitment, which aims to satisfy a target power load at minimal cost. Our algorithm extends the Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) with a classical minimizer in order to support mixed binary optimization. Using Qiskit, we simulate results for sample systems to validate the effectiveness of our approach. We also compare to purely classical methods. Our results indicate that classical solvers are effective for our simulated Unit Commitment instances with fewer than 400 power generation units. However, for larger problem instances, the classical solvers either scale exponentially in runtime or must resort to coarse approximations. Potential quantum advantage would require problem instances at this scale, with several hundred units. Source: arXiv. Adapting Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) for Unit Commitment…
Science & Research
Quantum material stretches to boost superconductivity | In a surprising discovery, an international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of Minnesota, found that deformations in a quantum material can cause imperfections in its crystal structure that can actually improve the material’s superconducting and electrical properties. Source: materialstoday. Quantum material stretches to boost superconductivity…
Exotic magnetic states in miniature dimensions | Led by scientists at Empa and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, an international team of researchers from Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, and Spain have succeeded in building carbon-based quantum spin chains, where they captured the emergence of one of the cornerstone models of quantum magnetism first proposed by the 2016 Nobel laureate F. D. M. Haldane in 1983. Source: nanowerk. Exotic magnetic states in miniature dimensions…
Atoms and molecules make vortex beams | A wave-like property previously only seen in beams of light and electrons has been observed for the first time in atoms and molecules. By passing beams of helium and neon through a grid of specially shaped nanoslits, researchers led by Edvardas Narevicius of Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science succeeded in giving the beams a non-zero orbital angular momentum (OAM). The resulting structures are known vortex beams, and they could be used for fundamental physics studies such as probing the internal structure of protons. Source: physicsworld. Atoms and molecules make vortex beams…
Research Team Unlocks Secret Path to a Bright Quantum Future | In 1998, researchers including Mark Kubinec of UC Berkeley performed one of the first simple quantum computations using individual molecules. They used pulses of radio waves to flip the spins of two nuclei in a molecule, with each spin’s “up” or “down” orientation storing information in the way that a “0” or “1” state stores information in a classical data bit. In those early days of quantum computers, the combined orientation of the two nuclei – that is, the molecule’s quantum state – could only be preserved for brief periods in specially tuned environments. In other words, the system quickly lost its coherence. Control over quantum coherence is the missing step to building scalable quantum computers. Source: SciTechDaily. Research Team Unlocks Secret Path to a Bright Quantum Future…
Experiments reveal formation of a new state of matter: Electron quadruplets | The central principle of superconductivity is that electrons form pairs. But can they also condense into foursomes? Recent findings have suggested they can, and a physicist at KTH Royal Institute of Technology today published the first experimental evidence of this quadrupling effect and the mechanism by which this state of matter occurs. Source: PHYS.ORG. Experiments reveal formation of a new state of matter: Electron quadruplets…
