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Quantum computing may seem like science fiction, but it may come sooner than expected.

On Jan. 11, 2024, the World Economic Forum identified artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing as emerging threats in a report exploring how quantum computing could threaten the existing tech landscape.

While computer scientists and developers agree that quantum computing will still take some years to develop, research in the field is very active.

In the public sector, all G7 countries are actively involved in quantum computing projects. In the private sector, seven of the top 10 tech companies are either publicly competing for market dominance in involved in some capacity, according to Quantum Resistant Ledger.

So when will quantum computing become potent enough to threaten contemporary cryptography systems, like those safeguarding cryptocurrencies?

According to a December 2023 report from Reuters, Tilo Kunz, executive vice president of cybersecurity firm Quantum Defen5e (QD5), told officials at the Defense Information Systems Agency that Q-day the day quantum computing can break current security standards could come as soon as 2025.

Major organizations in the finance world have noticed. In June 2023, the Bank for International Settlements started its Project Leap, which aims to develop quantum-proof payment systems with the Bank of France and Deutsche Bundesbank.

So, with ominous forecasts and central banks scrambling to safeguard payments, how can the blockchain and crypto industry prepare for Q-day? Is anyone prepared?

David Chaum, a renowned computer scientist and founder of post-quantum resistant blockchain XX Network, explained to Cointelegraph how quantum computing can vaporize a blockchain.

Quantum computing could compromise the SHA-256 algorithm the cryptographic hash function that serves as the primary wall of defense for securing access to blockchain-based assets like cryptocurrencies.

Subsequently, quantum computers could break the blockchains consensus by creating fake messages, which could jam the consensus protocol. Chaum said:

They could also effortlessly crack private keys, making funds vulnerable to theft.

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the Ethereum network, introduced a possible solution to blockchains quantum challenge.

On March 9, 2024, Buterin proposed a solution involving a hard fork, opening a debate on how to prepare the blockchain for a quantum emergency.

Buterin explained that quantum computers could crack an Ethereum account and reveal the private key by using the public key alone.

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As Buterin explained, the only Ethereum accounts safe from a quantum attack would be wallets that have never completed a transaction, as they wouldnt have exposed their public key.

Of course, this is not a common practice among crypto holders, so nearly all wallets would be in jeopardy.

For Buterin, the technology required to make Ethereum immune to a quantum attack could be developed tomorrow:

Buterins proposed solution is based on proving ownership of crypto assets or a wallet by applying a backup key as a fallback.

The concept was introduced in 2021 in the paper W-OTS(+) up my Sleeve! A Hidden Secure Fallback for Cryptocurrency Wallets by cryptographers Chaum, Mario Larangeira, Mario Yaksetig and William Carter, who proposed a key generation mechanism where users can generate a backup key, which is securely nested inside the secret key of a signature scheme.

In the event of a secret key leak, the backup key would generate proof of ownership and recuperate their funds in an updated quantum-resistant blockchain essentially through a hard fork in the blockchain.

Therefore, if a quantum emergency emerges, users would download a new wallet software and prove their ownership with the fallback. Buterin mentioned how only a few users would lose their funds in this procedure.

The hypothetical hard fork would roll back the Ethereum network to the block where the large-scale theft occurred.

Chaum claimed that Buterins solution isnt perfect and could create some turbulence for Ethereum users.

As Chaum explained, if Ethereum does not implement a quantum resistance mechanism before a quantum attack, the emergency solution suggested by Buterin will force the chain to be reconstituted.

The cryptographer explained that a new chain with quantum-resistant measures built into its core would need to be built. Once that is achieved, the assets may be moved to a new wallet in the new chain.

During this process, the Ethereum blockchain would need to be paused for an unknown time until its restored to a new quantum-resistant blockchain. Chaum said that this procedure could take years.

He said that the consequences of the sudden halt of one of the most active blockchains should not be underestimated, stating that it could be catastrophic.

John Woods, chief technology officer at the Algorand Foundation, told Cointelegraph that, while he believes Buterin is hyper-competent, he feels Ethereum could take a step further: Its evident that this post represents an emergency plan of action and not an elegant transition into a post-quantum cryptography era for Ethereum.

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Algorand implemented a post-quantum mechanism using Falcon signatures, one of the three signing algorithms the National Institute of Standards and Technology selected for standardization.

Woods encouraged Ethereum to adopt Falcon to foster interoperability as its implementation is not limited to Algorand and holds potential for adoption by various other distributed ledger technologies, blockchains and related systems.

Ethereum seems to have established an emergency protocol to survive if a quantum emergency is detected.

However, the emergency solution has serious caveats, which should make the Ethereum developer community focus firmly on developing quantum-resistant measures before Q-day arrives.

Original post:
Q-Day approaching: Can Ethereum survive a quantum emergency? - Cointelegraph

BERKELEY, Calif., April 26, 2024 Rigetti Computing, Inc., a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, announces the launch of the Novera QPU Partner Program. The Novera QPU Partner Program is an ecosystem of quantum computing hardware, software and service providers who build and offer integral components of a functional quantum computing system.

Novera QPU customers who need control systems, a dilution refrigerator, quantum computing software tools, or integration services can integrate their Novera QPU with Novera QPU Partners technology with the assurance of compatibility and quality.

The founding members of the Novera QPU Partner Program include some of Rigettis most long-time partners and are leaders in their respective areas of quantum computing technology:

Rigetti intends on growing the Novera QPU Partner Program with additional partners on an ongoing basis.

The Novera QPU is a 9-qubit quantum processing unit (QPU) based on the Companys fourth generation Ankaa-class architecture featuring tunable couplers and a square lattice for denser connectivity and fast 2-qubit operations. The Novera QPU is manufactured in Rigettis Fab-1, the industrys first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility.

The Novera QPU includes all of the hardware below the mixing chamber plate (MXC) of a dilution refrigerator. In addition to a 9-qubit chip with a 33 array of tunable transmons, a 5-qubit chip with no tunable couplers or qubit-qubit coupling which can be used for developing and characterizing single-qubit operations on a simpler circuit, the Novera QPU components include:

While a QPU is the core of a quantum computer, in order to have a functioning quantum computing system, the installation must also include (1) a dilution refrigerator and (2) a control system. Depending on a customers research goals, system requirements, and use cases, there are also a variety of quantum software and integration resources that can be integrated with the Novera QPU.

Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO, said: With the Novera QPU, we have a unique opportunity to support the development of on-premises quantum computing capabilities worldwide. At Rigetti, we are experts at overcoming the challenges of building, installing, and supporting a quantum computing system. After a decade in the quantum computing industry, weve also forged long lasting partnerships with world-leading quantum technology companies whose collaborations and expertise helped us advance our capabilities even further. We want to empower Novera QPU customers with an ecosystem of our trusted partners to support their own quantum computing research pursuits, and to help prepare us for a quantum-ready society.

Nir Minerbi, Classiq CEO, said: Quantum computing relies on bringing together a collection of technologies in order to achieve the best fitting and performing solution. Classiq is proud to be providing efficient, scalable quantum computing software to facilitate best-practice algorithm development with Novera.

Joe Fitzsimons, Horizon Quantum Computing CEO, said: Rigetti was one of the pioneers of cloud-based quantum computing, and we are delighted to partner with them as Rigetti processors begin to power on-premises systems. As the industry pushes towards quantum advantage, a strong ecosystem and close collaboration between hardware and software efforts is more important than ever. The Novera QPU Partner Program is a welcome new instrument for building collaboration and allowing for tight integration between technologies at all levels of the quantum computing stack.

Bernhard Frohwitter, ParTec AG CEO, said: The Novera QPU Partner Program is an essential building block in ParTecs strategy of becoming a quantum computing system integrator, building full-stack solutions using a component-based design that relies on a supply chain of quantum technology providers. ParTec looks forward to integrating the Novera QPU in our holistic quantum computer solutions and working with customers on unleashing its potential.

Mandy Birch, CEO of TreQ said: TreQ is delighted to partner with Rigetti to build and operate on-premises quantum computing systems that include the Novera QPU. We look forward to supporting pathfinders around the world who are expediting useful and usable next-gen computing infrastructure to elevate their businesses, institutions, and communities.

Among the early adopters of small-scale, high performing QPUs like the Novera QPU, are government agencies. The first two Novera QPU sales were to leading US government labs the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) led by Fermilab, and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). Rigetti also recently sold a Novera QPU to Horizon Quantum Computing for their first quantum computing system, to be installed in their new hardware testbed in Singapore. Quantum computing researchers across academia and industry are also beginning to invest in this technology as it is a promising resource to advance quantum computing workforce development.

The Novera QPU Partner Program launch follows Rigettis recent achievements with its larger-scale Ankaa-class quantum systems. Rigettis 84-qubit Ankaa-2 system, which is available over the cloud via Rigettis Quantum Cloud Services (QCS) cloud computing platform, recently achieved a 98% median 2-qubit gate fidelity. This performance marks a 2.5X increase in error performance compared to the Companys previous QPUs. Rigetti was also recently awarded an Innovate UK competition to deliver a 24-qubit Ankaa-class quantum computing system to the UKs National Quantum Computing Centre.

About Rigetti

Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The Companys proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industrys first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industrys first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility.

Source: Rigetti

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Rigetti Computing Launches the Novera QPU Partner Program - HPCwire

It is still early days for quantum computing. Yet experts agree it is poised to play a key role in sectors ranging from secure communications to banking and aerospace. Quantums appeal lies in its ability to overcome computational bottlenecks.

Airbus purpose is to pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. Although still in development, quantum computers have potential in two areas that are key to realising that ambition: busting the design logjam caused by limits on current computational power in time for the next generation of aircraft, and boosting the efficiency of airline operations.

Heres a roundup of some of the exciting quantum explorations Airbus is supporting.

Trajectory optimisation

In the future, quantum algorithms could help optimise an aircrafts trajectory in real time by taking air traffic restrictions and weather patterns into account. This has obvious safety, economic and ecological benefits.

Flights operate in a dynamic environment affected by an intractably large number of variables, especially during climb-out. The speed and accuracy of calculations are key. Quantum algorithms may be able to outperform current high-performance computers for each.

To this end, in 2023 Airbus Silicon Valley innovation centre Acubed carried out a study into quantum trajectory optimisation.

Efficient cargo loading

Loading of humanitarian goods on an Airbus A330neo test aircraft at Vatry, France

Half of global airfreight travels onboard passenger flights. Filling cargo containers and then fitting them into the hold of a jetliner is like a giant game of Tetris. Space is at a premium, and the loading of each container must be just so. If the overall centre of gravity in the hold is off, the aircraft will burn more fuel. If the cargo is stacked too far to the left, the left-hand engine has to work harder, consuming even more fuel.

Like trajectory optimisation, cargo loading is fraught with constraints. Quantum computers leverage the so-calledknapsack problem to calculate an optimum solution for loading packages into cargo containers, and the containers into the hold. In 2022, Airbus performed a use case demonstrator usingIonQs quantum computer.

To give an idea of the challenge loadmasters face, organising just 20 containers each stuffed with 30 packages in the hold produces a solution space the set of all solutions to a given problem that exceeds the total number of particles in the universe. No existing computer or analytic solution can solve that puzzle accurately.

Fuel cell simulation

Hydrogen-powered aircraft produce no carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide emissions during flight. They release only water vapour into the atmosphere.

There are two options for designing hydrogen propulsion systems: burning the gas directly in a turbine engine; or installing fuel cells which use hydrogen to create electricity through electrolysis.

Airbus has joined forces with the automotive sector to advance fuel cell development foraeronautic applications. However, the cells must be lightweight as well as powerful enough to get a plane off the ground.

This combination relies on some complex chemistry. Electrolysis requires a catalyst to get going. Platinum is particularly suitable for this purpose, yet relatively expensive. The alternative is to create alloys platinum with cobalt or nickel, for example which also show a higher beginning-of-life performance than pure platinum. However, lab testing these alloys can be an expensive task.

Instead, alongside colleagues at BMW Group, Airbusresearchers haveshown for the first time that quantum computing can perform atomic-level reaction modelling. Harnessing quantums exponential power that is beyond the reach of todays computers, engineers can model the relative catalytic behaviour of each alloy. Their observations contribute to propulsion and design choices that will one day have a significant, favourable impact on aerospaces carbon footprint.

Computational fluid dynamics: Where maths, physics and computer science intersect

The first port of call when designing a new aircraft is oftencomputational fluid dynamics, or CFD. This sophisticated digital simulation of airflow around an airframe informs its shape and aerodynamic efficiency. Today, CFD is performed by energy-intensive, high-performance computers (HPC) and it has become a bottleneck in the aircraft design cycle as HPCs reach their maximum processing power.

Airbus has signed a partnership with two leading European Research facilities, ONERA (French Aerospace Research Center) and DLR (German Aerospace Center) during an official ceremony at Paris Air Show.

Quantum computing is able to operate on a far larger canvas, or mesh, permitting CFD calculations to be performed at an exponentially higher scale. It has the potential to break the design bottleneck for future aircraft.

CFD is an area under study in theQuantum Mobility Quest and throughEQUALITY, a European consortium which counts Airbus as a member. The consortium is dedicated to developing quantum algorithms in order to solve a set of paradigmatic industry problems.

As these examples show, quantum computing clearly has the potential to support aviation on its decarbonisation journey.

Airbus and the BMW Group both recognise quantums promise. The companies joined forces in 2023 to launch theQuantum Mobility Quest. The Quests aim is to team up with leading players to accelerate and mature quantum solutions that could one day help the industry solve its most complex challenges.

The Quantum Mobility Quest

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Is quantum computing an enabler for the decarbonisation of aviation? - Airbus

A pioneering collaboration has been established to focus on using quantum computing to enhance genomics. The team will develop algorithms to accelerate the analysis of pangenomic datasets, which could revolutionize personalized medicine and pathogen management. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new project unites world-leading experts in quantum computing and genomics to develop new methods and algorithms to process biological data.

Researchers aim to harness quantum computing to speed up genomics, enhancing our understanding of DNA and driving advancements in personalized medicine

A new collaboration has formed, uniting a world-leading interdisciplinary team with skills across quantum computing, genomics, and advanced algorithms. They aim to tackle one of the most challenging computational problems in genomic science: building, augmenting, and analyzing pangenomic datasets for large population samples. Their project sits at the frontiers of research in both biomedical science and quantum computing.

The project, which involves researchers based at the University of Cambridge, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and EMBLs European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), has been awarded up to US $3.5 million to explore the potential of quantum computing for improvements in human health.

The team aims to develop quantum computing algorithms with the potential to speed up the production and analysis of pangenomes new representations of DNA sequences that capture population diversity. Their methods will be designed to run on emerging quantum computers. The project is one of 12 selected worldwide for the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio (Q4Bio) Supported Challenge Program.

Since the initial sequencing of the human genome over two decades ago, genomics has revolutionized science and medicine. Less than one percent of the 6.4 billion letters of DNA code differs from one human to the next, but those genetic differences are what make each of us unique. Our genetic code can provide insights into our health, help to diagnose disease, or guide medical treatments.

However, the reference human genome sequence, which most subsequently sequenced human DNA is compared to, is based on data from only a few people, and doesnt represent human diversity. Scientists have been working to address this problem for over a decade, and in 2023 the first human pangenome reference was produced. A pangenome is a collection of many different genome sequences that capture the genetic diversity in a population. Pangenomes could potentially be produced for all species, including pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.

Pangenomics, a new domain of science, demands high levels of computational power. While the existing human reference genome structure is linear, pangenome data can be represented and analyzed as a network, called a sequence graph, which stores the shared structure of genetic relationships between many genomes. Comparing subsequent individual genomes to the pangenome then involves mapping a route for their sequences through the graph.

In this new project, the team aims to develop quantum computing approaches with the potential to speed up both the key processes of mapping data to graph nodes, and finding good routes through the graph.

Quantum technologies are poised to revolutionize high-performance computing. Classical computing stores information as bits, which are binary either 0 or 1. However, a quantum computer works with particles that can be in a superposition of different states simultaneously. Rather than bits, information in a quantum computer is represented by qubits (quantum bits), which could take on the value 0, or 1, or be in a superposition state between 0 and 1. It takes advantage of quantum mechanics to enable solutions to problems that are not practical to solve using classical computers.

However, current quantum computer hardware is inherently sensitive to noise and decoherence, so scaling it up presents an immense technological challenge. While there have been exciting proof of concept experiments and demonstrations, todays quantum computers remain limited in size and computational power, which restricts their practical application. But significant quantum hardware advances are expected to emerge in the next three to five years.

The Wellcome Leap Q4Bio Challenge is based on the premise that the early days of any new computational method will advance and benefit most from the co-development of applications, software, and hardware allowing optimizations with not-yet-generalizable, early systems.

Building on state-of-the-art computational genomics methods, the team will develop, simulate and then implement new quantum algorithms, using real data. The algorithms and methods will be tested and refined in existing, powerful High Performance Compute (HPC) environments initially, which will be used as simulations of the expected quantum computing hardware. They will test algorithms first using small stretches of DNA sequence, working up to processing relatively small genome sequences like SARS-CoV-2, before moving to the much larger human genome.

Dr. Sergii Strelchuk, Principal Investigator of the project from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, said: The structure of many challenging problems in computational genomics and pangenomics in particular make them suitable candidates for speedups promised by quantum computing. We are on a thrilling journey to develop and deploy quantum algorithms tailored to genomic data to gain new insights, which are unattainable using classical algorithms.

David Holland, Principal Systems Administrator at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, who is working to create the High Performance Compute environment to simulate a quantum computer, said: Weve only just scratched the surface of both quantum computing and pangenomics. So to bring these two worlds together is incredibly exciting. We dont know exactly whats coming, but we see great opportunities for major new advances. We are doing things today that we hope will make tomorrow better.

Dr. David Yuan, Project Lead at EMBL-EBI, said: On the one hand, were starting from scratch because we dont even know yet how to represent a pangenome in a quantum computing environment. If you compare it to the first moon landings, this project is the equivalent of designing a rocket and training the astronauts. On the other hand, weve got solid foundations, building on decades of systematically annotated genomic data generated by researchers worldwide and made available by EMBL-EBI. The fact that were using this knowledge to develop the next generation of tools for the life sciences, is a testament to the importance of open data and collaborative science.

The potential benefits of this work are huge. Comparing a specific human genome against the human pangenome instead of the existing human reference genome gives better insights into its unique composition. This will be important in driving forward personalized medicine. Similar approaches for bacterial and viral genomes will underpin the tracking and management of pathogen outbreaks.

This project is funded by the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio (Q4Bio) Supported Challenge Program.

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Quantum Computing Meets Genomics: The Dawn of Hyper-Fast DNA Analysis - SciTechDaily

A year of strong funding coupled with sturdy underlying fundamentals and significant technological advances reflected strong momentum in quantum technology (QT).

Updated McKinsey analysis for the third annual Quantum Technology Monitorreveals that four sectorschemicals, life sciences, finance, and mobilityare likely to see the earliest impact from quantum computing and could gain up to $2 trillion by 2035 (see sidebar What is quantum technology?).

Private and corporate funding for quantum technology start-ups in pursuit of that value, however, took a notable dip. Investments decreased 27 percent from the previous year, with the biggest drop in quantum sensing start-ups. This decline, however, was smaller than the 38 percent decline in all start-up investment worldwide. Notably, the majority of funding (62 percent) went to companies founded five or more years ago, reflecting a shift in investments toward more-established and promising start-ups, with a focus on scaling them.

In contrast to the private sector, public investments increased more than 50 percent over 2022, making up almost a third of all investments in quantum technology. A range of countries, led by Germany, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, have announced significant new funding for QT development, bringing the global public funding total to date to about $42 billion.

Underscoring this momentum was continued strong growth in QT foundations. There was a wave of new or enhanced offerings (for example, start-ups that made their quantum computing accessible through the cloud) and significant technological advancementsespecially in quantum error correction and mitigationas well as a small increase in patents filed. In addition, we found a notable increase in quantum technology programs offered by universities, with the European Union taking the lead in the number of graduates in QT-related fields.

In this article, well go into these and other findings in greater detail (for more on the research, see sidebar About the Quantum Technology Monitor research).

In 2023, $1.71 billion was invested in QT start-ups, which represents a 27 percent decrease from the all-time high of $2.35 billion in 2022 (Exhibit 1). Nonetheless, the decrease is smaller when compared to the 38 percent decrease for all start-ups globally. The slowdown in the number of new QT start-ups founded continues (13 in 2023 versus 23 in 2022). Deal sizes have decreased as well, with the average deal size being $40 million in 2023 compared to $105 million in 2022 and $107 million in 2021. In line with this development, deal counts dropped to 171 in 2023 from 206 in 2022.

There are several factors causing the decrease in private investment into QT, including a significant shift in focus toward generative AI as well as lingering perceptions of QT being a long-term technology whose potential in various sectors is still being understood and evaluated.

Public funding for quantum technologies, on the other hand, jumped more than 50 percent over 2022. While China and the United States have previously dominated QT public investment, new announcements from Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the United Kingdom reflected a growing realization among a broader range of governments of the importance of QT; South Korea and the United Kingdom, in particular, made significant increases to their funding levels (Exhibit 2).

Most of these national initiatives aim to establish technological leadership and sovereignty and spur private investments for quantum technology development. For example, the aim of the United Kingdoms National Quantum Strategy, which includes $3.1 billion in public funding over ten years, is not only to allow the United Kingdom to be a leading quantum-enabled economy but also to generate $1.3 billion in private investment in quantum technologies.

Where did the funding go? The vast majority of investments have been in US companies (more than two times the amount compared to the next country), followed by companies in Canada and the United Kingdom. The majority of venture capital funding went to scaling up established start-ups, with more than 75 percent of the total investment value going to series B or later funding rounds. This suggests the establishment of more-mature technological platforms for quantum computing and signals investors potential risk aversion to early-stage start-ups and unproven technologies or approacheswhich also partially explains the 43 percent drop in new start-ups compared to 2022.

Talent development took a notable step forward in 2023, reflecting a positive focus on building QTs foundations. There were 367,000 people who graduated in 2023 with QT-relevant degrees. Meanwhile, the number of universities with QT programs increased 8.3 percent, to 195, while those offering masters degrees in QT increased by 10.0 percent, to 55. The European Union and the United Kingdom have the highest number and density, respectively, of graduates in QT-relevant fields. This surge helps explain why scientists from EU institutions contributed most often to quantum-relevant publications.

Building off of this talent and these investments to generate value is still a challenge because of limited access to state-of-the-art hardware and infrastructure, limited awareness and adoption of quantum technologies, and a lack of interdisciplinary coordination (such as between academia and industry) required to bring technologies to market. Collaboration between industry, academia, and government is essential to accelerating development of quantum technology to industrialize technology, manage intellectual property, and overcome talent gaps.

To address this issue, innovation clusters are emerging worldwide. These clusters are coordinated networks of partnerships between researchers, industry leaders, and government entities that contribute to the technological advancement of quantum technologies and drive regional value creation (Exhibit 3).

Most clusters share the following elements:

Developing and scaling such regional innovation ecosystems (including research consortiums) will be a determining factor for achieving wide adoption and commercialization of quantum technology.

The past year marked continued advances for all quantum technologies, with a range of enhanced and new QT offerings coming to the market. One advance was the transition from the NISQ era to the FTQC era. Other key breakthroughs included the following:

For the full set of insights and data, download the entire Quantum Technology Monitor.

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Steady progress in approaching quantum advantage | McKinsey - McKinsey