Category Archives: Quantum Computing

Solutions ReviewsContributed Content Series is a collection of contributed articles written by thought leaders in enterprise software categories. Zibby Kwecka of Quorum Cyber examines the current and future states of quantum computing, and the inevitable threat of a quantum attack.

The threat of quantum computing is very real, today. As of July 2022, 25 percent of Bitcoin and 66 percent of Ether are vulnerable to quantum attacks (Deloitte, 2023). These can be secured with action, however, even if a small number of these currencies are stolen, the market disruption may significantly devalue assets.Quantum computers have the potential to solve certain complex mathematical problems significantly faster than classical computers. One of the most notable implications is their ability to break encryption algorithms that rely on the difficulty of factoring large numbers or solving logarithm problems. There are theoretical methods to crack our current encryption methods that would be possible on a conventional computer, however widely inefficient. Quantum will allow the cracking of keys thousands of times more efficiently, making it possible to break todays encryption in just a few cycles. Thankfully, for now, scale remains a problem for quantum computing.

Once quantum computers become a tool thats commercially available and matured, its expected attackers will take advantage of this to break current encryption methods, creating a significant risk to the security of our sensitive data. Using this technology as a platform for an attack is a concern for organizations, not just on the cryptography front.The threat of quantum computing becoming part of an actors offensive toolbox is likely. Taking advantage of decryption techniques, forging certificates, or its potential ability of rapid machine learning, could vastly speed up network recon and eavesdropping, and forging identities.

Just because quantum computing isnt here yet doesnt mean we shouldnt be aware of the risk. Data may already have been stolen, or harvested, for later yield. While it may not be currently feasible to decrypt your data yet, once it becomes a viable and affordable measure through quantum computing, harvested data and communication traffic could be decrypted. This may be assisted by projects from Microsoft and IBM aiming to offer cloud-based multi-quantum computing facilities on a consumption model.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been calling for the development of encryption methods that would remain resistant to the advantages of quantum computing, with the first four quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms announced back in 2022 (NIST, 2022). There is a future of using quantum computers to vastly improve our digital security, but theres a risk of being in a very dangerous limbo between the threats posed and the future of greater security. Currently, there are several limitations preventing development at scale, which may take years to overcome.

The most likely quantum attack would involve breaking cryptographic systems of communication methods we use today. This isnt just a future problem; however, its happening already. The widely known Harvest Now, Decrypt Later operations store stolen information that will later be decrypted using advanced technology. This might be years away, but depending on the sensitive information, it could still enable extortion against organizations or individuals. Its a compelling argument to encourage businesses to purge old data thats no longer required.

Future cyber-attacks will involve hybrid approaches that combine classical and quantum computing techniques. Quantum computers are great at operating in parallel states, and thus, it would be natural to apply them to fuzzing systems and finding vulnerabilities. The added fuzzing ability of quantum computers could drastically speed up attacks aiming to penetrate a system. Fuzzing tests programs by using numerous randomized inputs, and could be a perfect use for quantum machines.

Current RSA encryption relies on 2048-bit numbers. In 2019, quantum computers were only able to factor a 6-bit number. In 2022, that number only increased to 48-bits under a highly specialized environment (Swayne, 2022). There is the expectation within the next 10 years we could be at a point where current encryption methods are at risk. The current development is exponential (Deloitte, 2023).A recent mandate from the US Congress declares a 2035 deadline for quantum-resistant cryptography to be implemented (Executive Office of The President, 2022), but it could be sooner.

The exponential development of artificial intelligence (AI) underway may, at some stage, support scientists in solving some of the challenges currently faced. For a quantum computer to undertake a task the problem statement must be translated into a format a quantum computer can actually work with first. This is a laborious task, and hence apart from the high cost of entry to the quantum computing attacks because of the hardware costs, there is an even higher ongoing cost associated with translating targeted problem statements into something that can be tested. This is why cryptographic use cases are currently prevalent when quantum is discussed. They are repetitive, as we only use a handful of cryptographic algorithms to secure the digital world. However, AI will one day enable us to rapidly create translations of human-readable problem statements, and software to be tested, into the code that can be processed by a quantum computer, and this is when the full capabilities of this technology will be reached.

There are several actions that should be considered:

To start using quantum machines to solve real-world problems, we feasibly need a machine capable of at least 1 million stable qubits (Microsoft, 2023). Currently, the qubits in existence suffer at scale for several reasons, one of which is quantum decoherence making each qubit only available for a short period of time. As far as research goes, weve only just reached over 100 qubits (Ball, 2021). Until these challenges are overcome the use of quantum computing is limited.

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The Threat of Quantum Computing - Solutions Review

BOSTON, Dec. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QuEra Computing, the leader in neutral-atom quantum computers, today announced a significant breakthrough published in the scientific journal Nature. In experiments led by Harvard University in close collaboration with QuEra Computing, MIT, and NIST/UMD, researchers successfully executed large-scale algorithms on an error-corrected quantum computer with 48 logical qubits and hundreds of entangling logical operations. This advancement, a significant leap in quantum computing, sets the stage for developing truly scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computers that could solve practical classically intractable problems. The complete paper can be accessed on Nature at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06927-3.

"We at Moodys Analytics recognize the monumental significance of achieving 48 logical qubits in a fault-tolerant quantum computing environment and its potential to revolutionize data analytics and financial simulations, said Sergio Gago, Managing Director of Quantum and AI at Moodys Analytics, This brings us closer to a future where quantum computing is not just an experimental endeavor but a practical tool that can deliver real-world solutions for our clients. This pivotal moment could redefine how industries approach complex computational challenges."

A critical challenge preventing quantum computing from reaching its enormous potential is the noise that affects qubits, corrupting computations before reaching the desired results. Quantum error correction overcomes these limitations by creating logical qubits," groups of physical qubits that are entangled to store information redundantly. This redundancy allows for identifying and correcting errors that may occur during quantum computations. By using logical qubits instead of individual physical qubits, quantum systems can achieve a level of fault tolerance, making them more robust and reliable for complex computations.

This is a truly exciting time in our field as the fundamental ideas of quantum error correction and fault tolerance are starting to bear fruit, said Mikhail Lukin, the Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor, co-director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative, and co-founder of QuEra Computing. This work, leveraging the outstanding recent progress in the neutral-atom quantum computing community, is a testament to the incredible effort of exceptionally talented students and postdocs as well as our remarkable collaborators at QuEra, MIT, and NIST/UMD. Although we are clear-eyed about the challenges ahead, we expect that this new advance will greatly accelerate the progress towards large-scale, useful quantum computers, enabling the next phase of discovery and innovation.

Previous demonstrations of error correction have showcased one, two, or three logical qubits. This new work demonstrates quantum error correction in 48 logical qubits, enhancing computational stability and reliability while addressing the error problem. On the path to large-scale quantum computation, Harvard, QuEra, and the collaborators reported the following critical achievements:

The breakthrough utilized an advanced neutral-atom system quantum computer, combining hundreds of qubits, high two-qubit gate fidelities, arbitrary connectivity, fully programmable single-qubit rotations, and mid-circuit readout.

The system also included hardware-efficient control in reconfigurable neutral-atom arrays, employing direct, parallel control over an entire group of logical qubits. This parallel control dramatically reduces the control overhead and complexity of performing logical operations. While using as many as 280 physical qubits, researchers needed to program fewer than ten control signals to execute all of the required operations in the study. Other quantum modalities typically require hundreds of control signals for the same number of qubits. As quantum computers scale to many thousands of qubits, efficient control becomes critically important.

"The achievement of 48 logical qubits with high fault tolerance is a watershed moment in the quantum computing industry, said Matt Langione, Partner at the Boston Consulting Group. This breakthrough not only accelerates the timeline for practical quantum applications but also opens up new avenues for solving problems that were previously considered intractable by classical computing methods. It's a game-changer that significantly elevates the commercial viability of quantum computing. Businesses across sectors should take note, as the race to quantum advantage just got a major boost."

"Today marks a historic milestone for QuEra and the broader quantum computing community, said Alex Keesling, CEO, QuEra Computing, These achievements are the culmination of a multi-year effort, led by our Harvard and MIT academic collaborators together with QuEra scientists and engineers, to push the boundaries of what's possible in quantum computing. This isn't just a technological leap; it's a testament to the power of collaboration and investment in pioneering research. We're thrilled to set the stage for a new era of scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing that can tackle some of the world's most complex problems. The future of quantum is here, and QuEra is proud to be at the forefront of this revolution."

Our experience in manufacturing and operating quantum computers - such as our first-generation machine available on a public cloud since 2022 - coupled with this groundbreaking research, puts us in a prime position to lead the quantum revolution, added Keesling.

The work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency through the Optimization with Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum devices (ONISQ) program, the National Science Foundation, the Center for Ultracold Atoms (an NSF Physics Frontiers Center), and the Army Research Office.

QuEra also announced a special event on Jan 9th at 11:30 AM ET, where QuEra will reveal its commercial roadmap for fault-tolerant quantum computers. Register for this online event at https://quera.link/roadmap

About QuEra QuEra Computing is the leader in commercializing quantum computers using neutral atoms, which is widely recognized as a highly promising quantum modality. Based in Boston and built on pioneering research from nearby Harvard University and MIT, QuEra operates the worlds largest publicly accessible quantum computer, available over a major public cloud and for on-premises delivery. QuEra is developing large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers to tackle classically intractable problems, becoming the partner of choice in the quantum field. Simply put, QuEra is the best way to quantum. For more information, visit us at quera.com and follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact Merrill Freund press@quera.com +1-415-577-8637

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Harvard, QuEra, MIT, and the NIST/University of Maryland Usher in New Era of Quantum Computing by Performing ... - GlobeNewswire

IBM has just announced the latest breakthrough in its mission to make commercialized and practical quantum computers a reality a 1,000+ qubit processor dubbed Condor' and an error-correction-focused processor dubbed Heron'.

Quantum computers represent a new approach to machine-based computation. Through the use of qubits capable of superposition and entanglement, quantum computers have the potential to perform faster and more complex calculations than classical bits used in more traditional computers. Unlike traditional computing, where bits represent either 0 or 1, qubits in quantum computing can represent both states simultaneously. Importantly, this makes quantum computing complementary to classical computing rather than a replacement; it excels in tasks like molecular simulations and system optimizations, while classical computing is better suited for everyday tasks.

It is because of the types of tasks that quantum computing should excel at that the technology is so vaunted. A computer capable of performing complex calculations orders of magnitudes quicker than its traditional counterparts is worth developing, as its use cases have the potential to change the world and our understanding of it.

With its announcement, IBM has made significant strides in quantum computing by launching two advanced quantum processors: Heron and Condor.

The Heron processor, featured on the ibm_torino quantum system, represents a leap forward with its 133 fixed-frequency qubits and tunable couplers, delivering a 3-5x improvement in performance compared to its previous 127-qubit Eagle processors. This advancement virtually eliminates cross-talk' (undesired interaction or interference between qubits) and lays the groundwork for future hardware development. Notably, IBM is already utilizing these chips in its modular-architecture' Quantum System Two computing platform.

On the other hand, the Condor processor, a 1,121 superconducting qubit quantum processor, is an equally notable innovation. It increases qubit density by 50%, incorporates advancements in qubit fabrication, and integrates over a mile of high-density cryogenic wiring within a single dilution refrigerator (a tool used to achieve extremely low temperatures, typically close to absolute zero). Condor's performance is comparable to the company's earlier 433-qubit Osprey processor, marking a significant milestone in scaling and informing future hardware design in quantum computing.

These developments by IBM are pivotal in pushing the boundaries of quantum utility and advancing toward quantum-centric supercomputing.

As previously mentioned, quantum computers are so vaunted due to their potential to greatly advance our understanding of just about every field of science. The following are just a few examples of these.

Medicine: In medicine, quantum computing could revolutionize drug discovery by simulating the behavior of molecules at a quantum level. This allows for more accurate predictions of how potential drugs might interact with the human body, speeding up the development of new medications and reducing costs.

Meteorology: For meteorology, quantum computers could analyze vast amounts of weather data more efficiently than classical computers. This would lead to more accurate weather predictions and better understanding of climate change, helping to mitigate natural disasters and plan agricultural strategies.

Complex Problem Solving: Quantum computing could tackle problems that are currently unsolvable by classical computers, such as optimizing large systems for logistics and supply chains, or solving intricate mathematical problems. This has broad implications for various sectors, including transportation, energy, and finance.

It is also important to recognize that we can not know what we cannot imagine. Meaning, there will be scores of unexpected advancements made possible through the abilities one day provided by this technology.

Quantum computing is the future of computing. It will open up new possibilities for scientific discovery and technological advancement that we can't even imagine today. Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, in an interview with CNBC

With quantum computers representing such a monumental technological achievement, it should come as no surprise that there have been, and remain, significant hurdles and limitations that must be overcome in time. For example, quantum computing currently faces challenges in error correction, scalability, and developing practical algorithms.

In time, there are bound to be other hurdles that pop up, which were previously unexpected due to a rudimentary but growing understanding of quantum mechanics. The complexity and potential of quantum physics was emphasized in the following quote.

If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics. Richard Feynman, Nobel laureate in Physics

As it stands, these limitations mean quantum computers are not yet ready for widespread use. With recent advancements, optimistic timelines point to another decade before this is the case.

In past decades, quantum computing seemed to be in such a distant future that courses teaching it were few and far between. Now that a future in which they are actually in use is beginning to come into focus, the need to train the next generation of scientists and engineers who will be responsible for continuing this advancement is only increasing. As a result, many universities are now offering specialized courses and programs in quantum computing to prepare a skilled workforce for this emerging field.

While the aforementioned schools may be training the next generation of quantum computing specialists, the following few companies are currently paving the road to this future.

IBM has long been a leader in the development of quantum computers. The company aims to democratize quantum computing development through initiatives like Qiskit Patterns. IBM has also expanded its roadmap for achieving large-scale, practical quantum computing, focusing on new modular architectures and networking that could enable quantum systems with hundreds of thousands of qubits, essential for practical quantum applications.

Microsoft's efforts in quantum computing are centered around cloud integration and collaboration. The company has introduced quantum machines with the highest quantum volumes in the industry to Azure Quantum, including partnerships with IonQ, Pasqal, Quantinuum, QCI, and Rigetti. This integration facilitates experimentation and is a step towards scaled quantum computing. Microsoft emphasizes the importance of a global ecosystem to realize the full potential of quantum computing and plans to deliver its quantum machine as a cloud service through Azure, ensuring secure and responsible use of this emerging technology.

Alphabet, through its Google Quantum AI lab, has made significant strides in quantum computing. In 2023, Google scientists announced a major milestone in reducing the rate of errors in quantum computing, a long-standing challenge in the field. Its research, published in the journal Nature, describes a system capable of significantly decreasing the error rate and implementing error-correcting codes that can detect and fix errors without compromising the information. Previously, in 2019, Google claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy with its Sycamore machine, performing a calculation in 200 seconds that would have taken a conventional supercomputer 10,000 years, demonstrating the potential of quantum computing in solving complex problems far beyond the capabilities of traditional computing.

Quantum computing represents a groundbreaking leap in the world of computing, offering the potential to revolutionize a plethora of fields. While IBM's recent advancements with the Heron and Condor quantum processors signify significant progress toward practical quantum computing, the technology continues to face significant challenges in error correction, scalability, and algorithm development highlighting the need for continued research and innovation.

While these challenges remain, quantum computing holds the promise of unlocking possibilities we can't even imagine today, ushering in a new era of scientific discovery and technological advancement. Its full potential is still unfolding, and its impact on various industries and society promises to be profound.

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Taking Flight with Heron and Condor: The Latest Advancements in Quantum Computers - Securities.io

A new project will bring together leading UK and Canadian companies to develop the imaging systems to measure qubit states. This is a vital capability for quantum computers to scale.

Quantum computers are based on building blocks called qubits (quantum bits), but they are not yet powerful enough to unlock any real-world applications. To achieve this, the number and quality of qubits must grow, together with the optical and electronic systems needed to perform operations with qubits and read out the results.

Steve Brierley, CEO and Founder at Riverlane, said: "We need to reach the scale where quantum computers can perform roughly a trillion reliable quantum operations a threshold we call the 'TeraQuop'. Todays quantum computers are only capable of a few hundred error-free operations. This project pushes us closer to this TeraQuop goal, but we cannot do this alone and this is why collaboration with leaders likeInfleqtion andNv Camras is vital, enabling the continued, long-term growth of quantum computing."

In the Scalable Qubit Array Detection for Rydberg Quantum Computers project, quantum computing companies Infleqtion and Riverlane will collaborate with imaging systems specialists Nv Camras to develop systems to greatly improve the readout of the status of the qubits.

The partnership between Infleqtion,Nv Camrasand Riverlane will allow for collaborative development in this area of the quantum computing supply chain, helpingNv Camrasto develop cameras targeting the next generation of quantum computers, Riverlane to equip its quantum control systems with advanced readout capabilities and Infleqtion to validate the necessary hardware control layer.

There are many qubit types. This project focuses on the neutral atom qubits that Infleqtion's quantum computing platform uses. Accurate knowledge of the state of these atoms is crucial for the quantum computer to perform its operations. This requires high detection sensitivity, accurate measurements, and low latency to enable real-time image processing and faster operations.

Marie-Eve Ducharme, President and Co-Founder at Nv Camras, said: "Weve been pioneering projects in the space sector for over a decade, but demand for our unique imaging capabilities is exploding in the quantum physics field. This project marks a new milestone for Nv Camras and showcases the transformative potential of our technology in accelerating quantum computing advancements. We are grateful for the contribution of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC-IRAP) to enable this work."

Dr Timothy Ballance, President of Infleqtion UK, said, "Neutral atom quantum computing holds great promise for practical quantum computing through the scalability of atomic qubits compared to alternative methodologies. To truly unlock this scalability, we will need to work hand-in-hand with hardware providers and integrators across the quantum stack to ensure that the sub-systems are interoperable. We are thrilled to collaborate with Riverlane and Nv Camras on this exciting project which will advance high-speed detection of large arrays of atomic qubits."

The project is funded jointly by Innovate UK and the NRC-IRAP through the Canada-UK Commercialising Quantum Technology Programme. Innovate UK is investing 4.2 million in 11 projects to strengthen collaborative research and development through Canada-UK partnerships.

Source:https://www.riverlane.com/

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Riverlane Partners with Infleqtion and Nv Cameras to Help Quantum Computers 'See' Their Qubits - AZoOptics

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology that utilizes quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than classical computers. Researchers are working hard to develop quantum computers that can perform certain computations that are beyond the reach of classical silicon-based computers.

Some of the biggest players in the tech industry, such as Microsoft and Google, along with startups and nation-states, are all racing to develop and scale up quantum machines.

However, they are still facing challenges in making these machines reliable enough in the real world to beat conventional computers consistently. As quantum computing machines have grown in size and power, researchers have faced the challenge of dealing with data errors that arise due to the complexity of the technology.

IBM has recently unveiled the first quantum computer with more than 1,000 qubits the equivalent of the digital bits in an ordinary computer. The company hopes the new quantum computing chip and machine will serve as building blocks of much larger systems a decade from now.

But, the company has also decided to shift its focus towards making its machines more error-resistant rather than larger.

IBM has been steadily increasing the number of qubits in its quantum-computing chips every year, following a road map that aims to double them annually. Its latest quantum computing processor, called Condor, has 1,121 superconducting qubits arranged in a honeycomb pattern. This chip follows on from their other record-setting, bird-named machines, including a 127-qubit Eagle processor in 2021 and a 433-qubit Osprey last year.

As part of its new tack, the company has also introduced a new chip, called the IBM Quantum Heron, that features 133 fixed-frequency qubits with a record-low error rate. Its newly built architecture offers up to five-fold improvement in error reduction. It is the first in a new series of utility-scale quantum processors with an architecture engineered over the past four years to deliver IBMs highest performance metrics and lowest error rates of any IBM Quantum processor to date.

Error correction in quantum computing is a critical concept, as it helps to overcome the inherent noise and instability in quantum systems. However, researchers have stated that state-of-the-art error correction techniques require more than 1,000 physical qubits for each logical qubit that performs useful computation. This means that a quantum computer would need millions of physical qubits, making a useful machine very difficult to build.

However, a new error-correction technique called quantum low-density parity check (qLDPC) has recently attracted a lot of attention from physicists. This technique promises to cut that number by a factor of 10 or more, according to a preprint by IBM researchers. IBM is now focusing on building chips that can hold a few qLDPC-corrected qubits in just 400 or so physical qubits and then networking those chips together to form a larger quantum system.

At the annual IBM Quantum Summit in New York, the computer and artificial intelligence technology giant also unveiled IBM Quantum System Two, its first modular quantum computer and cornerstone of IBMs quantum-centric supercomputing architecture. The first IBM Quantum System Two, located in Yorktown Heights, New York, has already begun operations with three IBM Heron processors and supporting control electronics.

With this critical foundation now in place, along with other breakthroughs in quantum hardware, theory, and software, the company is extending its IBM Quantum Development Roadmap to 2033 with new targets to significantly advance the quality of gate operations. This would enable larger and more complex quantum circuits to be run and help to realize the full potential of quantum computing at scale.

The company aims to reach 5,000 gates with Heron in 2024 and then introduce new generations of processors with higher quality and gate counts. By 2029, they expect to reach a milestone executing 100 million gates over 200 qubits with its Starling processor that uses the innovative Gross code for error correction. This will be followed by Blue Jay, a system that can execute 1 billion gates across 2,000 qubits by 2033. This innovative roadmap will also demonstrate the technology that will enable the Gross code through l-, m-, and c-couplers, which will be demonstrated by Flamingo, Crossbill, and Kookaburra, respectively.

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IBM unveils first-ever quantum computer with more than 1000 qubits - Inceptive Mind

Lately I am reading about everything Quantum. I am using Obsidian.md to keep track of all knowledge gathered even from books. I havent set a time goal, am just reading and learning at my pace. So the following article is some preliminary thoughts on the matter of Quantum Computing.

Quantum computing is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to change the way we live and work. In this article, we will explore how quantum computing could impact various aspects of our everyday lives and the challenges it presents.

Quantum computing could lead to smarter phones, computers, and other devices that are significantly faster and more efficient than current models. This technology could enable better performance and data processing, improving our overall user experience.

Quantum computing could revolutionize healthcare by enabling faster drug discovery, disease diagnosis, and personalized treatment plans. It could also help in understanding complex biological systems and developing new therapies for various diseases.

Quantum computing could help in predicting weather patterns and climate changes, enabling us to reduce the risk of natural disasters and plan for sustainable development.

This technology could lead to more accurate and reliable weather forecasts, ultimately improving our ability to prepare for and adapt to climate change.

As classical encryption schemes could be broken by quantum computers, the development of quantum-safe cryptographic methods is essential for maintaining the security of our digital communications. This technology could help protect sensitive data and ensure the privacy of our digital transactions.

Quantum computing could enable the discovery of new materials with unique properties, leading to advancements in various industries, such as aerospace, electronics, and healthcare. This technology could help scientists simulate and analyze the behavior of complex molecules and materials at the quantum level, ultimately enabling the discovery of new materials with novel properties.

While quantum computing holds great promise, it also presents challenges and potential risks. As the technology continues to evolve, it is essential to stay informed about its progress and implications for our lives and society.In conclusion, quantum computing is a promising technology with the potential to change various aspects of our everyday lives. As research and development continue, we can expect to see more exciting advancements and applications in the near future.

By staying informed and engaged with the latest quantum computing developments, we can better understand and harness the power of this revolutionary technology.

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Quantum Computing in Everyday Life: The Future is Here - Medium