Archive for the ‘Quantum Computer’ Category

Light-based quantum computer Jiuzhang achieves quantum …

A new type of quantum computer has proven that it can reign supreme, too.

A photonic quantum computer, which harnesses particles of light, or photons, performed a calculation thats impossible for a conventional computer, researchers in China report online December 3 in Science. That milestone, known as quantum supremacy, has been met only once before, in 2019 by Googles quantum computer (SN: 10/23/19). Googles computer, however, is based on superconducting materials, not photons.

This is the first independent confirmation of Googles claim that you really can achieve quantum supremacy, says theoretical computer scientist Scott Aaronson of the University of Texas at Austin. Thats exciting.

Named Jiuzhang after an ancient Chinese mathematical text, the new quantum computer can perform a calculation in 200 seconds that would take more than half a billion years on the worlds fastest non-quantum, or classical, computer.

My first impression was, wow, says quantum physicist Fabio Sciarrino of Sapienza University of Rome.

Googles device, called Sycamore, is based on tiny quantum bits made of superconducting materials, which conduct energy without resistance. In contrast, Jiuzhang consists of a complex array of optical devices that shuttle photons around. Those devices include light sources, hundreds of beam splitters, dozens of mirrors and 100 photon detectors.

Employing a process called boson sampling, Jiuzhang generates a distribution of numbers that is exceedingly difficult for a classical computer to replicate. Heres how it works: Photons are first sent into a network of channels. There, each photon encounters a series of beam splitters, each of which sends the photon down two paths simultaneously, in whats called a quantum superposition. Paths also merge together, and the repeated splitting and merging causes the photons to interfere with one another according to quantum rules.

Finally, the number of photons in each of the networks output channels is measured at the end. When repeated many times, this process produces a distribution of numbers based on how many photons were found in each output.

If operated with large numbers of photons and many channels, the quantum computer will produce a distribution of numbers that is too complex for a classical computer to calculate. In the new experiment, up to 76 photons traversed a network of 100 channels. For one of the worlds most powerful classical computers, the Chinese supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight, predicting the results that the quantum computer would get for anything beyond about 40 photons was intractable.

While Google was the first to break the quantum supremacy barrier, the milestone is not a single-shot achievement, says study coauthor and quantum physicist Chao-Yang Lu of the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei. Its a continuous competition between constantly improved quantum hardware and constantly improved classical simulation. After Googles quantum supremacy claim, for example, IBM proposed a type of calculation that might allow a supercomputer to perform the task Googles computer completed, at least theoretically.

Headlines and summaries of the latest Science News articles, delivered to your inbox

Thank you for signing up!

There was a problem signing you up.

And achieving quantum supremacy doesnt necessarily indicate that the quantum computers are yet very useful, because the calculations are esoteric ones designed to be difficult for classical computers.

The result does boost the profile of photonic quantum computers, which havent always received as much attention as other technologies, says quantum physicist Christian Weedbrook, CEO of Xanadu, a Toronto-based company focused on building photonic quantum computers. Historically, photonics has been the dark horse.

One limitation of Jiuzhang, Weedbrook notes, is that it can perform only a single type of task, namely, boson sampling. In contrast, Googles quantum computer could be programmed to execute a variety of algorithms. But other types of photonic quantum computers, including Xanadus, are programmable.

Demonstrating quantum supremacy with a different type of device reveals how rapidly quantum computing is progressing, Sciarrino says. The fact that now the two different platforms are able to achieve this regime shows that the whole field is advancing in a very mature way.

View post:
Light-based quantum computer Jiuzhang achieves quantum ...

5 Essential Hardware Components of a Quantum Computer …

[47] R. Barends, J. Kelly, A. Megrant, A. Veitia, D. Sank, E. Jeffrey, T.C. White, et al., 2014, Superconducting quantum circuits at the surface code threshold for fault tolerance, Nature 508(7497):500.

[48] L. DiCarlo, J.M. Chow, J.M. Gambetta, L.S. Bishop, B.R. Johnson, D.I. Schuster, J. Majer, A. Blais, L. Frunzio, S.M. Girvin, and R.J. Schoelkopf, 2009, Demonstration of two-qubit algorithms with a superconducting quantum processor, Nature 460:240-244.

[49] E. Lucero, R. Barends, Y. Chen, J. Kelly, M. Mariantoni, A. Megrant, P. OMalley, et al., 2012, Computing prime factors with a Josephson phase qubit quantum processor, Nature Physics 8:719-723.

[50] P.J.J. OMalley, R. Babbush, I.D. Kivlichan, J. Romero, J.R. McClean, R. Barends, J. Kelly, et al., 2016, Scalable quantum simulation of molecular energies, Physical Review X 6:031007.

[51] N.K. Langford, R. Sagastizabal, M. Kounalakis, C. Dickel, A. Bruno, F. Luthi, D.J. Thoen, A. Endo, and L. DiCarlo, 2017, Experimentally simulating the dynamics of quantum light and matter at deep-strong coupling, Nature Communications 8:1715.

[52] M.D. Reed, L. DiCarlo, S.E. Nigg, L. Sun, L. Frunzio, S.M. Girvin, and R.J. Schoelkopf, 2012, Realization for three-qubit quantum error correction with superconducting circuits, Nature 482:382-385.

[53] J. Kelly, R. Barends, A.G. Fowler, A. Megrant, E. Jeffrey, T. C. White, D. Sank, et al., 2015, State preservation by repetitive error detection in a superconducting quantum circuit, Nature 519:66-69.

[54] A.D. Crcoles, E. Magesan, S.J. Srinivasan, A.W. Cross, M. Steffen, J.M. Gambetta, and J.M. Chow, 2015, Demonstration of a quantum error detection code using a square lattice of four superconducting qubits, Nature Communications 6:6979.

[55] D. Rist, S. Poletto, M.-Z. Huang, A. Bruno, V. Vesterinen, O.-P. Saira, and L. DiCarlo, 2015, Detecting bit-flip errors in a logical qubit using stabilizer measurements, Nature Communications 6:6983.

[56] N. Ofek, A. Petrenko, R. Heeres, P. Reinhold, Z. Leghtas, B. Vlastakis, Y. Liu, et al., 2016, Extending the lifetime of a quantum bit with error correction in superconducting circuits, Nature 536:441-445.

[57] IBM Q Team, 2018, IBM Q 5 Yorktown Backend Specification V1.1.0, https://ibm.biz/qiskit-yorktown; IBM Q Team, 2018, IBM Q 5 Tenerife backend specification V1.1.0, https://ibm.biz/qiskit-tenerife.

[58] Ibid.

[59] M.W. Johnson, M.H.S. Amin, S. Gildert, T. Lanting, F. Hamze, N. Dickson, R. Harris, et al., 2011, Quantum annealing with manufactured spins, Nature 473:194-198.

[60] D Wave, Technology Information, http://dwavesys.com/resources/publications.

[61] John Martinis, private conversation.

[62] W.D. Oliver and P.B. Welander, 2013, Materials in superconducting qubits, MRS Bulletin 38:816.

[63] D. Rosenberg, D.K. Kim, R. Das, D. Yost, S. Gustavsson, D. Hover, P. Krantz, et al., 2017, 3D integrated superconducting qubits, npj Quantum Information 3:42.

[64] B. Foxen, J.Y. Mutus, E. Lucero, R. Graff, A. Megrant, Y. Chen, C. Quintana, et al., 2017, Qubit Compatible Superconducting Interconnects, arXiv:1708.04270.

[65] J.M. Chow, J.M. Gambetta, A.D. Corcoles, S.T. Merkel, J.A. Smolin, C. Rigetti, S. Poletto, G.A. Keefe, M.B. Rothwell, J.R. Rozen, M.B. Ketchen, and M. Steffen, 2012, Universal quantum gate set approaching fault-tolerant thresholds with superconducing qubits, Physical Review Letters 109:060501.

[66] See, for example, J.W. Silverstone, D. Bonneau, J.L. OBrien, and M.G. Thompson, 2016, Silicon quantum photonics, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 22:390-402;

T. Rudolph, 2017, Why I am optimistic about the silicon-photonic route to quantum computing?, APL Photonics 2:030901.

See the rest here:
5 Essential Hardware Components of a Quantum Computer ...

US blocks export of quantum computing tech to Chinese organizations – CNET

An ion chamber houses the brains of a Honeywell quantum computer.

The Commerce Department on Wednesdaybarred US firms from exporting quantum computing technology to eight Chinese companies and labs to try to keep the country from decrypting sensitive US communications and developing new military technology.

"Global trade and commerce should support peace, prosperity, and good-paying jobs, not national security risks," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

Though still technologically immature, quantum computers eventually could crack conventional encryption. The US government also is leading an active program to develop post-quantum cryptography, but communications that are intercepted today could be exposed if quantum computers become powerful enough.

Quantum computers take advantage of the physics of the ultrasmall to perform a radically different type of computation than conventional computer chips in today's phones, laptops and supercomputers. But today they work only at small scales, are prone to errors that derail calculations and are finicky enough to require ultracold conditions.

The department also pointed to quantum computing military risks involving "counter-stealth and counter-submarine applications." It detailed in theFederal Registerthe Chinese organizations added to its entities list involving export controls.

Another market where quantum computers also have potential is simulating molecular structures that could lead to new materials. Military technology has benefited immensely from materials science in the past, so quantum computing could lead to new breakthroughs.

To capitalize on these breakthroughs, many US companies are investing billions of dollars in developing quantum computers. That includes Google, IBM, Microsoft, Honeywell, IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave and Intel. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in November thatChinese researchers are tied with Google in the race to develop quantum computing technology.

See the original post here:
US blocks export of quantum computing tech to Chinese organizations - CNET

Tech pioneers to headline Princeton conference on innovation and entrepreneurship – Princeton University

Engage 2021, Princetons second annual innovation and entrepreneurship conference, will be held online Dec. 1 and 2, offering opportunities to learn about the transformation of discoveries into innovations that benefit society from biomedicine and clean energy to wireless, cryptocurrency and quantum computing.

The two-day virtual gathering, hosted by Princeton Innovation, will include tips and case studies on successful new technologies and academic-industry partnerships, as well as guidance on funding opportunities for research and entrepreneurship, with a special focus on the growing innovation ecosystem in New Jersey and the tri-state area.

Faculty, researchers, students and alumni from Princeton and other institutions, entrepreneurs and those entrepreneurially-minded, industry representatives and government policymakers, are invited to register for the conference, which which is free and open to everyone,

By bringing people together from across the regional and global innovation ecosystems, Princeton is helping to grow a robust and inclusive environment that brings positive impacts to the broader community, the economy, and to daily life, said Vice Dean for Innovation Rodney Priestley, the Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Priestley leads Princeton Innovation, a University initiative that supports faculty, students and researchers as they transform discoveries emerging from science, engineering, social sciences and humanities into ventures and activities that can create a positive impact on society. Priestley will kick off Engage 2021 with updates on the initiative, which is part of Princetons Office of the Dean for Research.

Marian Croak, Class of 1977 and vice president of engineering at Google

Headlining the conference will be Marian Croak, Class of 1977 and vice president of engineering at Google, in a conversation with chair of computer science Jennifer Rexford about the contributions of women in STEM fields, the importance of mentorship, and being an intrapreneur andinnovator at a large company. This year, Croak became one of the first two Black women inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in recognition of her work on advancing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, a key development in audio and video conferencing.

Another keynote session will feature a conversation between Andrea Goldsmith, dean of Princetons School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Naveen Verma, director of the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. They will discuss developments and opportunities for innovation in the New Jersey region, and connections between entrepreneurship, research and teaching at Princeton.

This conference will help enable all of us seeking to make a positive difference engineers, scientists, humanists, social scientists, business leaders and startup enablers to engage with each other in fostering innovation that strengthens society, said Goldsmith, the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who has founded two companies around her expertise in wireless technology.

As part of the conference, the 13th annual Celebrate Princeton Innovation showcase will honor Princeton faculty-led discoveries in life sciences and technology that have the potential to become everyday innovations.

The showcase features 10 Princeton faculty experts discussing their discoveries on topics including a new technology to prevent smartphone theft, new anticancer therapeutic strategies, early detection of autism and other neurobehavioral conditions, clean and inexpensive lithium-ion battery recycling, electric bandages, and more. The keynote address will feature blockchain-technology startup Offchain Labs cofounder Edward Felten, the Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs, Emeritus.

Mohammad Seyedsayamdost, professor of chemistry, has been selected to receive Princetons second annual prize for innovative faculty, the Dean for Research Award for Distinguished Innovation, for the creation of a method for discovering new anti-infective agents, including drugs that treat bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Seyedsayamdost, who has cofounded the startup Cryptyx Bioscience, will receive the award and give a talk about his technology.

Engage 2021 will also feature a New Jersey startup showcase of academic scientists and engineers raising venture funds for companies based on their research, including Marcus Hultmark, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton. Hultmark and his team recently received an Edison Patent Award from the Research and Development Council of New Jersey for their low-cost, nanotechnology-based industrial velocity sensors.

Hultmarks company, Tendo Technologies, was launched in 2018 with support from the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program and the eLab Summer Accelerator at Princetons Keller Center. Princeton is now the leading institution of the I-Corps Northeast Hub, which was announced earlier this year with a $15 million grant to accelerate the impact of federally funded research and advance diversity in entrepreneurship. I-Corps Northeast Hub leaders from Rutgers, Rowan and Drexel Universities will discuss the hubs activities and opportunities in a panel discussion.

Another panel discussion will cover the benefits of joining a startup accelerator, and how to choose the right accelerator and create a strong application. Representatives from the accelerators QED, VentureWell and FedTech will join the conversation, as will Garrett Winther of the HAX accelerator. HAX recently announced it would establish its U.S. headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, after a persuasive State of New Jersey pitch supported by Princeton Engineering dean Goldsmith on behalf of Princeton. HAX aims to invest $25 million in 100 new technology companies over the next five years with a focus on re-industrialization and decarbonization of the U.S.

Engage 2021 sessions will feature many Princeton science and engineering faculty members, along with panelists from industry and other universities, discussing emerging technologies in decarbonized transportation, cancer research, quantum computing, wireless communications, and artificial intelligence in bioengineering.

Our vision is for Princeton to be a catalyst for a diverse, inclusive and human-centered high-tech hub for the entire tri-state region, said Goldsmith. We have much exciting progress, but we need to keep building partnerships. I encourage anyone with a passion for building new ventures and harnessing technology for the good of humanity to join us.

The rest is here:
Tech pioneers to headline Princeton conference on innovation and entrepreneurship - Princeton University

Increasing Importance Of Cloud Computing In Businesses – GISuser.com

The modern cloud computing platform dates back to the year 2006, although it was invented in the late 1960s by J.C.R Licklider, the usage of these services became prominent since 2006. Due to increasing advancement in modern technologies and usage of the internet. Cloud computing has come a long way and still, theres more to go due to the dynamic environment in the emerging technologies.

So, what exactly is cloud computing and why businesses are rushing towards this platform, and how this can be a game-changer to the current business market.

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of on-demandcomputing services over the internet on a pay-as-you-go basis. In simple terms, the user can store all the data over the internet by using cloud storage services unlike in the traditional forms like hard disk, pen drive, etc.

Before the era of cloud services, businesses had to maintain on-premise data servers to store and manipulate the data, which has more drawbacks and these drawbacks are filled by cloud services. So how on-premise and cloud services vary from each other.

These cloud computing services will provide easy and effective solutions on which businesses can rely and expand their services and platform. They can maintain a competitive edge over others, and cloud services can be used by individuals too over the internet.

There are two types of cloud computing models namely

In Deployment Model again there are threetypes of models known as

Here, cloud infrastructure is available to the public and is owned by a cloud provider.

Examples like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, Sun Cloud, and IBMS BLUE CLOUD can be taken.

Here the cloud infrastructure is maintained by a single organization and can be managed by the company itself or a third party and can be on-premise or off-premise.

Examples like AWS, VMware can be taken.

Here, this cloud has both the characteristics of a public and private cloud.

Examples like government agencies can be taken.

In the service model again there are three types of models known as

If an organization needs a virtual machine,then IAAS can be opted for. Here, most of the users can be IT administrators. Examples: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google.

If a company needs the platform to build the software products,then PAAS can be opted for. Here most of the users can be software developers.

If a company requires the final product or doesnt want to maintain any IT equipment, then SAAS can be opted for. Here, most of the users can be end customers. Examples: Microsoft Office 365, Google apps.

There are abundant benefits of cloud computing and businesses are rushing towards these services in order to ease their approach towards complex services. However, there are disadvantages of a cloud, like a security breach, hijacking, and external sharing of data. But here the advantages of the cloud definitely outweigh the disadvantages and cloud services can provide more than they are supposed to.

Due to the ongoing pandemic since 2020 and during these unprecedented times, the progress of the economy has a serious toll from COVID-19. However, things are slowly coming back to normal, and work from home (WFH) is still practiced by many of the organizations employees.

During these times cloud usage by both organizations and individuals has increased rapidly since most of the employees are using the cloud platforms to perform various duties.

Since more than half of the world is on the cloud platform, start-ups and various new emerging companies are rushing towardscloud computing engineeringto expand their base and to reach the corners of the world. Personal computers and laptops sales were hiked during the pandemic which led to an increase in expenditure incurred by computer chip makers by 20 to 30%. On the bright side can be that due to the cloud computing availability the climate crisis is having the least negative impact on it due to less pollution.

As we already discussed above, there are IAAS, PAAS, and SAAS. The future can be more than 100 million times fasterdue to the availability ofQuantum Computing As A Service (QaaS).However, this is already in the market in its initial stages and the companies which provide this are IBM Q, AWS, and Google.Quantum computers are 100 million times faster than the current classic computers and can solve mysteries by using Qubits,unlike BITSwhich are used by current computers.

It is estimated that $1 trillion to be spent on cloud computing over the coming decade and the new conceptof containerizationis being provided by various companies likeKubernetes.Itcan avoid vendor lock-in periodand this containerization can be completely serverless.

Nevertheless, due to dynamic emerging technologies in the market, it can be estimated that cloud computing can increase to unexpected heights and will be a boosting career opportunity.

Cloud computing as a career opportunity can be the next best thing one could do and throughcloud computing trainingone can learn these skills. There are many platforms like Great Learning where one can master every IT-related and emerging technologies course and gain abundant skills.

Cloud computing has come a long way and still, there is much more which can add to the future regarding this technology advancement. There can be advanced serverless quantum computing hubs where the mysteries of the universe can be decoded, and space highways can be calculated very accurately for the space travel to other planets like Mars and Venus.

https://radixweb.com/blog/cloud-computing-is-an-ace-of-spades-streamline-your-business

https://builtin.com/cloud-computing/cloud-computing-examples

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cloud-computing-market-234.html#:~:text=The%20cloud%20computing%20market%20is,progressively%20adopting%20cloud%20computing%20services.

https://financesonline.com/cloud-computing-statistics/.

Follow this link:
Increasing Importance Of Cloud Computing In Businesses - GISuser.com