What is a logical qubit?

In June 2023, we offered how quantum computing must graduate through three implementation levels (quantum computing implementation levels QCILs) to achieve utility scale: Level 1 Foundational, Level 2 Resilient, Level 3 Scale.  All quantum computing technologies today are at Level 1. And while NISQ machines are all around us, they do not offer practical quantum advantage.  True utility will only come from orchestrating resilient computation across a sea of logical qubits something that, to the best of our current knowledge, can only be achieved with error correction and fault tolerance.  Fault tolerance will be a necessary and essential ingredient in any quantum supercomputer, and for any practical quantum advantage.The first step toward the goal of reaching practical quantum advantage is to demonstrate resilient computation on a logical qubit.  However, just one logical qubit will not be enough; ultimately the goal is to show that quantum error correction helps non-trivial computation instead of hindering, and an important element of this non-triviality is the interaction between qubits and their entanglement.  Demonstrating an error corrected resilient computation, initially on two logical qubits, that outperforms the same computation on physical qubits, will mark the first demonstration of a resilient computation in our field's history.The race is on to demonstrate a resilient logical qubit but what is a meaningful demonstration?  Before our industry can declare a victory on reaching Level 2 for a given quantum computing hardware and claim the demonstration of a resilient logical qubit, it's important to align on what this means.Criteria of Level 2: resilient quantum computation

How should we define a logical qubit?  The most meaningful definition of a logical qubit hinges on what one can do with that qubit demonstrating a qubit that can only remain idle, that is, be preserved in a memory, is not meaningful if one cannot demonstrate non-trivial operations as well.  Therefore, it makes sense to define a logical qubit such that it allows some non-trivial, encoded computation to be performed on it.Distinct hardware comes with distinct native operations. This presents a significant challenge in formally defining a logical qubit; for example, the definition should not favor one hardware over another. To address this, we propose a set of criteria that mark the entrance into the resilient level of quantum computation.  In other words, these are the criteria for calling something a "logical qubit".Entrance criteria to Level 2Exiting Level 1 NISQ computing and entering Level 2 Resilient quantum computing is achieved when fewer errors are observed on the output of a logical circuit using quantum error correction than on the same analogous physical circuit without error correction.We argue that a demonstration of the resilient level of quantum computation must satisfy the following criteria:

  involve at least 2 logical qubitsdemonstrate convincingly large separation (ideally 5-10x) of logical error rate < physical error rate on the non-trivial logical circuitcorrect all individual circuit faults ("fault distance" must be at least 3)implement a non-trivial logical operation that generates entanglement between logical qubitsThe justification for these is self-evident being able to correct errors is how resiliency is achieved and demonstrating an improvement over physical error rates is precisely what we mean by resiliency but we feel that it is worth emphasizing the requirement for logical entanglement.  Our goal is to achieve advantage with a quantum computer, and an important ingredient to advantage is entanglement across at least 2 logical qubits.The distinction between Resilient Level and the Scale Level is also important to emphasize a proof of principle demonstration of resiliency must be convincing, but it does not require a fully scaled machine.  For this reason, we find it important to allow some forms of post-selection, with the following requirements

  Post-selection acceptance criteria must be computable in real-time (but may be implemented in post-processing for demonstration);scalable post-selection (rejection rate can be made vanishingly small)if post-selection is not scalable, it must at least correct all low weight errors in the computations (with the exception of state-preparation, since post-selection in state-preparation is scalable);In other words, post-selection must be either fully compatible with scalability, or it must still allow for demonstration of the key ingredients of error correction, not simply error detection.Measuring progress across Level 2Once a quantum computing hardware has entered the Resilient Level, it is important to also be able to measure continued progress toward Level 3.  Not every type of quantum computing hardware will achieve Level 3 Scale, as the requirements to reach Scale include achieving upwards of 1000 logical qubits with logical error rates better than 10-12 and mega-rQOPS and more.Progress toward scale may be measured along four axes: universality, scalability, fidelity, composability. We offer the following ideas to the community on how to measure progress across these four axes, such that we as a community can benchmark progress in the resilient level of utility scale quantum computation:

  Universality: universality typically splits into two components: Clifford group gates and non-Clifford group gates. Does one have a set of high-fidelity Clifford-complete logical operations? Does one have a set of high-fidelity universal logical operations? A typical strategy employed is to design the former, which can then be used in conjunction with a noisy non-Clifford state to realize a universal set of logical operations. Of course, different hardware may employ different strategies.Scalability: At its core, resource requirement for advantage must be reasonable (i.e., small fraction of Earth's resources or a person's lifetime). More technically, quantum resource overhead required should scale polynomially with target logical error rate of any quantum algorithm. Note also that some systems may achieve very high fidelity but may have limited numbers of physical qubits, so that improving the error correction codes in the most obvious way (increasing distance) may be difficult.Fidelity: Logical error rates of all operations improve with code size (sub-threshold). More strictly, one would like to see logical error rate is better than physical error rate (sub-pseudothreshold). Progress on this axis can be measured with Quantum Characterization Verification & Validation (QCVV) performed at the logical level, or with other operational tasks such as Bell inequality violations and self-testing protocols.Composability: Composable gadgets for all logical operations. Criteria to advance from Level 2 to Level 3, a Quantum SupercomputerThe exit of the resilient level of logical computation, and the achievement of the world's first quantum supercomputer, will be marked by large depth computations on high fidelity circuits involving upwards of hundreds of logical qubits. For example, a logical circuit on ~100+ logical qubits with a universal set of composable logical operations hitting a fidelity of ~10e-8 or better.  Ultimately, a quantum supercomputer will be achieved once the machine is able to demonstrate 1000 logical qubits with logical error rate of 10^-12 and a mega-rQOPS.  Performance of a quantum supercomputer can then be measured by reliable quantum operations per second (rQOPS).Conclusion

It's no doubt an exciting time to be in quantum computing.  Our industry is at the brink of reaching the next implementation level, Level 2, which puts our industry on path to ultimately achieving practical quantum advantage.  If you have thoughts on these criteria for a logical qubit, or how to measure progress, we'd love to hear from you.

The post Defining logical qubits: criteria for Resilient Quantum Computation appeared first on Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

Insider Brief

• Q-CTRL announced that its Q-CTRL Embedded software has been integrated as an option with IBM Quantum’s Pay-As- You-Go Plan.
• The integration aims to provide user-friendly functionality to address unreliable results on hardware.
• Q-CTRL’s software automatically addressing the problem of noise and hardware error.

PRESS RELEASE — Q-CTRL, a global leader in developing useful quantum technologies through quantum control infrastructure software, today announced that its Q-CTRL Embedded software has been integrated as an option with IBM Quantum’s Pay-As- You-Go Plan to deliver advancements in quantum computing utility and performance. This integration represents the first time a third-party independent software vendor’s technology solution will be available for users to select in the IBM Quantum Pay-As-You-Go Plan.

The integration aims to provide user-friendly functionality to address the primary challenge facing quantum computing end-users: Unreliable results from algorithms run on today’s hardware.

To get the most out of near-term quantum computers you need to be an expert in an array of technical specializations – algorithms, compilers, error suppression strategies, and error mitigation – without focusing on each of these it’s difficult to get reliable results. The combination of Q-CTRL technology and IBM Quantum services reduces this burden, making it simpler to get useful results from real hardware by automatically addressing the problem of noise and hardware error.

Companies and end-users are seeking streamlined ways to integrate useful quantum computing into their workflows and to better leverage their existing IT expertise. Q-CTRL’s state-of-the-art performance-management infrastructure software, Q-CTRL Embedded, delivers these benefits to users and will now be available as an option within the IBM Quantum Pay-As-You-Go Plan.

Now, any IBM Quantum Pay-As-You-Go Plan user has the option to utilize Q-CTRL’s advanced technology using a single command within their Qiskit environment. And in great news for the community, accessing Q-CTRL’s performance-management software incurs no additional costs to the IBM Quantum Pay-As-You-Go Plan.

“Since we joined the IBM Quantum Network in 2018, we’ve been building the world’s most advanced infrastructure software for performance management in quantum computing,” said Q-CTRL CEO and Founder Michael J. Biercuk. “IBM has built a world-class quantum computing platform with the flexibility needed for experts like Q-CTRL to demonstrate new software able to dramatically improve the success of real quantum algorithms—detailed tests on a suite of benchmarking algorithms showed benefits up to thousands of times. We’re very excited to now bring these tools to the exceptional ecosystem of researchers and businesses building their quantum workflows on IBM hardware.”

• TRL Embedded delivers enhancements in computational accuracy and efficiency through a simple configuration-free setting. When the performance management option is selected, a fully configured autonomous toolchain is triggered in the background to suppress

Based on recently peer-reviewed research on this topic and new tests on utility-scale quantum systems, benefits can reach up to:

• 10X increase in the complexity of quantum algorithms they can run (measured through circuit depth), up to intrinsic hardware limits;
• 100X cost reduction relative to alternative research-grade error-reduction strategies by

reducing the number of experimental “shots” required to suppress errors;

• >1,000X improvement in the success of quantum algorithms widely used in the

These functionalities, in combination with the IBM Quantum development roadmap, aim to accelerate the path toward quantum advantage and allow end users from research to enterprise to gain strategic advantages they’ve been seeking from their quantum applications.

“At IBM, our goal is to give our users the ability to run valuable quantum workloads beyond what can be simulated on classical computers. A core requirement to this is reducing noise. The noise suppression provided through Q-CTRL’s performance management makes exploring useful quantum circuits even easier. I very much look forward to what our users will be able to do with this newly added error-suppression technology,” said Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President, IBM Quantum.

Nov. 27, 2023 — French quantum computing company PASQAL announced it is part of the inauguration of Espace Quantique 1, a $90 million quantum initiative, in the center of the DistriQ Quantum Innovation Zone in Sherbrooke, Quebec, showcasing its approach to developing neutral atom quantum computers. The project aims to conduct manufacturing and commercialization activities […]

The post PASQAL and Investissement Québec Launch $90M Quantum Initiative appeared first on High-Performance Computing News Analysis | insideHPC.

Insider Brief

• Kipu Quantum GmnH joins DLR’s project “BASIQ: Battery materials simulation using quantum computers”.
• The project is part of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative.
• It runs over a period of 3 years and is financed by the DLR QCI with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

PRESS RELEASE — Kipu Quantum GmbH, a German quantum software company focusing on developing application-dependent and hardware-specific quantum algorithms that are commercialized as enterprise solutions, joins DLR’s project “BASIQ: Battery materials simulation using quantum computers”, which is part of the DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI).

The project runs over a period of 3 years and is financed by the DLR QCI with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. It is led by the DLR Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics. BASIQ’s goal is to develop battery material simulations on an atomistic level for gate-based quantum computers, considering the crucial material components of a battery cell. This requires the development of quantum algorithms for very different classes of materials, the part of the project involving Kipu Quantum’s technology.

Kipu Quantum’s algorithms rely on a one-of-a-kind digital and digital-analog compression technology requiring orders of magnitude less circuit depth to solve a given problem. This will solve industrially relevant problems at least a decade earlier than other approaches. Even on today’s hardware, Kipu Quantum holds several performance records in use cases such as protein folding, portfolio optimization, factorization, and logistics modeling, now supporting the BASIQ project with quantum mechanical simulations of materials and chemical processes.

“We are especially happy about this collaboration as it fully complies with our mission to bring our algorithms to industry-relevant use cases and proof our concept,“ said Prof. Enrique Solano, co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer at Kipu Quantum.

“With everything we do in our day-to-day work, we focus on solving real-world problems with the ultimate goal to create a leading edge for our customers,” said Dr. Daniel Volz, co-founder and CEO at Kipu Quantum. “Joining the DLR QCI project BASIQ significantly contributes to taking us further down this road.”

Insider Brief

• Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol discussed cooperation on quantum tech, clean energy and innovation.
• The event was held at Stanford University.
• Critical Quote: “If there is one element missing, there will be no innovation. New ideas emerge through a multi-layered exchange between diverse people.” — Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio

PRESS RELEASE — The future of clean energy, quantum technology, and innovation were among the topics of discussion between Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at an event held at Stanford University.

The historic meeting, which took place on Nov. 17 during the last day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, was hosted by the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and the Hoover Institution. It was one of seven convenings between the two leaders this year to strengthen bilateral relations between their countries. Such a meeting would have been unthinkable just over a year ago because of decades of tense relations. Since Yoon and Kishida took office, they have taken steps towards rapprochement and building trust that their predecessors could not achieve.

“We at Stanford are deeply honored to be hosting these two leaders on the same stage for another historic chapter in relations between their two countries,” said Michael McFaul, the director of FSI, in his opening remarks.

Condoleezza Rice, the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution, moderated the discussion, which centered around innovation and the future of science and technology.

“Democratic allies need very much to discuss both the challenges and the opportunities that technologies bring,” said Rice, who served as the 66th secretary of state of the United States.

The event was one of several visits that saw dignitaries from Asia visiting the Stanford campus while they were in the Bay Area for the APEC summit in San Francisco.

Calls for Collaboration

Balancing the risks and opportunities of technology was a recurring theme during the discussion between the leaders of Japan and South Korea, with each of them calling for increased collaboration and cooperation among countries with shared values.

“In the field of science and technology, no one country alone can drive innovation that will change the world,” said Kishida in his opening remarks.

For example, Kishida said, various countries now contribute key elements to innovations such as semiconductors, quantum computing, and generative AI.

“If there is one element missing, there will be no innovation,” Kishida said. “New ideas emerge through a multi-layered exchange between diverse people.”

The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center is part of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

In this edition of the HPC News Bytes podcast, Shahin takes us on a rapid (5:04) tour of SC23, analyzing the key developments and new technologies that highlighted last week’s conference in Denver: Conference attendance expands to 14,000; exascale update and future; raft of new chips, many focused on AI; Quantum Village at SC23; UCIe, PCIe and Ultra Ethernet

The post HPC News Bytes 20231120: SC23 Overview – Exascale Update, New AI Chips, Quantum Village, UCIe-PCIe-Ultra Ethernet appeared first on High-Performance Computing News Analysis | insideHPC.

Insider Brief

• The U.S. Department of Energy and partners announced the first round of participants dedicated to the Quantum & Space Collaboration.
• Participants include the DOE, Department of Defense (DOD), Infleqtion, Nebula Space Enterprises, and Accenture Federal Services.
• The partners have experience in applied research and deployment of quantum technologies—spanning quantum sensing, communications, and computing.

PRESS RELEASE — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), alongside a cohort of strategic partners, announced the first round of participants dedicated to the Quantum & Space Collaboration. This collaborative effort aims to harness cutting-edge quantum technologies for pivotal advancements in national security, energy, and economic prosperity, while also supporting sustainability goals.

The Quantum & Space Collaboration has garnered an array of participants, including the DOE, Department of Defense (DOD), Infleqtion, Nebula Space Enterprises, and Accenture Federal Services.  NASA also attended the press announcement event.

Rima Kasia Oueid, the DOE’s lead/architect for the Quantum Space Collaboration and Commercialization Executive at the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT), reflected on the significance of this partnership: “This Collaboration has been long in the making and is vital for ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of innovation. We stand on the brink of a new economic era—one that expands into space, propelled by current and soon-to-be-realized quantum technologies. These advancements are poised to enhance global safety, economic stability, and overall human welfare, while also unlocking the potential to discover and efficiently use space resources. This will also create skilled blue- and white-collar jobs of the future to build the supply chain. Our target is to begin space environmental   demonstrations using quantum technologies in early 2024 and to begin evaluating use cases and new commercialization opportunities.”

The collaborating Parties have experience in applied research and deployment of quantum technologies—spanning quantum sensing, communications, and computing (collectively referred to as “QIS”) —to bolster the United States’ leadership in the emergent space economy. The Parties seek to collaborate on quantum and other space-related activities to accelerate commercialization and enable new capabilities that further DOE, DOD, and NASA mission objectives in the next 5 to 10 years.

“We are thrilled to be part of this private-public partnership with the Department of Energy to drive innovation in space.  This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to leverage cutting-edge resources and expertise from multiple sectors to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technologies.  Together, we will harness the power of quantum sensing, quantum communications, and quantum computing to advance national security, energy, and economic interests,” said Scott Faris, CEO of Infleqtion.

“We are excited to be part of advancing the very latest technologies for Defense and NASA missions. These technologies have broad societal impacts beyond national security, and we consider the MOU a steppingstone towards commercializing computing infrastructure that will enable a growing space economy.  New applied use cases of technologies such as Quantum computing and sensing will also benefit and augment several existing terrestrial industries over time.” says Nebula Co-Founders Peter Stridh and Michael Bloxton.

“This collaboration involves the most promising technologies available today, and using them in combination can create a blueprint for the future,” said Garland Garris, quantum security lead at Accenture Federal Services. “We are the first generation with the ability to control systems at the quantum level, and space is the perfect place for exploration and discovery with a lens on providing security.”

More about the collaborating Parties:

• The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV) mission is to develop and transition innovative high-payoff space technologies supporting U.S. warfighters in their service to the country, while leveraging commercial, civil, and other government space capabilities to ensure America’s advantage. AFRL/RV capabilities and areas of expertise include space-based communications, position, navigation, and timing (PNT), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), defensive space control, space situational awareness, responsive space, and small satellite development.
• The DOE mission is steadfast in addressing America’s energy and environmental challenges, fostering groundbreaking scientific and technological solutions. Central to this mission is the advancement of quantum information science and technologies that ensure cybersecurity, energy security, and optimization. Initial participating offices include the Office of Electricity, and the Office of Technology Transitions.
• Nebula Space Enterprises champions the establishment of high-performance computing in space, working in tandem with AFRL/RV to enhance intelligence delivery to U.S. Warfighters. They aspire to pioneer nuclear-powered quantum computing, propelling space-bound data center capabilities to unprecedented heights.
•  Accenture brings a diverse array of skills to the table to support quantum applications in space. These range from quantum information science, quantum security and AI/machine learning to fortifying the pursuit of quantum applications and space demonstrations.
• Infleqtion, a leader in quantum atomics, offers quantum sensors and clocks essential for high-precision data collection, navigation, and intelligence gathering, crucial for next-generation quantum experiments in microgravity environments.

Together, these entities are poised to launch a concerted effort to synergize expertise in QIS, cybersecurity, and space technology development. This includes leveraging their collective technological portfolio to foster a range of space-oriented capabilities, such as quantum-secure communications, quantum sensing, and the integration of quantum with classical computing in orbital environments.

Examples of where the Parties seek to leverage their technology portfolio and platforms include the following capabilities across heterogenous environments:

• Integrate and orchestrate Quantum Secure Communication Demonstration in Orbit
• Integrate and orchestrate QIS Demonstration in Orbit such as post quantum cryptography over satellite communications networks in LEO and GEO
• Support benchmarking of Classical AI/ML Algorithms
• Develop and test quantum algorithms
• Develop use cases for Hybrid Quantum and Classical Computing Space Platform
• Integrate and orchestrate workloads in multiple environments
• Unify and simplify the collection, organization, and analysis of data
• Automate operations to achieve better performance
• Automate IT operations to deliver actionable insights
• Automate application and data flows to improve client experiences
• Generate deeper insights into threats, orchestration actions and automate responses
• Integrate and orchestrate Quantum Sensing Demonstrations in Orbit for imaging, detection, position, navigation, and timing (PNT)
• Develop and test quantum sensing protocols in Orbit
• Develop use cases for quantum sensing in Orbit
• Integrate quantum sensing into a Hybrid Computing Space Platform
• Develop a mesh network of quantum sensors in Orbit
• Integrate and orchestrate Hybrid Quantum and Classical Computing in Orbit
• Develop and test quantum computing protocols in Orbit
• Develop a mesh network of Hybrid Quantum and Classical Computers in Orbit

This collaboration will provide initial feasibility assessments that could form the foundation for deploying a mesh network of full grade datacenters delivering hybrid quantum computing capabilities, enhanced by quantum sensing, powered by nuclear energy, and connected by secure quantum communications.

For more information or to learn how to partner with us, please contact Rima Kasia Oueid, DOE’s Quantum & Space Collaboration lead/architect and OTT Senior Commercialization Executive: rima.oueid@hq.doe.gov

TEL AVIV, November 13, 2023 — Quantum software pioneer Classiq today unveiled a new industry initiative, the Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center, formed in collaboration with NVIDIA and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. The initiative will champion the development and implementation of quantum algorithms and applications, targeting their transformative potential on life sciences and healthcare. Quantum […]

The post Classiq Announces Quantum Center for Life Sciences with NVIDIA appeared first on High-Performance Computing News Analysis | insideHPC.

We are excited to announce a strategic co-innovation collaboration with Photonic Inc., a company focused on building scalable, fault tolerant, and distributed quantum technologies. Our shared mission is to unlock the next stages in quantum networking and empower the quantum computing ecosystem with new capabilities enabled by our unique and complementary approaches to scalable quantum infrastructure.

By combining Photonic’s novel spin-photon architecture that natively supports quantum communication over standard telecom wavelengths with the global scale and state-of-the-art infrastructure of Azure, we will work together to integrate quantum networking capabilities into everyday operating environments. Together, we aim to deliver new technologies that will enable reliable quantum communication over long distances and accelerate scientific research and development with quantum computing devices to be integrated into Azure Quantum Elements. 

Powering the quantum ecosystem with the next stage of quantum networks

"We are thrilled about joining forces with Photonic in improving the world through quantum technologies. There is an opportunity to ignite new capabilities across the quantum ecosystem extending beyond computing, such as networking and sensing, and unlocking applications and scientific discovery at scale across chemistry, materials science, metrology, communications, and many other fields. The capabilities we aim to deliver with Photonic can enable this vision and bring about quantum's impact far more quickly than otherwise possible."Jason Zander, Executive Vice President of Strategic Missions and Technologies, Microsoft.

Realizing this vision requires a fundamental capability: entanglement distribution over long distances. Photonic’s unique architecture is based on highly connected silicon spin qubits with a spin-photon interface. By using a qubit with a photon interface, this novel approach communicates using ultralow-loss standard telecom fibers and wavelengths. When paired with the Microsoft global infrastructure, platforms, and scale of the Azure cloud, this technology will integrate new quantum networking capabilities into everyday operating environments.

Together, Microsoft and Photonic will address three stages of quantum networking.

• At the Stage 1 physical layer, we will aim to deliver entanglement between two separate quantum devices via photons through telecom fiber.
• To enable the Stage 2 link layer, we will aim to deliver a never-before demonstrated quantum repeater that can capture, entangle, and hold quantum information reliably for a short time.
• Finally, at the Stage 3 network layer, we will focus on delivering from our co-innovation collaboration a reliable quantum repeater, one that is fault-tolerant and operational with our Azure cloud. With this technology, we can overcome any limitations on distance in the network, and enable the ability to create a full-scale, global quantum internet.

Co-innovating to accelerate scientific discovery

"It will take a global ecosystem to unlock the full promise of quantum computing. No company or country can do it alone. That's why we're incredibly excited to be partnering with Microsoft to bring forth these new quantum capabilities. Their extensive global infrastructure, proven platforms, and the remarkable scale of the Azure cloud make them the ideal partner to unleash the transformative potential of quantum computing and accelerate innovation across the quantum computing ecosystem."Dr. Stephanie Simmons, founder and Chief Quantum Officer of Photonic, and the Co-Chair of Canada's National Quantum Strategy Advisory Board.

It is only through global collaboration and co-innovation that we will be able to empower people to unlock solutions to the biggest challenges facing our industries, and our world. Just like the cloud democratized access to supercomputersonce available only to governments, research universities, and the most resourced corporationswe are on a mission to engineer a fault-tolerant quantum supercomputing ecosystem at scale on Azure. We announced last June our roadmap to a Level 3 quantum supercomputer along with peer-reviewed research demonstrating that we've achieved our first milestone.

Scientific discovery is crucial to our global future, and we want to empower scientists today with the best available offerings in the ecosystem, which is why as part of our co-innovation collaboration we plan to integrate Photonic’s unique quantum hardware into our Azure Quantum Elements offering as it becomes available. Our collaboration with Photonic seeks to enable scientific exploration at Level 1, foundational quantum computing with a firm commitment to reach higher levels of resilience and scale on the path to quantum supercomputing in the future.

With Azure Quantum Elements, your quantum solutions will be completely integrated with high-value advancements in high-performance computing (HPC) and AI so you can transform your research and development processes today with the certainty that you will be ready to adopt quantum supercomputing at scale seamlessly in the future. You can sign-up for our Private Preview of Azure Quantum Elements now.

To learn more about how Microsoft and Photonic will be working together to advance the next stages of quantum networking and empower the quantum ecosystem with new capabilities, register for the January episode of the Quantum Innovator Series.

Learn more about Photonic Inc.

Photonic is building a scalable, fault-tolerant and unified quantum computing and networking platform, uniquely based on proven spin qubits in silicon. Photonic's platform offers a native telecom networking interface and the manufacturability of silicon. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Photonic also has offices in the United States and the United Kingdom. To learn more about the company, visit their website.

The post Microsoft and Photonic join forces on the path to quantum at scale appeared first on Microsoft Azure Quantum Blog.

Insider Brief

• ETH Zurich is leading efforts that focus on the pivotal challenge of connecting two error-corrected qubits.
• The project involves collaboration with MIT, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Université de Sherbrooke, Zurich Instruments, Atlantic Quantum, and the ETHZ-PSI Quantum Computing Hub at the Paul Scherrer Institute.
• Connecting error-corrected qubits is considered a fundamental step in advancing quantum computing technology.
• Image: ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is playing a crucial role in two quantum computing projects, both financed by IARPA, a US-based research funding agency, according to a news release on the university’s website. These projects, which are being funded with up to $40 million, focus on the pivotal challenge of connecting two error-corrected qubits—a fundamental step in advancing quantum computing technology.

The two projects supported by IARPA are SuperMOOSE and MODULARIS. SuperMOOSE, led by ETH Professor Andreas Wallraff, involves collaboration with MIT, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Université de Sherbrooke, Zurich Instruments, Atlantic Quantum, and the ETHZ-PSI Quantum Computing Hub at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Meanwhile, MODULARIS is coordinated by the University of Innsbruck, with ETH Professor Jonathan Home’s group contributing.

Both projects aim to entangle two logical qubits and transfer quantum states between them, employing different technological approaches.

“If we manage to connect two error-​corrected qubits with one another, we’ll have laid the groundwork for future quantum computers that can then be used to tackle a broad range of tasks,” Wallraff said in the release.

Eye Toward Practical Applications

Quantum computers have long been a topic of interest due to their potential to solve complex computational problems that are currently beyond the reach of traditional computers. However, the practical application of quantum computers has been hindered primarily by their vulnerability to errors. ETH Zurich has made notable progress in this area, with two of its research groups successfully demonstrating error correction in quantum systems, according to the realse. This achievement involved using a chip with 17 physical quantum bits (qubits) to create a single logical qubit, with a division of labor between the qubits for error correction and computational tasks.

The ETH team is focusing on superconducting components, while the Innsbruck team uses ion traps. This diversity in approach highlights the multifaceted nature of quantum computing research. Over the next four years, both teams’ progress and results will be scrutinized and shared in scientific journals. Success in connecting two error-corrected qubits will set a foundation for quantum computers capable of handling a wide array of tasks.

However, these projects will have its challenges. Building a functional quantum computer would one day require linking not just two but potentially thousands of logical qubits. This complex, time-consuming, and costly process underscores the need for international collaboration.

The involvement of ETH Zurich in these two significant projects underlines its leadership in quantum research, according to Christian Wolfrum, Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich, who expressed satisfaction with IARPA’s support, emphasizing the importance of Switzerland’s involvement in Horizon Europe.

“IARPA’s decision to fund not one but two projects in which ETH Zurich is involved confirms our university’s leading position in this vital research area,” Wolfrum said in the release. “It’s now crucial that Switzerland be an associated country in Horizon Europe as soon as possible so that our researchers can also participate in the EU’s flagship quantum programme.”

Insider Brief

• Microsoft announced a series of initiatives with Photonic.
• Photonic announced it raised $100 million in a funding round led by Microsoft and BCI, along with other investors.
• The moves underscore a dramatic push toward the practical use of quantum computers.
• Image: Photonic’s novel approach—photonically linked silicon spin qubits.

It was quiet in quantum, until it wasn’t. In a slew of announcements this morning, Microsoft announced a blockbuster deal with Photonic Inc. that may be the biggest in the industry this year.

Microsoft executives announced:

• Photonic raised $100 Million USD from BCI, Microsoft, and other investors.
• Microsoft and Photonic will work together to the power global quantum ecosystem.
• Photonic’s new architecture  will accelerate quantum computing’s transformational benefits.

Analysts at The Quantum Insider report the moves show the burgeoning potential of quantum technologies. The partnership will create a joint effort that is designed to unlock the next evolutionary stages in quantum networking and enhance the quantum computing ecosystem with unprecedented capabilities.

Stephanie Simmons, Chief Quantum Officer, told The Quantum Insider:

“Today marks a big reveal in the history of quantum technology development. Alternative quantum networks and computers are small-scale, unreliable, and distinct technologies. The world has been eagerly awaiting the new capabilities that quantum technologies will bring – they have been waiting for scalable, reliable quantum technologies. Today we are sharing a new quantum architecture where the network is the computer – and in doing so, it offers a direct path to large-scale, reliable, networked quantum computing. We are looking forward to unlocking the technology’s potential across a vast range of industries and application spaces”

Here is a breakdown of this sweeping new collaboration:

Microsoft and Photonic’s Strategic Partnership

The collaboration between Microsoft and Photonic is engineered to advance quantum computing and networking, with a special focus on creating scalable, long-distance quantum communication systems and supercomputing capabilities. It’s also important to note that the partnership involves the integration of Photonic’s quantum technology with Microsoft Azure Quantum Elements.

Investment in Photonic

Photonic’s recent funding achievement of $100M USD, led by Microsoft and others, including the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), has raised the company’s total funding to $140M USD. This investment is a strong vote of confidence in the company’s innovative approach to quantum computing.

Photonic’s Quantum Architecture

Photonic has announced an inventive approach to quantum computing that employs photonically linked silicon spin qubits. This new architecture is aimed at creating a scalable, fault-tolerant and networked quantum computing platform. It is designed to be manufacturable, environmentally versatile, and capable of rapid intra-network qubit communication.

Technological Advancements

Leveraging a unique silicon spin-photon interface technology, Photonic is at the forefront of distributed computing. The architecture enables horizontal scaling and integrates quantum error correction for improved reliability. The implications of these advancements are significant, offering enhanced security for digital communications and transformative potential in fields such as climate modeling and pharmaceutical development.

Company Growth and Expertise

Photonic is expanding its global footprint with new offices in the United Kingdom and the United States. The company boasts one of the most significant teams of quantum silicon experts, led by people like Dr. Stephanie Simmons, Chief Quantum Officer, and Dr. Paul Terry, CEO.

Jason Zander, Executive Vice President at Microsoft, expresses excitement about the collaboration with Photonic, stating:

“We are thrilled about joining forces with Photonic in improving the world through quantum technologies. There is an opportunity to ignite new capabilities across the quantum ecosystem extending beyond computing, such as networking and sensing, and unlocking applications and scientific discovery at scale across chemistry, materials science, metrology, communications, and many other fields. The capabilities we aim to deliver with Photonic can enable this vision and bring about quantum’s impact far more quickly than otherwise possible.”

 

Quantum Networking and Its Phases

The partnership intends to tackle quantum networking in three stages. The first stage focuses on achieving entanglement between separate quantum devices. The second stage aims to demonstrate a quantum repeater that can capture and maintain quantum information for a brief period. The third stage aspires to develop a fault-tolerant quantum repeater that operates seamlessly with the Azure cloud, thus removing distance as a barrier in the network and enabling a global quantum internet.

Co-Innovating for Scientific Discovery

Simmons, founder and Chief Quantum Officer at Photonic, underscores the significance of global collaboration for the advancement of quantum computing:

“It will take a global ecosystem to unlock the full promise of quantum computing. No company or country can do it alone. That’s why we’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Microsoft to bring forth these new quantum capabilities. Their extensive global infrastructure, proven platforms, and the remarkable scale of the Azure cloud make them the ideal partner to unleash the transformative potential of quantum computing and accelerate innovation across the quantum computing ecosystem.”

Azure Quantum and Photonic Integration

As part of their co-innovation collaboration, Microsoft plans to integrate Photonic’s unique quantum hardware into Azure Quantum Elements. This strategic move is aimed at empowering scientists with the best offerings in the ecosystem, with a firm commitment to scaling quantum supercomputing in the future.

Photonic’s Vision and Growth

Photonic is focused on building a scalable, fault-tolerant, and unified quantum computing and networking platform, with its headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, and additional offices in the US and UK. The company’s commitment to a native telecom networking interface and the manufacturability of silicon places it at the cutting edge of quantum technology.

In summary, the partnership between Microsoft and Photonic is setting the stage for a quantum revolution. By infusing substantial investments, pioneering quantum architecture, and leveraging their combined expertise, they are forging a path to a future where quantum supercomputing and networking are not just possible but practical and widespread.