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Today, we have 18 quantum systems and counting available to our clients and community. Over 200,000 users, including more than 100 IBM Q Network client partners, have joined us to conduct fundamental research on quantum information science, develop the applications of quantum computing in various industries, and educate the future quantum workforce. Additionally, 175 billion quantum circuits have been executed using our hardware, resulting in more than 200 publications by researchers around the world.

In addition to developing quantum hardware, we have also been driving the development of powerful open source quantum software. Qiskit, written primarily in Python, has grown to be a popular quantum computing software development kit with several novel features, many of which were contributed by dedicated Qiskitters.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us on this exciting journey building the largest and most diverse global quantum computing community.

The IBM Quantum Challenge As we approach the fourth anniversary of the IBM Quantum Experience, we invite you to celebrate with us by completing a challenge with four exercises. Whether you are already a member of the community, or this challenge is your first quantum experiment, these four exercises will improve your understanding of quantum circuits. We hope you also have fun as you put your skills to test.

The IBM Quantum Challenge begins at 9:00 a.m. US Eastern on May 4, and ends 8:59:59 a.m. US Eastern on May 8. To take the challenge, visit https://quantum-computing.ibm.com/challenges.

In recognition of everyones participation, we are awarding digital badges and providing additional sponsorship to the Python Software Foundation.

Continued investment in quantum education Trying to explain quantum computing without resorting to incorrect analogies has always been a goal for our team. As a result, we have continuously invested in education, starting with opening access to quantum computers, and continuing to create tools that enable anyone to program them. Notably, we created the first interactive open source textbook in the field.

As developers program quantum computers, what they are really doing is building and running quantum circuits. To support your learning about quantum circuits:

Read the Qiskit textbook chapter where we define quantum circuits as we understand them today. Dive in to explore quantum computing principles and learn how to implement quantum algorithms on your own. Watch our newly launched livelectures called Circuit Sessions, or get started programming a quantum computer by watching Coding with Qiskit. Subscribe to the Qiskit YouTube channel to watch these two series and more. The future of quantum is in open source software and access to real quantum hardwarelets keep building together.

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Announcing the IBM Quantum Challenge - Quantaneo, the Quantum Computing Source

Quantum computing is increasingly becoming the focus of scientists in fields such as physics and chemistry, and industrialists in the pharmaceutical, airplane, and automobile industries. Globally, research labs at companies like Google and IBM are spending extensive resources on improving quantum computers, and with good reason.

Quantum computers use the fundamentals of quantum mechanics to process significantly greater amounts of information much faster than classical computers. It is expected that when error-corrected and fault-tolerant quantum computation is achieved, scientific and technological advancement will occur at an unprecedented scale.

But, building quantum computers for large-scale computation is proving to be a challenge in terms of their architecture. The basic units of a quantum computer are the "quantum bits" or "qubits." These are typically atoms, ions, photons, subatomic particles such as electrons, or even larger elements that simultaneously exist in multiple states, making it possible to obtain several potential outcomes rapidly for large volumes of data. The theoretical requirement for quantum computers is that these are arranged in two-dimensional (2D) arrays, where each qubit is both coupled with its nearest neighbor and connected to the necessary external control lines and devices.

When the number of qubits in an array is increased, it becomes difficult to reach qubits in the interior of the array from the edge. The need to solve this problem has so far resulted in complex three-dimensional (3D) wiring systems across multiple planes in which many wires intersect, making their construction a significant engineering challenge.

A group of scientists from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science, Japan, and University of Technology, Sydney, led by Prof Jaw-Shen Tsai, proposes a unique solution to this qubit accessibility problem by modifying the architecture of the qubit array. "Here, we solve this problem and present a modified superconducting micro-architecture that does not require any 3D external line technology and reverts to a completely planar design," they say. This study has been published in the New Journal of Physics.The scientists began with a qubit square lattice array and stretched out each column in the 2D plane. They then folded each successive column on top of each other, forming a dual one-dimensional array called a "bi-linear" array. This put all qubits on the edge and simplified the arrangement of the required wiring system. The system is also completely in 2D.

In this new architecture, some of the inter-qubit wiring--each qubit is also connected to all adjacent qubits in an array--does overlap, but because these are the only overlaps in the wiring, simple local 3D systems such as airbridges at the point of overlap are enough and the system overall remains in 2D. As you can imagine, this simplifies its construction considerably.

The scientists evaluated the feasibility of this new arrangement through numerical and experimental evaluation in which they tested how much of a signal was retained before and after it passed through an airbridge. Results of both evaluations showed that it is possible to build and run this system using existing technology and without any 3D arrangement.

The scientists' experiments also showed them that their architecture solves several problems that plague the 3D structures: they are difficult to construct, there is crosstalk or signal interference between waves transmitted across two wires, and the fragile quantum states of the qubits can degrade. The novel pseudo-2D design reduces the number of times wires cross each other, thereby reducing the crosstalk and consequently increasing the efficiency of the system.

At a time when large labs worldwide are attempting to find ways to build large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers, the findings of this exciting new study indicate that such computers can be built using existing 2D integrated circuit technology. "The quantum computer is an information device expected to far exceed the capabilities of modern computers," Prof Tsai states. The research journey in this direction has only begun with this study, and Prof Tsai concludes by saying, "We are planning to construct a small-scale circuit to further examine and explore the possibility."

Research paper

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Wiring the quantum computer of the future - Space Daily

The basic units of a quantum computer can be rearranged in 2D to solve typical design and operation challenges. Efficient quantum computing is expected to enable advancements that are impossible with classical computers. A group of scientists from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, RIKEN Centre for Emergent Matter Science, Japan, and the University of Technology, Sydney have collaborated and proposed a novel two-dimensional design that can be constructed using existing integrated circuit technology. This design solves typical problems facing the current three-dimensional packaging for scaled-up quantum computers, bringing the future one step closer.

Quantum computing is increasingly becoming the focus of scientists in fields such as physics and chemistry, and industrialists in the pharmaceutical, airplane, and automobile industries. Globally, research labs at companies like Google and IBM are spending extensive resources on improving quantum computers, and with good reason. Quantum computers use the fundamentals of quantum mechanics to process significantly greater amounts of information much faster than classical computers. It is expected that when the error-corrected and fault-tolerant quantum computation is achieved, scientific and technological advancement will occur at an unprecedented scale.

But, building quantum computers for large-scale computation is proving to be a challenge in terms of their architecture. The basic units of a quantum computer are the quantum bits or qubits. These are typically atoms, ions, photons, subatomic particles such as electrons, or even larger elements that simultaneously exist in multiple states, making it possible to obtain several potential outcomes rapidly for large volumes of data. The theoretical requirement for quantum computers is that these are arranged in two-dimensional (2D) arrays, where each qubit is both coupled with its nearest neighbor and connected to the necessary external control lines and devices. When the number of qubits in an array is increased, it becomes difficult to reach qubits in the interior of the array from the edge. The need to solve this problem has so far resulted in complex three-dimensional (3D) wiring systems across multiple planes in which many wires intersect, making their construction a significant engineering challenge. https://youtu.be/14a__swsYSU

The team of scientists led by Prof Jaw-Shen Tsai has proposed a unique solution to this qubit accessibility problem by modifying the architecture of the qubit array. Here, we solve this problem and present a modified superconducting micro-architecture that does not require any 3D external line technology and reverts to a completely planar design, they say. This study has been published in the New Journal of Physics.

The scientists began with a qubit square lattice array and stretched out each column in the 2D plane. They then folded each successive column on top of each other, forming a dual one-dimensional array called a bi-linear array. This put all qubits on the edge and simplified the arrangement of the required wiring system. The system is also completely in 2D. In this new architecture, some of the inter-qubit wiringeach qubit is also connected to all adjacent qubits in an arraydoes overlap, but because these are the only overlaps in the wiring, simple local 3D systems such as airbridges at the point of overlap are enough and the system overall remains in 2D. As you can imagine, this simplifies its construction considerably.

The scientists evaluated the feasibility of this new arrangement through numerical and experimental evaluation in which they tested how much of a signal was retained before and after it passed through an airbridge. The results of both evaluations showed that it is possible to build and run this system using existing technology and without any 3D arrangement.

The scientists experiments also showed them that their architecture solves several problems that plague the 3D structures: they are difficult to construct, there is crosstalk or signal interference between waves transmitted across two wires, and the fragile quantum states of the qubits can degrade. The novel pseudo-2D design reduces the number of times wires cross each other, thereby reducing the crosstalk and consequently increasing the efficiency of the system.

At a time when large labs worldwide are attempting to find ways to build large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers, the findings of this exciting new study indicate that such computers can be built using existing 2D integrated circuit technology. The quantum computer is an information device expected to far exceed the capabilities of modern computers, Prof Tsai states. The research journey in this direction has only begun with this study, and Prof Tsai concludes by saying, We are planning to construct a small-scale circuit to further examine and explore the possibility.

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Wiring the Quantum Computer of the Future: Researchers from Japan and Australia collaborate to propose a novel 2D design - QS WOW News

Within the past month, researchers around the world are making landmark discoveries about quantum bits, or qubits.The biggest environmental factor that stands in the way ofquantum computers entering commercial spaces is that qubits have a low tolerance to temperature; previously, they could only operate at temperatures close to absolute zero.

This is because a qubit storing a quantum state will collapse if "observed," or isaffected by external factors. For example, a photon hitting a qubit will cause it to collapse and will offset a thermal vibration from a nearby particle.

This is why many scientists are working on creating quantum systems that can operate above these low temperatures. Such an effort will get them out of the laboratory and into the commercial field.In this article, we will look at recent scientific research that proves that"hot qubits," even up to room temperature, are now a reality.

A team of researchers from UNSW Sydney has worked to solve the problem of absolute-zero qubit requirements and may have a solution that works on regular silicon. The test device is a proof-of-concept quantum processor unit cell that can operate at temperatures up to 1.5 kelvin. While this may still sound extremely cold, it is still 15 times greater than those produced by others, including Google and IBM. The results of this research were published in Nature.

The researchers created quantum chips that can operate in tandem with conventional silicon chips. When these two chips are set beside each other in low temperatures, they can control the read and write operations of quantum calculations.

To prove the viability of the design, another team on the other side of the globe in the Netherlands used the same technology to create a hot qubit, which also functioned as expected. The design utilizes two qubits that are confined in a pair of quantum dotsall of which are embedded in silicon.

What also makes this research groundbreaking is that other laboratories can replicate this temperature featwith a few thousand dollars of equipment. This means that even small companies can accesstheir own quantum computer.

The fact that this technology can be built using silicon technology means that it can readily be integrated into existingelectronic designs, feeding data into such systems and interpreting the results.

On the same day that the Sydney researchers published their findings on "hot qubits," Intel also published its own research on hot qubits. Intel, one of the world's leading suppliers of processorand memory technology, teamed up with QuTech to produce a "hot qubit" that can operate at temperatures up to 1.1 kelvin. While not as high as the UNSW, the 1.1-kelvin mark is still an achievable temperature using low-cost equipment (when compared to absolute zero). The researchers for the project also published their findings in Nature.

The qubit designed by the team has a fidelity of 99.3%that is, ahigh-quality qubit with a large degree of quantum separation between states. However, the performance of the spin qubits is minimally affected when temperatures go to 1.25 kelvin.

The design, which works with standard silicon technology, demonstrates single-qubit control via the use of electron spin resonance and readout using the Pauli spin blockage method. The demonstrated device also shows individual coherent control of two qubits and turnability from 0.5 MHz to 18 MHz.

Because it can be integrated onto standard silicon technology, the qubit developed by Intel and QuTech can incorporate control circuitry and quantum processors onto a single device.

While the Sydney and Intel teams have created qubits that operate at temperatures higher than absolute zero, a team from Russia together with colleagues from Sweden, Hungary, and the USA, have developed a method for manufacturing room-temperature qubits.

According to the research paper in Nature Communications, qubits have been proven to operate at room temperatures when integrated into point defects in diamonds, achieved by substituting a carbon atom with a nitrogen atom. However, producing such diamonds can be an expensive manufacturing task. This is where the Russian lead team has stepped up.

The team determined thatsilicon carbide wasa suitable substitute for diamondwhen a laser was used to hit a defect in the crystal. When bombarded with photons, the defect luminescences and the resultant spectroscopy showsix distinctive peaks (PL1 to PL6).

It is these peaks that show SiC'sability to be used as a qubit and therefore what structure is needed. Thus, their method for creating room-temperature qubits would use a chemical vapor deposition of SiCa low-cost alternative to diamond.

The discovery of SiC's usein quantum qubits has already lead to SiC-basedhigh-accuracy magnetometers, biosensors, and quantum internet technologies.

A hot qubit that can operate on a piece of silicon alongside existingcomponents would revolutionize the computing industry.

While mainstream quantum computers are still a decade or two away, these advancements in qubit technology show how quantum technology will not be stuck in laboratories indefinitely and will eventually be open to the public. How will quantum technologies affect electronic engineers remains unknown since we do not know how far quantum integration will go.

Will they be integrated into microcontrollers? Will devices need to deploy quantum security? Only time will tell.

Continued here:
Hot Qubits are HereAnd They're Propelling the Future of Quantum Computing - News - All About Circuits

As quantum computers continue to grow in size and complexity, engineers are hitting a major obstacle. All of that added machinery means higher temperatures - and if anything can ruin a perfectly good quantum bit, it's heat.

There are a few possible solutions, but any fix needs to be small and compatible with existing silicon technology. Two recently published papers confirm a new device developed by engineers at Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW) could be the way to go.

Early last year, the researchers tentatively announced tiny semiconducting materials called quantum dots could be isolated and still used to carry out the kinds of quantum operations needed for the next generation of computing, all at a relatively toasty 1.5 degrees Kelvin.

"This is still very cold, but is a temperature that can be achieved using just a few thousand dollars' worth of refrigeration, rather than the millions of dollars needed to cool chips to 0.1 Kelvin," says senior researcher Andrew Dzurak from UNSW.

That research has not only now been given the thumbs-up in a peer review, it's also been validated by a second, completely different study conducted by a team from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Having confirmation that this proof of concept device works as theorised should give us confidence that this technology, if not something like it, will be one way we'll scale up quantum computers to increasingly useful sizes.

Where conventional computing uses a binary system of 'bits' to perform logical operations, quantum computing uses the probabilistic nature of quantum states to manage particular calculations.

Those states are most easily represented in the features of tiny (preferably subatomic sized) particles. While in an unmeasured form, these particles can be described mathematically as possessing a blend of characteristics in what's known as a superposition.

The mathematics of superposition particles called qubits when used this way can make short work of algorithms that would take conventional computers far too long to solve, at least in theory.

But to really get the most out of them, qubits should work collaboratively with other qubits, entangling their mathematics in ever more complex ways. Ideally, dozens of qubits should work together if we're to make a quantum computer that's more than just an expensive toy.

Some tech companies claim to be at that point already. For them, the next step is to connect hundreds, if not millions together. It's a lofty goal that presents engineers with a growing problem.

"Every qubit pair added to the system increases the total heat generated," says Dzurak.

Heat risks making a mess of the whole superposition thing, which is why current designs rely so much on cooling technology that freezes particles to a virtual stand-still.

Just adding more heat sinks runs into space and efficiency problems. So Dzurak and his team looked for ways to house a qubit that could handle rising temperatures.

The trick, they found, was to isolate electrons from their reservoir on a pair of nanometre-sized islands called quantum dots, made from silicon metal-oxide.

The electron states can then be set and measured using a process called tunnelling, where the quantum uncertainty of each electron's position allows them to teleport between dots.

This tunnelling within an isolated qubit nest gives the delicate states of the electrons a level of protection against the slightly higher temperatures, while still allowing the system to link in with conventional electronic computers.

"Our new results open a path from experimental devices to affordable quantum computers for real world business and government applications," says Dzurak.

As a proof of concept, it's exciting stuff. But plenty of questions need to be answered before we'll see it marry with existing quantum computing technology.

Cooking qubits at temperatures 15 times warmer than usual seems to work just fine so far, but we're yet to see how this translates to entangled groups, and whether methods for correcting errors still work for a 'hot' qubit.

No doubt researchers will be turning their attention to these concerns in future experiments, moving us ever closer to quantum computers capable of cracking some of the hardest problems the Universe can throw at us.

This research was published in Nature here and here.

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Physicists Successfully Use 'Hot' Qubits to Overcome a Huge Quantum Computing Problem - ScienceAlert