Category Archives: Quantum Computing

Last week, a healthy, happy pig" named Gertrude attained her 15 seconds of fame. This was courtesy Elon Musk, the serial entrepreneur and now the third-richest man in the world, who demonstrated his latest venture, Neuralink, an ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interface (BMI) to connect humans and computers. As this column has often gushed about Musk, he thinks new and big, and Neuralink did live up to its billing, certainly from a public relations viewpoint. Reactions to it from the scientific community were mixed, and we will discuss those in a forthcoming column.

But what Neuralink did was to fire a few of my memory neurons and take me back to a programme I attended at Singularity University. In a session by a professor there, Jody Medich, I saw a quote by Satya Nadella: The future of computing will be driven by Quantum, AI and XR". While I understood why he talked about AI (artificial intelligence) and quantum computing, it was his mention of XR in the same breath that threw me. XR or extended reality includes technologies like AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed reality). I had always considered XR an afterthought to blockbusters like AI, blockchain, Internet of Things, etc. But Nadella was thinking otherwise. I learnt that XR was not just a tool to make Pokmon Go, or to show you a car in different colours, it was something that could make paralyzed war veterans walk, or the sightless see", much like what BMI was promising.

XR is big in enterprise usage, with Statista and the International Data Corp estimating the markets worth at $209 billion by 2022, powered by a shipment of 66 million AR/VR headsets. Applications include training in unsafe areas; retailing by way of virtual apparel, shoes, property, etc.; entertainment via virtual music festivals; and travel where you can see giraffes without going to Kenya (good for covid times). XR has great potential in healthcare. For instance, it could show the veins in your arm for accurate intravenous drug administration. Solar installations use XR with overlays and heads-up displays, increasing efficiency and safety.

While these are great, what makes this technology a superpower is the merging of the digital, physical and biological". Consider the cerebral cortex of our brain, specifically the neo-cortex, which is concerned with sight and hearing. XR explicitly works on one part of this, the primary visual cortex, the part that enables us to see. It is here where XR can work its magic. It can amplify our vision and literally rewire our brain.

One application of this XR-rewiring is pain reduction. VRHealth, an Israeli firm, works on using VR to cure migraine pains, for instance. Our brain is like a CPU75% of that CPU goes to visuals and sound," says founder Eran Orr. When we overload our CPU with an immersive technology like VR, things like pain can get downgraded in the priority list. That is why its amazing for pain management or pain distraction. Once you combine that with actual rehab, its a game-changer." The New York Times has written of Hollie Davis, who owes her current full mobility to trying VR as part of her treatment for a persistent, life-inhibiting pain after a motorcycle accident. She spent 10 or 20 minutes in a dark room while a head-mounted 3-D screen transported her to a very relaxing place, taught her about the nature of pain, how oxygen travels through the body, then how to breathe, focus on her breathing, relax her body and think of nothing else." The device engages multiple senses, essentially flooding the brain with so much input that it cannot register pain signals. When pain messages try to get through, the brain gives a busy signal".

VR can help restore feelings in paraplegics. Recently, researchers worked on eight chronic paraplegics", where the studys participants underwent a year-long training module that used BMIs combined with virtual reality tech. Half the patients were upgraded from chronic" to incomplete paraplegia" as their status classification. One of them, who had suffered from paralysis for 13 years, was able to move her legs without the help of a support harness.

As Medich puts it, XR can be used to provide cognitive ergonomics". While physical ergonomics amplifies manpower, cognitive ergonomics amplifies brain power. XR, combined with Neuralink-like technologies, therefore, will be super powerful. They could help the disabled walk again and let the pain- ridden transcend pain. I am already wondering how cool Gertrude would look in a VR headset.

Jaspreet Bindra is the author of The Tech Whisperer, and founder of Digital Matters

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The big promise of Elon Musks neuralink with extended reality - Livemint

Doing calculations with a quantum computer is a race against time, thanks to the fragility of the quantum states at their heart. And new research suggests we may soon hit a wall in how long we can hold them together thanks to interference from natural background radiation.

While quantum computing could one day enable us to carry out calculations beyond even the most powerful supercomputer imaginable, were still a long way from that point. And a big reason for that is a phenomenon known as decoherence.

The superpowers of quantum computers rely on holding the qubitsquantum bitsthat make them up in exotic quantum states like superposition and entanglement. Decoherence is the process by which interference from the environment causes them to gradually lose their quantum behavior and any information that was encoded in them.

It can be caused by heat, vibrations, magnetic fluctuations, or any host of environmental factors that are hard to control. Currently we can keep superconducting qubits (the technology favored by the fields leaders like Google and IBM) stable for up to 200 microseconds in the best devices, which is still far too short to do any truly meaningful computations.

But new research from scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), published last week in Nature, suggests we may struggle to get much further. They found that background radiation from cosmic rays and more prosaic sources like trace elements in concrete walls is enough to put a hard four-millisecond limit on the coherence time of superconducting qubits.

These decoherence mechanisms are like an onion, and weve been peeling back the layers for the past 20 years, but theres another layer that left unabated is going to limit us in a couple years, which is environmental radiation, William Oliver from MIT said in a press release. This is an exciting result, because it motivates us to think of other ways to design qubits to get around this problem.

Superconducting qubits rely on pairs of electrons flowing through a resistance-free circuit. But radiation can knock these pairs out of alignment, causing them to split apart, which is what eventually results in the qubit decohering.

To determine how significant of an impact background levels of radiation could have on qubits, the researchers first tried to work out the relationship between coherence times and radiation levels. They exposed qubits to irradiated copper whose emissions dropped over time in a predictable way, which showed them that coherence times rose as radiation levels fell up to a maximum of four milliseconds, after which background effects kicked in.

To check if this coherence time was really caused by the natural radiation, they built a giant shield out of lead brick that could block background radiation to see what happened when the qubits were isolated. The experiments clearly showed that blocking the background emissions could boost coherence times further.

At the minute, a host of other problems like material impurities and electronic disturbances cause qubits to decohere before these effects kick in, but given the rate at which the technology has been improving, we may hit this new wall in just a few years.

Without mitigation, radiation will limit the coherence time of superconducting qubits to a few milliseconds, which is insufficient for practical quantum computing, Brent VanDevender from PNNL said in a press release.

Potential solutions to the problem include building radiation shielding around quantum computers or locating them underground, where cosmic rays arent able to penetrate so easily. But if you need a few tons of lead or a large cavern in order to install a quantum computer, thats going to make it considerably harder to roll them out widely.

Its important to remember, though, that this problem has only been observed in superconducting qubits so far. In July, researchers showed they could get a spin-orbit qubit implemented in silicon to last for about 10 milliseconds, while trapped ion qubits can stay stable for as long as 10 minutes. And MITs Oliver says theres still plenty of room for building more robust superconducting qubits.

We can think about designing qubits in a way that makes them rad-hard, he said. So its definitely not game-over, its just the next layer of the onion we need to address.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Could Quantum Computing Progress Be Halted by Background Radiation? - Singularity Hub

Keeping qubits stable those quantum equivalents of classic computing bits will be key to realising the potential of quantum computing. Now scientists have found a new obstacle to this stability: natural radiation.

Natural or background radiation comes from all sorts of sources, both natural and artificial. Cosmic rays contribute to natural radiation, for example, and so do concrete buildings. It's around us all the time, and so this poses something of a problem for future quantum computers.

Through a series of experiments that altered the level of natural radiation around qubits, physicists have been able to establish that this background buzz does indeed nudge qubits off balance in a way that stops them from functioning properly.

"Our study is the first to show clearly that low-level ionising radiation in the environment degrades the performance of superconducting qubits," says physicist John Orrell, from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

"These findings suggest that radiation shielding will be necessary to attain long-sought performance in quantum computers of this design."

Natural radiation is by no means the most significant or the only threat to qubit stability, which is technically known as coherence everything from temperature fluctuations to electromagnetic fields can break the qubit 'spell'.

But the scientists say if we're to reach a future where quantum computers are taking care of our most advanced computing needs, then this interference from natural radiation is going to have to be dealt with.

It was after experiencing problems with superconducting qubit decoherence that the team behind the new study decided to investigate the possible problem with natural radiation. They found it breaks up a key quantum binding called a Cooper pair of electrons.

"The radiation breaks apart matched pairs of electrons that typically carry electric current without resistance in a superconductor," says physicist Brent VanDevender, from PNNL. "The resistance of those unpaired electrons destroys the delicately prepared state of a qubit."

Classical computers can be disrupted by the same issues that affect qubits, but quantum states are much more delicate and sensitive. One of the reasons that we don't have genuine full-scale quantum computers today is that no one can keep qubits stable for more than a few milliseconds at a time.

If we can improve on that, the benefits in terms of computing power could be huge: whereas classical computing bits can only be set as 1 or 0, qubits can be set as 1, 0 or both at the same time (known as superposition).

Scientists have been able to get it happening, but only for a very short space of time and in a very tightly controlled environment. The good news is that researchers like those at PNNL are committed to the challenge of figuring out how to make quantum computers a reality and now we know a bit more about what we're up against.

"Practical quantum computing with these devices will not be possible unless we address the radiation issue," says VanDevender. "Without mitigation, radiation will limit the coherence time of superconducting qubits to a few milliseconds, which is insufficient for practical quantum computing."

The research has been published in Nature.

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We Just Found Another Obstacle For Quantum Computers to Overcome - And It's Everywhere - ScienceAlert

Paris, September 3, 2020 Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, now provides free, universal access to myQLM, its program providing researchers, students and developers with quantum programming tools. Launched in 2019 and initially reserved to Atos Quantum Learning Machine (Atos QLM) users, myQLM aims to democratize access to quantum simulation and encourage innovation in quantum computing. By allowing all researchers, students and developers worldwide to download and use myQLM, Atos moves one step further forward in its commitment to empower the quantum computing community.

Quantum computing has the potential to change the world as we know it by spurring breakthroughs in healthcare, environmental sustainability, industrial processes or finance. The current race to develop a commercially viable quantum computer has been instrumental in increasing awareness of the field worldwide but the quantum revolution requires more than just hardware. Training of students, professors, engineers and researchers needs to be boosted to pave the way for the emergence of the new programming languages, algorithms and tools all essentials in harnessing the true power of quantum computing.

Using myQLM, anyone can explore the capabilities of quantum computing, from experimenting with quantum programming to launching simulations of up to 20 qubits directly on their own computer or even larger simulations on the Atos QLM.

The shortage of skilled experts is one of the next greatest challenges to the development of quantum technologies. By opening up the access to our quantum programming environment myQLM, we hope to help train the next generation of computer scientists and researchers and foster an active community that will shape the future of quantum computing. We invite everyone to download myQLM today and join us in this life-changing adventure, said Agns Boudot, Senior Vice President, Head of HPC & Quantum at Atos.

myQLM comes with a complete set of tools:

Atos, a pioneer in quantum solutions

Atos ambitious program to anticipate the future of quantum computing the Atos Quantum program was launched in November 2016. As a result of this initiative,Atos was the first organization to offer a quantum noisy simulation module within its Atos QLM offer. Launched in 2017, Atos QLM is being used in numerous countries worldwide includingAustria, Finland, France,Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Senegal,UKand theUnited States, empowering major research programs in various sectors like industry or energy. Recently, Atos extended its portfolio of quantum solutions with Atos QLM Enhanced (Atos QLM E), a new GPU-accelerated range of Atos QLM.

Learn more about myQLM and join our community by visiting the dedicated website: https://atos.net/en/lp/myqlm

***

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of 12 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

Press contact Marion Delmas | marion.delmas@atos.net | +33 6 37 63 91 99

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Atos helps researchers and students to experiment with quantum algorithms by offering free, universal access to myQLM - GlobeNewswire

Intel is one of the US quantum technology companies included in Q-Next, one of five national quantum research centres established by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the US Department of Energy (DOE).

Q-Next, National Quantum Information Science Research Centre, is led by Argonne National Laboratory and brings together researchers from national laboratories, universities and technology companies.

Advancing quantum practicality will be a team sport across the ecosystem, and our partnership with Argonne National Laboratory on Q-Next will enable us to bring our unique areas of expertise to this cross-industry effort to drive meaningful progress in the field, says James Clarke, director of quantum hardware at Intel.

At Intel, we are taking a broad view of quantum research that spans hardware and software with a singular focus on getting quantum out of labs and into the real world, where it can solve real problems.

Quantum computing has the potential to tackle problems beyond the capabilities of conventional systems today by leveraging a phenomenon of quantum physics that exponentially expands computational power.

This could dramatically speed complex problem-solving in a variety of fields such as pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and materials science, accelerating what today could take years to complete in only a matter of minutes.

To speed the discovery and development in this promising emerging field of computing, the DOE and the OSTP have created five new quantum information science research centers across the country, with Q-Next being one of them.

The Q-Next facility will create two national foundries for quantum materials and devices, and leverage the strength of private-public partnership to focus on the advancements of three core quantum technologies:

* Quantum networks: Development of communications networks and interconnects for the transmission of quantum information across long distances, including quantum repeaters that enable the establishment of unhackable networks for information transfer.

* Quantum-enabled sensing: Development of sensor technologies that can leverage the exponential power of quantum computing to achieve unprecedented sensitivities for data capture, which would have transformational applications in physics, materials and life sciences.

* Quantum test beds: Ongoing research utilising quantum test environments, including both quantum simulators and future full-stack universal quantum computers, with applications in quantum simulations, cryptanalysis and logistics optimisation.

We are excited to have Intels expertise and partnership, along with numerous technology leaders, as part of the new Q-Next centre. Intel will help us to drive discoveries and technical progress in quantum computing that will advance both known and yet-to-be discovered quantum-enabled applications, says David Awschalom, Q-Next director, senior scientist at Argonne, Liew Family professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

Intels research efforts in quantum span the entire quantum system or full-stack from qubit devices to the hardware and software required to control these devices, to quantum algorithms that will harness the power of quantum technologies.

All of these elements are essential to advancing quantum practicality, the point at which quantum computing moves out of research labs and into real-world practical applications.

The company aims to develop a large-scale quantum computing system, which will require thousands of quantum bits, or qubits, working reliably together with limited error and information loss. It is focused on overcoming the key bottlenecks preventing researchers from moving beyond todays few qubit systems, including qubit operation at slightly higher temperatures, and elegant control systems and interconnects to facilitate the design of quantum systems at scale.

Earlier this year, Intel demonstrated progress in hot qubit performance, leveraging its silicon spin qubit research, and continues to advance its research on customised cryogenic control chips for quantum systems like Horse Ridge.

Featured picture: The inside of a quantum computing refrigerator in Intels Quantum Computing Lab in Hillsboro, Oregon. (Credit: Walden Kirsch/Intel Corporation)

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Intel ups the ante on quantum computing research - IT-Online

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.,Sept. 3, 2020Synopsys, Inc. announced the appointment of Jeannine Sargentto its board of directors, effective today. Ms. Sargent is an experienced corporate executive and board member, with a background in global business and product strategy, engineering, operations, and sales and marketing. Prior to her current investment advisory roles with a focus on industries ranging from artificial intelligence to energy and sustainability, she served as president of Innovation and New Ventures at Flex, where she was responsible for worldwide innovation, global design and engineering, new product businesses and corporate venture investments. Before joining Flex, Ms.Sargent was CEO of Oerlikon Solar, a leading provider of end-to-end thin film solar photovoltaic solutions, and of Voyan Technology, whichsupplied software and silicon solutions for the broadband communication and semiconductor equipment industries.

Jeannine is an accomplished business leader and advisor with a compelling breadth of experience and impact, saidAart de Geus, chairman and co-CEO of Synopsys. Her demonstrated expertise in leading-edge technology and business development, operations, complex ecosystems and global markets will be of high value as a complement to the strong board we have at Synopsys.

Ms. Sargent is currently a member of the boards of Fortive, a diversified industrial technology company, and Proterra, a privately held leader in commercial electric vehicle technology. At Fortive, she is chair of the Audit committee and serves on the Compensation and Nominating & Governance committees. Ms. Sargent was also a director at Cypress Semiconductor, where she served on the Compensation and Nominating & Governance committees.

Im excited about the opportunities that Synopsys has in EDA and semiconductor IP, in light of todays hyperscalers and the dawn of quantum computing, and in the Software Integrity business, as the need for security testing continues to accelerate, Sargent said. Im honored to join such a capable and committed team.

She graduated magna cum laude fromNortheastern Universitywith a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and holds certificates from the executive development programs at theMIT Sloan School of Management,Harvard University, andStanford University.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is the Silicon to Softwarepartner for innovative companies developing the electronic products and software applications we rely on every day. As the worlds 15thlargest software company, Synopsys has a long history of being a global leader in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP and is also growing its leadership in software security and quality solutions. Whether youre a system-on-chip (SoC) designer creating advanced semiconductors, or a software developer writing applications that require the highest security and quality, Synopsys has the solutions needed to deliver innovative, high-quality, secure products. Learn more atwww.synopsys.com.

Source: Synopsys

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Synopsys Appoints Jeannine Sargent to Board of Directors - HPCwire