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Quantum Zeitgeist
- Rice University Launches Groundbreaking Quantum Materials Research Program at VBFF SymposiumRice University’s Pengcheng Dai, Randall Hulet, Douglas Natelson, Han Pu, Ming Yi and Boris Yakobson attended the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship (VBFF) Symposium on Extreme Quantum Materials. The event showcased research on the physics of strongly correlated quantum materials and marked the start of a five-year research programme by Qimiao Si, who won a 2023 […]
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High-Performance Computing News Analysis | insideHPC
- Hyperion Research Announces Winners of HPC Innovation Excellence AwardsHPC industry analyst firm Hyperion Research has announced the recipients of the 19th round of HPC Innovation Excellence Awards. The 2023 winners are: FedData Technology Solutions, Boston University, McMaster University and HPE, and HLRS and WIKKI GmbH. The post Hyperion Research Announces Winners of HPC Innovation Excellence Awards appeared first on High-Performance Computing News Analysis | insideHPC.
Hyperion Research Announces Winners of HPC Innovation Excellence Awards

HPC industry analyst firm Hyperion Research has announced the recipients of the 19th round of HPC Innovation Excellence Awards. The 2023 winners are: FedData Technology Solutions, Boston University, McMaster University and HPE, and HLRS and WIKKI GmbH.
The post Hyperion Research Announces Winners of HPC Innovation Excellence Awards appeared first on High-Performance Computing News Analysis | insideHPC.
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The Quantum Insider
- Riverlane Awarded DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Program GrantInsider Brief Riverlane has been selected for the next phase of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking program. The program’s aim is to design key quantum computing metrics. Riverlane will be working with top tier universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of Sydney. PRESS RELEASE — Riverlane has been selected for Phase 2 of the Quantum Benchmarking program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The aim of the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking progra
Riverlane Awarded DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Program Grant

Insider Brief
- Riverlane has been selected for the next phase of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking program.
- The program’s aim is to design key quantum computing metrics.
- Riverlane will be working with top tier universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of Sydney.
PRESS RELEASE — Riverlane has been selected for Phase 2 of the Quantum Benchmarking program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The aim of the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking program is to design key quantum computing metrics for practically relevant problems and estimate the required quantum and classical resources needed to reach critical performance thresholds.
Steve Brierley, CEO and Founder of Riverlane, said: “Riverlane’s mission is to make quantum computing useful sooner, starting an era of human progress as significant as the industrial and digital revolutions. The DARPA Quantum Benchmarking program aligns with this goal, helping the quantum community measure progress and maintain momentum as we reach unlock quantum error correction and enable fault tolerance.”
Fault tolerance is increasingly seen as a requirement for reaching useful quantum advantage. To achieve this, the errors that quantum bits (qubits) are prone to must be corrected. Simply put, quantum error correction is the enabling technology for fault tolerance.
Hardware companies, academic groups and national labs have demonstrated significant progress with small quantum error-corrected systems, but there remain many challenges for controlling fault-tolerant devices at scale.
In the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking project, Riverlane is working with top tier universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of Sydney to identify important benchmarks for practical problems especially in the fields of plasma physics, fluid dynamics, condensed matter and high energy physics. The team is building tools to estimate the quantum and classical resources needed to implement quantum algorithms to solve the benchmark problems at scale.
Hari Krovi, Principal Quantum Scientist at Riverlane, explained: “Fault tolerance will result in significant overheads, both in terms of qubit count and calculation time and it is important to take this into consideration when comparing to classical techniques. It has been known for some time that mild speed-ups such as a quadratic speed-up can disappear when the fault tolerance overhead is considered. There are many different approaches to fault tolerance to consider and each one leads to overheads that can vary by many orders of magnitude.”
Krovi added: “One area of consideration is the choice of quantum code to help identify and correct errors in the system. There are many different choices that lead to fault tolerance and each of these leads to different overheads. The Surface Code is a popular choice, and the team is focussing on estimates based on this approach.”
The work being done in this program provides a quantitative understanding of practical quantum advantage and can inform whether and how disruptive quantum computing is in various fields.
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The Quantum Insider
- AWS Reveals Quantum Chip That Suppresses Bit Flip Errors by 100XInsider Brief Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced a new quantum computer chip focused on enhancing error correction. The company said that the chip, which is fabricated in-house, can suppress bit flip errors by 100x using a passive error correction approach. By combining both passive and active error correction approaches, the chip could theoretically achieve quantum error correction six times more efficiently than standard methods. Image: Peter Desantis, senior vice president of AWS util
AWS Reveals Quantum Chip That Suppresses Bit Flip Errors by 100X

Insider Brief
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced a new quantum computer chip focused on enhancing error correction.
- The company said that the chip, which is fabricated in-house, can suppress bit flip errors by 100x using a passive error correction approach.
- By combining both passive and active error correction approaches, the chip could theoretically achieve quantum error correction six times more efficiently than standard methods.
- Image: Peter Desantis, senior vice president of AWS utility computing products. Credit: AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has introduced a new quantum computer chip focused on enhancing error correction, a pivotal — if not the pivotal — aspect in the evolution of quantum computing. Peter DeSantis, Vice President of Global Infrastructure and Customer Support at AWS, detailed the features and implications of this development in a keynote address in Las Vegas at AWS’s re:Invent conference for the global cloud computing community.
The AWS team has been working on a custom-designed quantum device, a chip totally fabricated in-house, which takes an innovative approach to error correction, according to DeSantis.
“By separating the bit flips from the phase flips, we’ve been able to suppress bit flip errors by 100x using a passive error correction approach. This allows us to focus our active error correction on just those phase flips,” DeSantis stated.
He highlighted that combining both passive and active error correction approaches could theoretically achieve quantum error correction six times more efficiently than standard methods. This development represents an essential step towards creating hardware-efficient and scalable quantum error correction.
In a LinkedIn post, Simone Severini, general manager of quantum technologies at AWS, writes that AWS’s logical qubit is both hardware-efficient and scalable.
He writes that the chip uses a special oscillator-based qubit to suppresses bit flip errors. A much simpler outer error-correcting code protects the phase flip errors.
Severini added, “It is based on a superconducting quantum circuit technology that “prints” qubits on the surface of a silicon microchip, making it highly scalable in the number of physical qubits. This scalability allows one to exponentially suppress the total logical error rate by adding more physical qubits to the chip. Other approaches based on similar oscillator-based qubits rely on large 3D resonant cavities, that need to be manually pieced together.”
Error Correction Progress
DeSantis said that the effort on error correction is important because, despite advancements, qubits remain too noisy for practical use in solving complex problems.
“15 years ago, the state of the art was one error every 10 Quantum operations. Today, we’ve improved to about one error per 1000 Quantum operations. This 100x improvement in 15 years is significant. However, the quantum algorithms that excite us require billions of operations without an error,” DeSantis added.
DeSantis outlined the challenges in current quantum computing, noting that with a 0.1% error rate, each logical qubit requires thousands of physical qubits. He mentioned that quantum computers are not yet where they need to be to tackle big, complex problems. The potential for improvements through error correction represents the surest bet for more practical quantum computing.
“With a further improvement in physical qubit error rate, we can reduce the overhead of error correction significantly,” he said.
Early Stages
Although DeSantis cautioned that the journey to an error-corrected quantum computer is still in its early stages, he emphasized the importance of this development.
“This step taken is an important part of developing the hardware efficient and scalable quantum error correction that we need to solve interesting problems on a quantum computer,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis hopes this development could accelerate the progress towards practical and reliable quantum computing, potentially revolutionizing industries like pharmaceuticals, materials science, and financial services.
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The Quantum Insider
- Multiverse Computing Pioneers Quantum Digital Twin Project to Boost Green Hydrogen ProductionInsider Brief Multiverse Computing used a digital twin and quantum optimization to boost the efficiency of green hydrogen production. The advance could lead to improving the economics of hydrogen production and reducing a significant source of greenhouse gas. Multiverse’s partners include IDEA Ingeniería and AMETIC, Spain’s digital industry association. PRESS RELEASE — Multiverse Computing, a global leader in value-based quantum computing and machine learning solutions, has used a digital twi
Multiverse Computing Pioneers Quantum Digital Twin Project to Boost Green Hydrogen Production

Insider Brief
- Multiverse Computing used a digital twin and quantum optimization to boost the efficiency of green hydrogen production.
- The advance could lead to improving the economics of hydrogen production and reducing a significant source of greenhouse gas.
- Multiverse’s partners include IDEA Ingeniería and AMETIC, Spain’s digital industry association.
PRESS RELEASE — Multiverse Computing, a global leader in value-based quantum computing and machine learning solutions, has used a digital twin and quantum optimization to boost the efficiency of green hydrogen production. This work could change the economics of hydrogen production and reduce a significant source of greenhouse gas.
Multiverse’s partners in this work are IDEA Ingeniería, an engineering firm that specializes in renewable projects and digital twins, and AMETIC, Spain’s digital industry association. IDEA developed the digital twin ecosystem for optimizing the generation of green hydrogen. AMETIC is coordinating the overall project.
The quantum digital twin numerically simulates a green hydrogen production plant by using operating parameters of the plant as inputs. By using quantum algorithms to optimize the electrolysis process used for green hydrogen generation, the developed solution achieves a 5% increase in H2 production and associated revenue delivered by the quantum solver compared to the classical solver.
“Electrolysers are currently deployed at a small scale, making hydrogen production costly, so they require significant scale up in an affordable way,” said Enrique Lizaso Olmos, CEO of Multiverse Computing. “This project demonstrates how quantum algorithms can improve the production of green hydrogen to make renewable energy more cost-effective today and in the future.”
Using a classical solver to optimize hydrogen production, the virtual plant delivered 62,579 kg of green H2 and revenue of 154,204 euros. By using quantum-inspired tensor networks with Multiverse’s Singularity, the quantum approach delivered 65,421 kg and revenue of 160,616 euros. This represents a 5% increase in hydrogen production and a 5% increase in revenues produced.
“Green hydrogen will play a significant role in the transition towards a more sustainable and ecological energy landscape,” said Emilio Sanchez, Founder and CEO of IDEA Ingeniería. “The consortium’s continued progress in developing quantum solutions alongside other green technologies can help alleviate the effects of global warming.”
Currently, it’s more expensive to produce green hydrogen than traditional grey hydrogen.1 The traditional method uses electricity—usually generated by coal or natural gas—to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. Green hydrogen is produced from renewable sources.
About 70 million tons of hydrogen are produced every year and used to refine oil and make ammonia-based fertilizer. The grey hydrogen production process generates between 9 and 12 tons of carbon dioxide for every one ton of hydrogen produced.2 Green hydrogen created from renewable sources is a clean-burning fuel that could reduce emissions from heating and industrial processes such as the production of steel, cement, and fertilizer.
Green hydrogen also could enable more efficient energy storage, as compressed hydrogen tanks can store energy for long periods of time and weigh less than lithium-ion batteries. In addition, it could make the transportation industry greener by decarbonizing shipping, aviation, and trucking.
Multiverse’s future plans for the initiative include increasing the input parameters to create a more realistic quantum digital twin and working with an energy company to validate the digital model, and continue working on the improvement of the quantum solution developed.
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The Quantum Insider
- Limits for Quantum Computers: Perfect Clocks are Impossible, Research FindsInsider Brief A research team from the Vienna University of Technology has demonstrated that due to finite energy or entropy generation, no clock can achieve both perfect resolution and precision simultaneously. This fundamental limitation impacts the potential capabilities of quantum computers. This discovery implies natural limits for quantum computers, as the achievable resolution and precision in timekeeping restrict the speed and reliability of quantum computations. UNIVERSITY RESEARCH NE
Limits for Quantum Computers: Perfect Clocks are Impossible, Research Finds

Insider Brief
- A research team from the Vienna University of Technology has demonstrated that due to finite energy or entropy generation, no clock can achieve both perfect resolution and precision simultaneously.
- This fundamental limitation impacts the potential capabilities of quantum computers.
- This discovery implies natural limits for quantum computers, as the achievable resolution and precision in timekeeping restrict the speed and reliability of quantum computations.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH NEWS — Vienna University of Technology/November 26, 2023 — There are different ideas about how quantum computers could be built. But they all have one thing in common: you use a quantum physical system — for example, individual atoms — and change their state by exposing them to very specific forces for a specific time. However, this means that in order to be able to rely on the quantum computing operation delivering the correct result, you need a clock that is as precise as possible.
But here you run into problems: perfect time measurement is impossible. Every clock has two fundamental properties: a certain precision and a certain time resolution. The time resolution indicates how small the time intervals are that can be measured — i.e., how quickly the clock ticks. Precision tells you how much inaccuracy you have to expect with every single tick.
The research team was able to show that since no clock has an infinite amount of energy available (or generates an infinite amount of entropy), it can never have perfect resolution and perfect precision at the same time. This sets fundamental limits to the possibilities of quantum computers.
Quantum calculation steps are like rotations
In our classical world, perfect arithmetic operations are not a problem. For example, you can use an abacus in which wooden balls are threaded onto a stick and pushed back and forth. The wooden beads have clear states, each one is in a very specific place, if you don’t do anything the bead will stay exactly where it was.
And whether you move the bead quickly or slowly does not affect the result. But in quantum physics it is more complicated.
“Mathematically speaking, changing a quantum state in a quantum computer corresponds to a rotation in higher dimensions,” says Jake Xuereb from the Atomic Institute at the Vienna University of Technology in the team of Marcus Huber and first author of the first paper published in Physical Review Letters. “In order to achieve the desired state in the end, the rotation must be applied for a very specific period of time. Otherwise, you turn the state either too short or too far.”
Entropy: Time makes everything more and more messy
Marcus Huber and his team investigated in general which laws must always apply to every conceivable clock. “Time measurement always has to do with entropy,” explains Marcus Huber. In every closed physical system, entropy increases and it becomes more and more disordered. It is precisely this development that determines the direction of time: the future is where the entropy is higher, and the past is where the entropy is even lower.
As can be shown, every measurement of time is inevitably associated with an increase in entropy: a clock, for example, needs a battery, the energy of which is ultimately converted into frictional heat and audible ticking via the clock’s mechanics — a process in which a fairly ordered state occurs the battery is converted into a rather disordered state of heat radiation and sound.
On this basis, the research team was able to create a mathematical model that basically every conceivable clock must obey. “For a given increase in entropy, there is a tradeoff between time resolution and precision,” says Florian Meier, first author of the second paper, now posted to the arXiv preprint server. “That means: Either the clock works quickly or it works precisely — both are not possible at the same time.”
Limits for quantum computers
This realization now brings with it a natural limit for quantum computers: the resolution and precision that can be achieved with clocks limits the speed and reliability that can be achieved with quantum computers. “It’s not a problem at the moment,” says Huber.
“Currently, the accuracy of quantum computers is still limited by other factors, for example, the precision of the components used or electromagnetic fields. But our calculations also show that today we are not far from the regime in which the fundamental limits of time measurement play the decisive role.”
Therefore, if the technology of quantum information processing is further improved, one will inevitably have to contend with the problem of non-optimal time measurement. But who knows: Maybe this is exactly how we can learn something interesting about the quantum world.
Featured image: The oversampling regime of an exemplary clock — a pendulum in a weakly lit environment. The two sources of entropy production for this clock are: the friction within the clockwork itself, and the matter–light interaction necessary to track the position of the pendulum. The plot shows the elementary ticking events of this clock as a function of time, i.e., the photons reflected off the pendulum when it is close to its maximum deflection. In the oversampling regime, the average time between two such ticks is much shorter than that of the period of the TPC (continuous line), which in the case of this pendulum is 2 s. Due to technical limitations, one does not count photons, but rather the TPC cycles through the averaged light intensity. Credit: arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2301.05173
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Quantum Zeitgeist
- Amazon Launches Braket Direct, Offering Private Access to Quantum Computing Units QPUsAmazon has launched Braket Direct, a programme offering quantum researchers private access to quantum processing units (QPUs) without queues or wait times. The service also provides expert guidance and early access to limited-availability features and devices. Users can reserve entire machines for a period on IonQ Aria, QuEra Aquila, and Rigetti Aspen-M-3 devices. They can also engage with experts from IonQ, Oxford Quantum Circuits, QuEra, Rigetti, or Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab. The service of
Amazon Launches Braket Direct, Offering Private Access to Quantum Computing Units QPUs
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The Quantum Insider
- Topology Optimization of Airfoil Structures Using Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization TechniqueInsider Brief BosonQ Psi’s Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization (QIDO) Solver has been validated as an effective solution for topology optimization in the aerospace and automotive industries, overcoming challenges faced by classical topology optimization methods in large-scale design problems. The study involved using the QIDO Solver to optimize airfoil structures, demonstrating its ability to efficiently handle complex design problems, such as weight minimization. QIDO’s quantum-inspired appro
Topology Optimization of Airfoil Structures Using Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization Technique

Insider Brief
- BosonQ Psi’s Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization (QIDO) Solver has been validated as an effective solution for topology optimization in the aerospace and automotive industries, overcoming challenges faced by classical topology optimization methods in large-scale design problems. The study involved using the QIDO Solver to optimize airfoil structures, demonstrating its ability to efficiently handle complex design problems, such as weight minimization.
- QIDO’s quantum-inspired approach, utilizing principles like superposition and entanglement, allows for simultaneous searching of larger solution spaces, resulting in better optimization than classical methods. This technology reduces the number of iterations and computing resources needed for topology optimization, offering more accurate and cost-effective solutions for airfoil structures in aircraft and automobiles.
- The research highlighted the potential of QIDO Solver to dramatically improve aircraft and automobile performance and safety. Traditional topology optimization problems are typically solved using finite element analysis, but the QIDO Solver can handle complex design problems, such as minimization of the total weight of the structure, and finds global minima for obtaining optimal airfoil designs. This has implications for reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing efficiency in advanced aircraft and automobile airfoil structures.
RESEARCH NEWS— Buffalo, NY/November 15, 2023 — Design optimization finds the optimal material layout of a given structure by rearranging the material within the domain. It is classified into size, shape, and topology optimization based on the problem’s complexity. Topology optimization plays a significant role in achieving safer and more efficient designs for the aerospace and automotive industries. Different aircraft and automobile wing structures can be obtained with next-generation additive manufacturing technologies, departing from traditional rib-spar wing constructions. However, traditional topology optimization methods need to be revised when applied to aerospace structures due to their large-scale design problems.
This article will discuss the topology optimization capabilities of the Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization (QIDO) Solver, its advantages over classical methods, and the future roadmap for maximizing efficiency in advanced aircraft and automobile airfoil structures.

Figure 1: Schematic Airfoil section internal domain as design space, the outer skin as non-design space, and the wing supports are fixed.
Current Bottlenecks with the classical topology optimization techniques in Engineering Optimization:
The shape and weight of an airfoil plays a significant role in aircraft performance and safety. Topology optimization has become a priority within the aerospace and automotive industries to achieve safer and more efficient designs while reducing weight. However, computational challenges arise when dealing with high aspect-ratio wings, which require conventional density-based topology optimization methods to discretize the problem domain uniformly.
Figure 1 shows design space in blue, which is required to be discretized in the above optimization method. The complex geometry and boundary conditions turn the problem into a large-scale design optimization problem. Similarly, high aspect ratio domains of wings in aircraft or automobiles create more complex and harder-to-model design spaces [1, 2]. This limits the effectiveness of traditional classical optimization algorithms and classical computers that need an advanced solution.
Another limitation of the classical approach is that it reaches local minima instead of global minima, indicating that more efficient designs could be explored and exploited within the design process [3]. Additionally, classical optimization methods require more iterations to get optimal results for a given airfoil design, which demands more computing resources, such as GPUs and CPUs. Classical algorithms on classical computers demand more efficiency regarding the computing resources required while still delivering accuracy in topology optimization tasks.

Figure 2: The figure illustrates how, in the real world, the origin of aerodynamic forces on an airfoil section arises from the combined effects of pressure distributions and shear stress on the boundary layer.
Quantum-Inspired Approach in Design Optimization:
The Quantum-Inspired approach utilizes the principles of quantum computing, such as interference, superposition, and entanglement, to process information. By emulating these principles, the Quantum-Inspired approach allows for simultaneous searching of a larger solution space, leading to better-optimized results over classical solutions, faster convergence speed, and minimizing the usage of computing resources.
BosonQ Psi’s QIDO Solver is a Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization solver that maximizes efficiency in design engineering. QIDO’s ability to search the global optima sets it apart from traditional optimization techniques, resulting in better airfoil designs with higher performance and efficiency. The QIDO solver also significantly reduces the number of iterations required to converge to the optimal design, saving substantial simulation time. Moreover, by harnessing the power of quantum algorithms, the QIDO Solver optimizes the design using fewer computing resources, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of the design optimization process.
In the context of volume minimization of airfoil structures, the QIDO solver brings a different optimization landscape than classical methods. The low volume fraction of aerospace and automobile structures and the considerations of slenderness, buckling, and strength contribute to the complexity of optimizing low-weight, high-performance airfoil designs. By focusing on topology optimization methods, QIDO removes materials from unintended structures, meeting the demands for low-volume fraction aerospace structures, which increases the efficiency of the component.
Traditional topology optimization problems are typically solved using finite element (FE) analysis, treating each element’s presence as a design variable and aiming to find the optimal distribution of elements in the design domain [4]. This approach formulates the problem with continuous design variables, where design variables take values from 0 to 1. They produce optimal designs with fictitious elements and no clear boundary for fabricating them [4, 5].
Previous research has demonstrated that efficient topology optimization techniques can significantly enhance aircraft performance and safety. For example, Airbus’s method successfully reduced the weight of A380 components such as wingbox ribs by 10%, leading to increased stability, safety, and a 42% reduction in drag. These advancements in topology optimization have also led to cost reductions for aircraft manufacturing companies. However, for a middle-sized topology optimization problem on flexible wing structures, the number of design variables can reach up to approximately 70,000 to 100,000, making these problems incredibly complex for traditional optimization methods [2, 6].
With the QIDO (Quantum-Inspired Design Optimization) Solver from BosonQ Psi, topology optimization achieves highly optimized results for internal aircraft wing structures, improving efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs. The solver can handle complex design problems, such as minimization of the total weight of the structure, and finds global minima for obtaining optimal airfoil designs.

Figure 3: Optimal design of airfoil obtained using BQPhy’s QIDO solver
BQPhy’s topology optimization results for airfoil wings using QIDO have demonstrated remarkable outcomes. By considering the outer skin as a non-design domain, the weight of the airfoil structure can be reduced to 60% [refer to Figure 3] of its initial solid volume while maintaining its structural integrity.
Conclusion:
The QIDO presents a revolutionary approach to weight minimization in the design of airfoil structures. QIDO harnesses the principles of quantum computing and integrates them into the optimization process. This nascent methodology enables engineers to reach global minima, significantly reduces the number of iterations required, and optimizes designs using fewer computing resources. These advancements improve efficiency, reduce manufacturing costs, and the possibility of pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation in advanced aircraft and automobile airfoil structures. With QIDO, the goal of achieving safer, more efficient, and lighter designs becomes within reach for companies in the aerospace and automotive industries.
List of references:
1. Zhu, Ji-Hong, Wei-Hong Zhang, and Liang Xia. “Topology optimization in aircraft and aerospace structures design.” Archives of computational methods in engineering 23 (2016): 595–622.
2. Luis Félix, Alexandra A. Gomes2, and Afzal Suleman. “Wing Topology Optimization with Self-Weight Loading” iWorld Congress on Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization May19, -24, 2013, Orlando,Florida, USA.
3. Stanford, Bret, and Peter Ifju. “Multi-objective topology optimization of wing skeletons for aeroelastic membrane structures.” International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles 1.1 (2009): 51–69.
4. Høghøj, Lukas C., et al. “Simultaneous shape and topology optimization of wings.” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 66.5 (2023): 116.
5. Gomes, Pedro, and Rafael Palacios. “Aerodynamic-driven topology optimization of compliant airfoils.” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization 62 (2020): 2117–2130.
6. James, Kai. Aerostructural shape and topology optimization of aircraft wings. University of Toronto (Canada), 2012.
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The Quantum Insider
- Scientists Say Quality of Clocks Set Limits For Quantum ComputersInsider Brief Calculations show that there are fundamental limits to quantum computing – namely the quality of the clock used. Scientists showed that since no clock has an infinite amount of energy available, it can never have perfect resolution and perfect precision at the same time. Researchers from the Atomic Institute at the Vienna University of Technology led the study. Image: Vienna University of Technology PRESS RELEASE — There are different ideas about how quantum computers could be bu
Scientists Say Quality of Clocks Set Limits For Quantum Computers

Insider Brief
- Calculations show that there are fundamental limits to quantum computing – namely the quality of the clock used.
- Scientists showed that since no clock has an infinite amount of energy available, it can never have perfect resolution and perfect precision at the same time.
- Researchers from the Atomic Institute at the Vienna University of Technology led the study.
- Image: Vienna University of Technology
PRESS RELEASE — There are different ideas about how quantum computers could be built. But they all have one thing in common: you use a quantum physical system – for example individual atoms – and change their state by exposing them to very specific forces for a specific time. However, this means that in order to be able to rely on the quantum computing operation delivering the correct result, you need a clock that is as precise as possible.
But here you run into problems: perfect time measurement is impossible. Every clock has two fundamental properties: a certain precision and a certain time resolution. The time resolution indicates how small the time intervals are that can be measured – i.e. how quickly the clock ticks. Precision tells you how much inaccuracy you have to expect with every single tick.
The research team was able to show that since no clock has an infinite amount of energy available (or generates an infinite amount of entropy), it can never have perfect resolution and perfect precision at the same time. This sets fundamental limits to the possibilities of quantum computers.
Quantum calculation steps are like rotations
In our classical world, perfect arithmetic operations are not a problem. For example, you can use an abacus in which wooden balls are threaded onto a stick and pushed back and forth. The wooden beads have clear states, each one is in a very specific place, if you don’t do anything the bead will stay exactly where it was.
And whether you move the bead quickly or slowly does not affect the result. But in quantum physics it is more complicated.
“Mathematically speaking, changing a quantum state in a quantum computer corresponds to a rotation in higher dimensions,” says Jake Xuereb from the Atomic Institute at the Vienna University of Technology in the team of Marcus Huber and first author of the first paper. “In order to achieve the desired state in the end, the rotation must be applied for a very specific period of time. Otherwise you turn the state either too short or too far.”
Entropy: Time makes everything more and more messy
Marcus Huber and his team investigated in general which laws must always apply to every conceivable clock. “Time measurement always has to do with entropy,” explains Marcus Huber. In every closed physical system, entropy increases and it becomes more and more disordered. It is precisely this development that determines the direction of time: the future is where the entropy is higher, the past is where the entropy was even lower.
As can be shown, every measurement of time is inevitably associated with an increase in entropy: a clock, for example, needs a battery, the energy of which is ultimately converted into frictional heat and audible ticking via the clock’s mechanics – a process in which a fairly ordered state occurs the battery is converted into a rather disordered state of heat radiation and sound.
On this basis, the research team was able to create a mathematical model that basically every conceivable clock must obey. “For a given increase in entropy, there is a tradeoff between time resolution and precision,” says Florian Meier, first author of the second paper. “That means: Either the clock works quickly or it works precisely – both are not possible at the same time.”
Limits for quantum computers
This realization now brings with it a natural limit for quantum computers: the resolution and precision that can be achieved with clocks limits the speed and reliability that can be achieved with quantum computers. “It’s not a problem at the moment,” says Marcus Huber. “Currently, the accuracy of quantum computers is still limited by other factors, for example the precision of the components used or electromagnetic fields. But our calculations also show that today we are not far from the regime in which the fundamental limits of time measurement play the decisive role.”
Therefore, if the technology of quantum information processing is further improved, one will inevitably have to contend with the problem of non-optimal time measurement. But who knows: Maybe this is exactly how we can learn something interesting about the quantum world.
-
Quantum Zeitgeist
- University of Tokyo and IBM Quantum Launch Japan’s First Utility-Scale Quantum System OneThe University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and IBM have launched Japan's first IBM Quantum System One, featuring a 127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle processor. This is the first utility-scale processor in the region, defined by IBM as a quantum computer capable of exploring new scales of problems. The Quantum Innovation Initiative (QII) Consortium will use the system for quantum research in various fields including bioinformatics, high energy physics, materials science, and finance. UTokyo's Executive Vice Pres
University of Tokyo and IBM Quantum Launch Japan’s First Utility-Scale Quantum System One
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Quantum Zeitgeist
- Atom Computing Achieves High-Fidelity Quantum Error Correction in 171Yb Atomic Array.Atom Computing, a Boulder-based company, has developed a scalable, high-fidelity method for midcircuit measurement in quantum computing. The team used a single-species tweezer array of neutral 171Yb atoms to perform nondestructive state-selective and site-selective detection. This allows a subset of qubits to be measured while causing only percent-level errors on the remaining qubits. The technique also demonstrated the ability to reuse ancilla qubits and perform conditional refilling of ancilla
Atom Computing Achieves High-Fidelity Quantum Error Correction in 171Yb Atomic Array.
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Quantum Zeitgeist
- University of Western Australia Launches State’s First Undergraduate Quantum Computing MajorThe University of Western Australia (UWA) has introduced Western Australia's first undergraduate quantum computing major. The course was announced by UWA Vice-Chancellor Amit Chakma at Quantum West, an industry event hosted by UWA. The course aims to equip students with the understanding and technical knowledge required in the rapidly advancing field of quantum computing. The new major is part of UWA’s comprehensive education pipeline for quantum technology, which includes Quantum Girls, a natio
University of Western Australia Launches State’s First Undergraduate Quantum Computing Major
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The Quantum Insider
- USTC Achieves Zero-knowledge Proof Based on Device-Independent Quantum Random Number BeaconInsider Brief Chinese researchers realized a set of random number beacon public services with device-independent quantum random number generators as entropy sources and post-quantum cryptography as identity authentication. Pan Jianwei and Zhang Qiang of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) led the team. Obtaining true random numbers has become the key to improving the security of NIZKP. Image: A flowchart demonstration of the experiment (Credit USTC) PRESS RELEASE — A resea
USTC Achieves Zero-knowledge Proof Based on Device-Independent Quantum Random Number Beacon

Insider Brief
- Chinese researchers realized a set of random number beacon public services with device-independent quantum random number generators as entropy sources and post-quantum cryptography as identity authentication.
- Pan Jianwei and Zhang Qiang of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) led the team.
- Obtaining true random numbers has become the key to improving the security of NIZKP.
- Image: A flowchart demonstration of the experiment (Credit USTC)
PRESS RELEASE — A research team led by Prof. Pan Jianwei and Prof. Zhang Qiang of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), in collaboration with research teams from other institutes, has realized a set of random number beacon public services with device-independent quantum random number generators as entropy sources and post-quantum cryptography as identity authentication.
Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is a cryptographic tool that allows for the verification of validity between mutually untrusted parties without disclosing additional information. Non-interactive zero knowledge proof (NIZKP) is a variant of ZKP with the feature of not requiring multiple information exchanges. Therefore, NIZKP is widely used in the fields of digital signature, blockchain, and identity authentication.
Since it is difficult to implement a true random number generator, deterministic pseudorandom number algorithms are often used as a substitute. However, this method has potential security vulnerabilities. Therefore, how to obtain true random numbers has become the key to improving the security of NIZKP.
Beacon Public Service System
The researchers, who published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Nov. 2, built a beacon public service system based on device-independent quantum random number generator (DIQRNG). The system could broadcast generated random numbers to the public in real time, ensuring the security of the random numbers during the broadcast process.
To ensure the security of the broadcast process, researchers adopted a quantum secure signature algorithm that could resist quantum attacks. The algorithm guaranteed the integrity and authenticity of the random number during transmission.
By utilizing the received random numbers from DIQRNG, the research teams constructed and experimentally verified a more secure NIZKP protocol. The new protocol was able to eliminate potential security hazards and further improved the security of NIZKP.
This research was the first to combine three different fields: quantum nonlocality, quantum secure algorithm, and zero-knowledge proof, and significantly improves the security of zero-knowledge proofs, in which the constructed public-facing random number service has important potential applications in fields such as cryptography, the lottery industry, and social welfare.
In the future, with the continuous development and application of quantum technology, it is expected to see more innovative solutions based on the principles of quantum mechanics, which will provide strong support for solving the challenges in the field of information security.
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The Quantum Insider
- 2023 Open Quantum Fellows: Undergrads Leading Quantum InnovationsThe Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), through its Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) Fellowship Program, in collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory, recently facilitated a unique opportunity for undergraduate students. This summer, eight out of 18 OQI fellows participated in the program, contributing significantly to the Q-NEXT research and development, a project under the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne. These fellows, immersed
2023 Open Quantum Fellows: Undergrads Leading Quantum Innovations

The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), through its Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) Fellowship Program, in collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory, recently facilitated a unique opportunity for undergraduate students. This summer, eight out of 18 OQI fellows participated in the program, contributing significantly to the Q-NEXT research and development, a project under the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne.
These fellows, immersed in quantum science laboratories and research groups, experienced first-hand the dynamic world of quantum information science and engineering (QISE). For many, it was their inaugural foray into the realm of QISE, offering them a comprehensive understanding of the life and responsibilities of a scientist in a laboratory setting. They learned to actively participate in research groups and effectively communicate complex experimental results.
A highlight of the program was a visit to HRL Laboratories in California, coupled with a symposium where the fellows presented their research findings.
In a recent Q&A, these eight fellows shared their experiences and insights gained from investigating various aspects of quantum information science and engineering during their summer with the Q-NEXT program. This fellowship has been a crucial step in driving the advancement of technology using the properties of nature’s smallest particles.
Atlas Sébastien Bailly

Atlas Sébastien Bailly.
Home institution: Cornell University
Major: Physics, mathematics
OQI institution: Argonne National Laboratory
Faculty mentor: Paul Kairys, postdoctoral appointee
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: Autonomous characterization of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. Initially, I worked on a computer model of the nitrogen-vacancy center, then used the model to explore optimal Bayesian experimentation.
Q: What was your role?
A: I was given a lot of freedom to explore my own ideas while working with my mentor on an existing project.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: By working with scientists and constantly being engaged with researchers or new startups through the OQI, I gained a lot of soft knowledge about QISE and science at large. Through my work, I built many practical skills and a foundational image of how science is done.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: “Quantum stuff” has taken on an almost mythical/sci-fi aura in the public eye. This summer I learned that QISE is not composed of a top-secret Google basement but of a wide range of people with different technical goals and interests.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I greatly enjoyed my work in QISE but feel that it would be premature to commit myself to any field. I want to explore more science and math and discover what else people are working on.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I’m an avid rock climber and outdoorsman, I love reading of all sorts, and in the past year I’ve rediscovered my passion for football (soccer).
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: Explore your interests before anything! The world is broad and QISE itself is unimaginably diverse.
Anais El Akkad

Anais El Akkad.
Home institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Major: Physics
OQI institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Goldschmidt, assistant professor of atomic, molecular and optical physics
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: My OQI research this summer focused on studying the phenomenon of superradiance in a rare-earth doped crystal, which has potential applications to the development of quantum memories.
Q: What was your role?
A: I mainly worked on the experimental set-up, gaining lots of hands-on experience with arranging and aligning optics, as well as learning how to operate the laser.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: So much! I think I learned more this past summer than I have in any class. Being able to do hands-on work and see how science is done has truly reaffirmed my passion for physics. I also think the community is phenomenal — everybody involved in OQI, including my labmates, my peer OQI fellows and everybody who worked tirelessly to ensure we had a good experience were incredibly supportive and friendly and really made me feel like I belong in QISE.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: I’ve learned how diverse and interdisciplinary QISE is. There are so many people from all sorts of different backgrounds working on various problems in quantum information. It’s such a vast field — there are so many ways to be involved in quantum.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: After my undergrad, I hope to pursue graduate studies and further immerse myself in the exciting research within QISE.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I love reading, hiking, baking and playing piano.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: Don’t be afraid to seek new opportunities! Even if you don’t feel qualified, take every chance you get to meet professionals in the field, gain some hands-on experience and just put yourself out there. I never would have expected to find myself working in a quantum optics lab, and I’m so grateful to the OQI program for this amazing opportunity.
Gabriel Gaeta

Gabriel Gaeta.
Home institution: San Jose State University
Major: Physics
OQI institution: Argonne National Laboratory
Faculty mentor: Jiefei Zhang, applied physicist, assistant staff scientist
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: My research was focused on the growth of single-crystal thin films doped with rare-earth spin qubits and characterizing those qubits in the crystals through optical measurements in order to find optimal coherence times for quantum memory applications. I was primarily focused on growing erbium in cerium dioxide that would be used as a memory qubit for a quantum network.
Q: What was your role?
A: My role was that of a student researcher — I was given a lot of freedom within the constraints of working within a group, and I was also offered the guidance needed to achieve my goals. My work consisted of material growth in which I formed thin-layer depositions of single-crystal cerium dioxide on a substrate surface. I also gathered data through optical measurements by shooting a laser at the grown film and looked at emission as a way of characterizing the quality of grown film.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: I have gained numerous skills from simply working in the lab through this summer. But something I gained that was invaluable was experiencing the dynamic of working in a research group. It gave me insight into what goes on behind the research as well as into the different types of roles you can have as a researcher.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: It’s a field of science that is still young and has immense potential and implications in the future. Quantum computers, quantum sensing and quantum communication were all things that I had no idea were possible prior to my opportunity with OQI and the CQE.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Continuing my undergraduate program at San Jose State and pursuing other research opportunities in the future. I always want to have a plan as to what I will do once I am done with my main goal, and after my bachelor’s degree, I would love to pursue graduate school.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I am an avid film and TV lover. I love being immersed in entire other worlds and storylines, especially films that simply explore the human experience and the difficulties that go along with that. My favorite genres consist of dramas, science fiction, thrillers and biopics.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: Have an open mind and go for it! I love being receptive to new ideas, and quantum was one of those. I had no idea that I was going to enjoy quantum research as much as I did, but I tried it and got to experience a wonderful time with so many like-minded people. Don’t let your doubts hold you back!
Kenneth Muhammad

Kenneth Muhammad.
Home institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major: Electrical science and engineering
OQI institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Faculty mentor: Paul Kwiat, Sony Bardeen chair in physics and electrical and computer engineering
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: Our goal was to implement an active stabilization scheme for a tabletop interferometer setup and photonic integrated chip setup for use in time-bin encoding of quantum information.
Q: What was your role?
A: I built a tabletop Michelson interferometer setup and programmed a microcontroller to actively control the position of a translation stage using a piezoelectric actuator. I wrote some accompanying code to easily modify the control parameters and calculate the optimal set point using Python. I spent time learning theory as well and used this knowledge to inform my design.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: I have gained practical experience building optical setups, programming microcontrollers and designing a system that is user-friendly. Perhaps the most useful experience I have received is working with other researchers in the lab and both communicating my ideas clearly and asking them the right questions so as to learn as much as possible. Working in the lab allowed me the unique opportunity to learn things like quantum information science alongside building a project that uses the same theory, and I don’t think I could have gotten that anywhere else.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: I used to not think much of the quantum technologies of today due to their lack of tangible applications and my lack of knowledge on the subject. Now, I believe that QISE is a rapidly growing field and there are likely many applications that we haven’t thought of yet. I’m excited to see what new branches of technology emerge as this whole thing unfolds.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I am interested in learning more about applications of quantum information science, so I will likely find myself working in a lab continuing research in something that combines electronics and quantum mechanics. I’m also hoping to use my math background to dive deeper into the potential of this field.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I mainly enjoy playing video games, reading books and going for walks in places I’ve never been.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: Pursue what you enjoy and play to your strengths.
Natasha Ninan

Natasha Ninan.
Home institution: University of Akron
Major: Electrical engineering
OQI institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Faculty mentor: Mikhail Kats, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: Our group is working on the design and fabrication of an optical bottle beam trap using a metasurface. Optical bottle beam traps are used to create optical tweezers for quantum devices such as atomic clocks or quantum computers. I worked on designing of the metasurface structure using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, which models the electrodynamics using Maxwell’s equations. Other group members are working on fabricating the resulting devices.
Q: What was your role?
A: The challenges in using scanning electron microscope imaging to assess the fabricated structure performance to the design necessitated the development of a simpler method to evaluate overall metasurface performance. I designed the witness sample metasurface that will be fabricated to easily evaluate the fabrication quality.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: Working in the Kats Research Group enabled me to learn more about optical trapping of atoms. In addition, I was able to learn how to design metasurfaces using FDTD and simulate possible fabrication error scenarios.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: Being a part of Kats Research Group and the US Quantum Information Science School this summer has given me insight into different qubit creation methods. The various methods such as superconducting, trapped ions and photonic qubits present unique advantages. While these approaches have room for improvement, I expect the various qubit creation methods to become more application-specific.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: As a rising senior, I am working on applying for graduate school. This internship has given me the opportunity to explore my research interests. As I navigate the application process, I will be actively seeking projects in the fields of optical engineering, photonics and quantum sensing.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: Traveling and hiking. When I’m not working on my coursework and research, I’m usually diving into researching new travel destinations and hiking adventures.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: QISE is a multidisciplinary field. Having multiple opportunities in academia, industry and the national labs is very important to understand where you would like to contribute in QISE. In addition, it is equally as important to network and be open to hearing about the career paths of researchers in the field. This can provide valuable insights into your own path.
Peter Mugaba Noertoft

Peter Mugaba Noertoft.
Home institution: Stanford University
Major: Electrical engineering
OQI institution: University of Chicago
Faculty mentor: David Awschalom, Liew Family professor of molecular engineering, UChicago; senior scientist, Argonne; director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: This summer I joined the quantum sensing efforts in the Awschalom group working on magnetometry with the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond.
Q: What was your role?
A: My role was to establish scanning probe magnetic field sensing capabilities to be used for characterization of various quantum devices. The goal is to use information about distributions of magnetic fields to learn about relevant device physics. This involved building an optical setup for confocal microscopy and creating instrument control code to network the necessary lab equipment.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: Through the OQI experience, I’m excited to have gained a deeper insight into what it means to be a scientist working in a lab. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know all the other fellows, who share a strong interest in quantum science and engineering.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: This summer I’ve learned about the sheer breadth of opportunities related to quantum science and engineering. It has been very inspiring to hear how the problems people choose to work on are often related to their unique backgrounds and interests.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’ve really enjoyed spending my summer in a research lab, gaining hands-on experience as a scientist and engineer. During the upcoming academic year, I’m excited to continue working on my research project at my home institution and thinking about what role I can play in the world of science long term.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I am an avid cyclist and love outdoor bike rides. I also enjoy playing recreational soccer and basketball.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: I would encourage anyone with an interest in quantum science and engineering to consider a wide range of ways to get involved. Doing is an excellent way of learning!
Rachelle Rosiles

Rachelle Rosiles.
Home Institution: Illinois Institute of Technology
Major: Physics
OQI Institution: Argonne National Laboratory
Faculty Mentor: Nazar Delegan, assistant scientist
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: The group I worked with this summer conducted experiments on the growth and characterization of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds for quantum sensing on the diamond surface. I was particularly involved in the process of optically addressing and manipulating the qubit.
Q: What was your role?
A: For my role, I adapted the control software, nspyre, to integrate new optical devices and create more self-driven experiments.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: I gained perspective on different opportunities in quantum science in both industry and academia. The connections I made have been extremely rewarding by exposing me to new fields and opening up opportunities for me.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: I see now that industry and academia are not mutually exclusive. Plenty of startups have spawned from research groups and have backgrounds in academia, while industries in quantum science rely heavily on people who can conduct research on the product they’re developing. I’ve also come to realize that there is a lot of investment and momentum in this field, so I know it is a great time to be getting in.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m looking to continue my work in research as I figure out if graduate school is the path for me. There are some researchers I’m interested in working with next summer in quantum computing.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I enjoy caring for my plants, watching them grow and shaping the bonsai I have.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: I would say that now is the perfect time to do so, whether your interest lies in the science, organization or the business side. There’s plenty of work to do, and many people are willing to talk and advise on how to get into the field, whether through the OQI fellowship or other means. Don’t let the word “quantum” intimidate because it is really not that inaccessible.
Rain Wang

Rain Wang.
Home institution: Harvard University
Major: Physics
OQI institution: Argonne National Laboratory
Faculty mentor: F. Joseph Heremans, staff scientist, Argonne; affiliated scientist at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: Both projects that I worked on aimed toward realizing real-world quantum networking. In quantum networking, like any network, you have nodes, and you have connections that are essential to the network’s function. This summer, my main project optimized the connections in the Chicago Quantum Network, while my second project delved into characterizing a potential node for quantum communication.
Q: What was your role?
A: For my main project, I performed various analysis techniques to characterize the polarization drift in the fibers and eventually implement a protocol that would correct this drift (later phase as well). This was important for retaining information and clear communication. In my second project, I designed, optimized and built an optical/modulator setup that would enable the characterization of vanadium spin-defects in silicon carbide so that we can further understand its properties and potential for quantum communication.
Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: I am extremely grateful for the wealth of knowledge, relationships and resources that I have gained from the OQI experience. I had never been able to explore quantum this deeply prior to OQI, and this time has invigorated my curiosity and motivation to pursue such a new and exciting field through different avenues.
Q: What new perspectives do you have about QISE?
A: There is so much more opportunity in this field than I think I previously understood. There are research, entrepreneurial and communications opportunities — and more. Further, while current industry eyes are mostly on quantum computing, this experience has led to my developing interest in quantum sensing and communication. I’m excited to explore.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m curious to explore the different sides of quantum beyond research. Quantum is such an interdisciplinary field — I want to see all its potential. While I love science, I am curious about industry-side roles and how to facilitate this science becoming accessible to the public. In summary: I’m not sure, but I am looking forward to finding out!
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: On campus, I am involved in activities from our Asian American Dance Troupe to Tech for Social Good club. I am very passionate about accessible education and empowering underrepresented people in STEM. I involve myself in mentorship programs and affinity groups that realize those goals. I also love to cook, bake, exercise and paint with friends and family.
Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: It’s never too early to discover your passions! There are so many available opportunities and resources to start investigating quantum at any age, you just have to look (OQI is an amazing example). It can be extremely daunting, but you can take that first step. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people; people are always happy to help.
The experience of participating in the Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) Fellowship Program reaffirmed the above students’ passion for physics and science, broadening their perspectives and opening up new academic and career possibilities in QISE. Many expressed a desire to continue exploring this field through further studies and research, demonstrating the program’s success in inspiring the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers.
Funding was provided by the University of Chicago, The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions and Q-NEXT, the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, HQAN at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Ohio State University, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and UChicago’s Inclusive Innovation in the Sciences Fund.
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Quantum Zeitgeist
- Texas A&M Researchers Use Quantum Computing to Uncover New Genetic LinksResearchers at Texas A&M University have used quantum computing to assist with genetic research, discovering new links between genes. The team used the technology to map gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which show how genes can activate or deactivate each other. Published in npj Quantum Information, the study suggests quantum computing could help predict gene relationships more accurately, with potential implications for human and animal medicine. The team, including Ph.D. student Cristhian
Texas A&M Researchers Use Quantum Computing to Uncover New Genetic Links
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The Quantum Insider
- ParityQC Unveils Breakthrough in Universal Quantum ComputingIn the latest #ParityPrinciples episode by ParityQC released on YouTube, the company’s Co-Leads of the Co-Design department, Michael Fellner and Anette Messinger, talk about an exploration of a major advancement in ParityQC’s technology: Universal Parity Quantum Computing. A universal quantum computer, capable of executing any quantum operation, has vast potential applications in the real world, extending beyond specific uses like solving optimization problems. In 2022, Fellner and Messinger — a
ParityQC Unveils Breakthrough in Universal Quantum Computing

In the latest #ParityPrinciples episode by ParityQC released on YouTube, the company’s Co-Leads of the Co-Design department, Michael Fellner and Anette Messinger, talk about an exploration of a major advancement in ParityQC’s technology: Universal Parity Quantum Computing.
A universal quantum computer, capable of executing any quantum operation, has vast potential applications in the real world, extending beyond specific uses like solving optimization problems.
In 2022, Fellner and Messinger — along with physicists Kilian Ender and Wolfgang Lechner — unveiled a new universal gate set for quantum computers. This development, rooted in the ParityQC Architecture, boasts all-to-all connectivity and inherent error correction capabilities. Their research, titled “Universal Parity Quantum Computing,” was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
In the short video, Fellner and Messinger describe how the essence of their work revolves around the Parity Code, which doubles as a stabilizer code defined by specific parity constraints. They explain how the product of the eigenvalues of two qubits correlates with the eigenvalue of a third qubit, illustrating a fundamental aspect of their approach. This relationship is central to their definition of ‘parity qubits,’ where one qubit represents the parity of others.
In terms of quantum operations, their methodology facilitates the implementation of certain multi-qubit interactions. For example, they can easily execute operations like the RS ad set gate through simple local operations on parity qubits. However, they acknowledge the complexity of implementing other interactions within this framework.
To address these challenges, they’ve devised a strategy that combines direct single qubit interactions with more complex ones enabled by the Parity encoding. This innovative approach involves alternating between blocks of gates within the Parity encoding and others applied directly to the qubits. Remarkably, they’ve developed a method that allows this interchange with only a constant time overhead, leveraging measurements and classical information processing akin to quantum teleportation.
Their approach is reminiscent of quantum repeaters, where a sequence of local entangling gates and measurements can generate long-range entanglement. They’ve applied this method to execute the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) in constant time, independent of system size, a significant step towards realizing quantum advantage with imminent quantum devices.
This development by Keller, Messinger, and the team at ParityQC represents a pivotal advancement in quantum computing. The potential of this technology is immense, and its future applications are eagerly anticipated.
Featured image: Credit: ParityQC
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The Quantum Insider
- Researchers Use Quantum Computing To Predict Gene RelationshipsInsider Brief Researchers at Texas A&M University utilized quantum computing to map gene regulatory networks (GRNs), revealing new gene relationships previously undetectable with traditional computing methods, which could significantly impact both animal and human medicine. Quantum computing allowed for more complex analysis of gene interactions, overcoming limitations of older technologies that could only compare two genes at a time, thus providing a more complete picture of how genes infl
Researchers Use Quantum Computing To Predict Gene Relationships

Insider Brief
- Researchers at Texas A&M University utilized quantum computing to map gene regulatory networks (GRNs), revealing new gene relationships previously undetectable with traditional computing methods, which could significantly impact both animal and human medicine.
- Quantum computing allowed for more complex analysis of gene interactions, overcoming limitations of older technologies that could only compare two genes at a time, thus providing a more complete picture of how genes influence each other.
- The study, part of a new and rapidly developing field, involved both biomedical scientists and engineers, and future plans include comparing healthy cells with those affected by diseases or mutations to understand the impact of these changes on gene states and expressions.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH NEWS — Colleg Station, Texas/November 20, 2023 — In a new multidisciplinary study, researchers at Texas A&M University showed how quantum computing — a new kind of computing that can process additional types of data — can assist with genetic research and used it to discover new links between genes that scientists were previously unable to detect.
Their project used the new computing technology to map gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which provide information about how genes can cause each other to activate or deactivate.
As the team published in npj Quantum Information, quantum computing will help scientists more accurately predict relationships between genes, which could have huge implications for both animal and human medicine.
“The GRN is like a map that tells us how genes affect each other,” Cai said. “For example, if one gene switches on or off, then it may change another gene that could change three, or five, or 20 more genes down the line.
“Because our quantum computing GRNs are constructed in ways that allow us to capture more complex relationships between genes than traditional computing, we found some links between genes that people hadn’t known about previously,” he said. “Some researchers who specialize in the type of cells we studied read our paper and realized that our predictions using quantum computing fit their expectations better than the traditional model.”
The ability to know which genes will affect other genes is crucial for scientists looking for ways to stop harmful cellular processes or promote helpful ones.
“If you can predict gene expression through the GRN and understand how those changes translate to the state of the cells, you might be able to control certain outcomes,” Cai said. “For example, changing how one gene is expressed could end up inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.”

Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Making The Most Of A New Technology
With quantum computing, Cai and his team are overcoming the limitations of older computing technologies used to map GRNs.
“Prior to using quantum computing, the algorithms could only handle comparing two genes at a time,” Cai said.
Cai explained that only comparing genes in pairs could result in misleading conclusions, since genes may operate in more complex relationships. For example, if gene A activates and so does gene B, it doesn’t always mean that gene A is responsible for gene B’s change. In fact, it could be gene C changing both genes.
“With traditional computing, data is processed in bits, which only have two states — on and off, or 1 and 0,” Cai said. “But with quantum computing, you can have a state called the superposition that’s both on and off simultaneously. That gives us a new kind of bit — the quantum bit, or qubit.
“Because of superposition, I can simulate both the active and inactive states for a gene in the GRN, as well as this single gene’s impact on other genes,” he said. “You end up with a more complete picture of how genes influence each other.”
Taking The Next Step
While Cai and his team have worked hard to show that quantum computing is helpful to the biomedical field, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“It’s a very new field,” Cai said. “Most people working in quantum computing have a physics background. And people on the biology side don’t usually understand how quantum computing works. You really have to be able to understand both sides.”
That’s why the research team includes both biomedical scientists and engineers like Cai’s Ph.D. student Cristhian Roman Vicharra, who is a key member of the research team and spearheaded the study behind the recent publication.
“In the future, we plan to compare the healthy cells to ones with diseases or mutations,” Cai said. “We hope to see how a mutation might affect genes’ states, expression, frequencies, etc.”
For now, it’s important to get as clear an understanding as possible of how healthy cells work before comparing them to mutated or diseased cells.
“The first step was to predict this baseline model and see whether the network we mapped made sense,” Cai said. “Now, we can keep going from there.”
Written by Courtney Price, Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Featured image: (l-r) Professor James Cai and Ph.D. student Cristhian Roman Vicharra. Credit: Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
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The Quantum Insider
- Rare Metal Could Offer Revolutionary Switch For Future Quantum DevicesInsider Brief Researchers report they discovered a material that could help create a quantum device switch that flips between being an insulator and superconductor. These opposing electronic states exist within purple bronze, a unique one-dimensional metal composed of individual conducting chains of atoms. The research was led by University of Bristol scientists. Image: A representation of emergent symmetry, showing a perfectly symmetric water droplet emerging from a layering of snow. The ice c
Rare Metal Could Offer Revolutionary Switch For Future Quantum Devices

Insider Brief
- Researchers report they discovered a material that could help create a quantum device switch that flips between being an insulator and superconductor.
- These opposing electronic states exist within purple bronze, a unique one-dimensional metal composed of individual conducting chains of atoms.
- The research was led by University of Bristol scientists.
- Image: A representation of emergent symmetry, showing a perfectly symmetric water droplet emerging from a layering of snow. The ice crystals in the snow, by contrast, have a complex shape and therefore a lower symmetry than the water droplet. The purple colour denotes the purple bronze material in which this phenomenon was discovered. Credit: University of Bristol
PRESS RELEASE — Quantum scientists have discovered a rare phenomenon that could hold the key to creating a ‘perfect switch’ in quantum devices which flips between being an insulator and superconductor.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and published in Science, found these two opposing electronic states exist within purple bronze, a unique one-dimensional metal composed of individual conducting chains of atoms.
Tiny changes in the material, for instance prompted by a small stimulus like heat or light, may trigger an instant transition from an insulating state with zero conductivity to a superconductor with unlimited conductivity, and vice versa. This polarised versatility, known as ’emergent symmetry’, has the potential to offer an ideal On/Off switch in future quantum technology developments.
Lead author Nigel Hussey, Professor of Physics at the University of Bristol, said: “It’s a really exciting discovery which could provide a perfect switch for quantum devices of tomorrow.
“The remarkable journey started 13 years ago in my lab when two PhD students, Xiaofeng Xu and Nick Wakeham, measured the magnetoresistance — the change in resistance caused by a magnetic field — of purple bronze.”
In the absence of a magnetic field, the resistance of purple bronze was highly dependent on the direction in which the electrical current is introduced. Its temperature dependence was also rather complicated. Around room temperature, the resistance is metallic, but as the temperature is lowered, this reverses and the material appears to be turning into an insulator. Then, at the lowest temperatures, the resistance plummets again as it transitions into a superconductor. Despite this complexity, surprisingly, the magnetoresistance was found to be extremely simple. It was essentially the same irrespective of the direction in which the current or field were aligned and followed a perfect linear temperature dependence all the way from room temperature down to the superconducting transition temperature.
“Finding no coherent explanation for this puzzling behaviour, the data lay dormant and published unpublished for the next seven years. A hiatus like this is unusual in quantum research, though the reason for it was not a lack of statistics,” Prof Hussey explained.
“Such simplicity in the magnetic response invariably belies a complex origin and as it turns out, its possible resolution would only come about through a chance encounter.”
In 2017, Prof Hussey was working at Radboud University and saw advertised a seminar by physicist Dr Piotr Chudzinski on the subject of purple bronze. At the time few researchers were devoting an entire seminar to this little-known material, so his interest was piqued.
Prof Hussey said: “In the seminar Chudzinski proposed that the resistive upturn may be caused by interference between the conduction electrons and elusive, composite particles known as ‘dark excitons’. We chatted after the seminar and together proposed an experiment to test his theory. Our subsequent measurements essentially confirmed it.”
Buoyed by this success, Prof Hussey resurrected Xu and Wakeham’s magnetoresistance data and showed them to Dr Chudzinski. The two central features of the data — the linearity with temperature and the independence on the orientation of current and field — intrigued Chudzinski, as did the fact that the material itself could exhibit both insulating and superconducting behaviour depending on how the material was grown.
Dr Chudzinski wondered whether rather than transforming completely into an insulator, the interaction between the charge carriers and the excitons he’d introduced earlier could cause the former to gravitate towards the boundary between the insulating and superconducting states as the temperature is lowered. At the boundary itself, the probability of the system being an insulator or a superconductor is essentially the same.
Prof Hussey said: “Such physical symmetry is an unusual state of affairs and to develop such symmetry in a metal as the temperature is lowered, hence the term ’emergent symmetry’, would constitute a world-first.”
Physicists are well versed in the phenomenon of symmetry breaking: lowering the symmetry of an electron system upon cooling. The complex arrangement of water molecules in an ice crystal is an example of such broken symmetry. But the converse is an extremely rare, if not unique, occurrence. Returning to the water/ice analogy, it is as though upon cooling the ice further, the complexity of the ice crystals ‘melts’ once again into something as symmetric and smooth as the water droplet.
Dr Chudzinski, now a Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Imagine a magic trick where a dull, distorted figure transforms into a beautiful, perfectly symmetric sphere. This is, in a nutshell, the essence of emergent symmetry. The figure in question is our material, purple bronze, while our magician is nature itself.”
To further test whether the theory held water, an additional 100 individual crystals, some insulating and others superconducting, were investigated by another PhD student, Maarten Berben, working at Radboud University.
Prof Hussey added: “After Maarten’s Herculean effort, the story was complete and the reason why different crystals exhibited such wildly different ground states became apparent. Looking ahead, it might be possible to exploit this ‘edginess’ to create switches in quantum circuits whereby tiny stimuli induce profound, orders-of-magnitude changes in the switch resistance.”
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The Quantum Insider
- Classiq, NVIDIA Collaborate on Quantum Center For Life SciencesInsider Brief Classiq unveiled a new industry initiative, the Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center. The collaboration includes NVIDIA and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Critical Quote: “The opportunities for quantum computing and especially the software that drives it are growing very quickly. The new Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center aspires to bridge the gap between quantum theory and practice with tangible benefits in life sciences, hea
Classiq, NVIDIA Collaborate on Quantum Center For Life Sciences

Insider Brief
- Classiq unveiled a new industry initiative, the Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center.
- The collaboration includes NVIDIA and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
- Critical Quote: “The opportunities for quantum computing and especially the software that drives it are growing very quickly. The new Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center aspires to bridge the gap between quantum theory and practice with tangible benefits in life sciences, healthcare and beyond.” — Classiq CEO Nir Minerbi
PRESS RELEASE — Quantum software pioneer Classiq 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 computing, with the potential to process multifaceted data at unparalleled speeds, may play a pivotal role in reinventing domains like drug discovery, molecular analysis and bespoke medical treatment strategies. Beyond these domains, quantum computing may also be leveraged to address the challenges within supply chain and treatment coordination. By optimizing pharmaceutical supply chains, quantum may ensure the timely and efficient delivery of critical medications. For example, by aiding in treatment coordination, it could streamline patient care, ensuring optimized and personalized therapeutic journeys based on individual medical histories and real-time health data.
Classiq CEO Nir Minerbi said, “The opportunities for quantum computing and especially the software that drives it are growing very quickly. The new Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center aspires to bridge the gap between quantum theory and practice with tangible benefits in life sciences, healthcare and beyond.”
In collaboration with NVIDIA, Classiq will establish a multifaceted research landscape. Leveraging NVIDIAH100 Tensor Core GPU capabilities, along with the integration between the NVIDIA CUDA Quantum programming platform and Classiq’s software infrastructure, the center is set to offer a robust environment for quantum-centric innovations and training non-quantum experts.
“Integrated quantum-classical computing holds great potential for powering breakthroughs in life sciences and healthcare, but many challenges to realizing that potential remain yet to be addressed,” said Tim Costa, Director of High-Performance Computing and Quantum at NVIDIA. “The Classiq Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center, built on NVIDIA CUDA Quantum, aims to help researchers tackle these challenges and push the boundaries in applying quantum computing to problems in this critical area.”
Initiating the center’s collaborative approach is the renowned Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital). Celebrated for its progressive technological adoptions and pioneering AI integrations since 2014, this institution embodies the future-ready ethos of the healthcare sector.
Prof. Roni Gamzu of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center said, “Clinical and operational activities are typically managed at Ichilov Hospital through smart, data-driven computing systems. We are proud of our achievements but at the same time very much aware that currently available tools are not efficient enough to provide solutions to the steadily growing complexity of our systems. For this exact reason, we are delighted to announce the opening of the first quantum computing lab here at Ichilov. Together with Classiq and NVIDIA, we will break the boundaries of data science for the benefit of medicine and patients. I am convinced that this unique initiative will pave the way for a radically novel approach to data management in health organizations to the benefit of our patients and society at large.”
With the Quantum Computing for Life Sciences & Healthcare Center, Classiq and its collaborators are poised to tap into quantum capabilities to propel life sciences and healthcare into a future with potential for greater precision, efficiency and innovation.