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A niobium superconducting cavity. The holes lead to tunnels which intersect to trap light and atoms. Credit: Aishwarya Kumar

Scientists have uncovered a method to convert quantum information between various quantum technologies, which holds significant impliciations for quantum computing, communication, and networking.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature, was financially supported by the Army Research Office (ARO), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks (HQAN), led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This represents an innovative approach to transforming quantum information from the format utilized by quantum computers to the format required for quantum communication.

Photonsparticles of lightare essential for quantum information technologies, but different technologies use them at different frequencies. For example, some of the most common quantum computing technology is based on superconducting qubits, such as those used by tech giants Google and IBM; these qubits store quantum information in photons that move at microwave frequencies.

But if you want to build a quantum network, or connect quantum computers, you cant send around microwave photons because their grip on their quantum information is too weak to survive the trip.

A lot of the technologies that we use for classical communicationcell phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, and things like thatall use microwave frequencies of light, said Aishwarya Kumar, a postdoc at the James Franck Institute at the University of Chicago and lead author on the paper. But you cant do that for quantum communication because the quantum information you need is in a single photon. And at microwave frequencies, that information will get buried in thermal noise.

A diagram of the electron energy levels of Rubidium. Two of the energy level gaps match the frequencies of optical photons and microwave photons, respectively. Lasers are used to force the electron to jump to higher levels or drop to lower levels. Credit: Aishwarya Kumar

The solution is to transfer the quantum information to a higher-frequency photon, called an optical photon, which is much more resilient against ambient noise. But the information cant be transferred directly from photon to photon; instead, we need intermediary matter. Some experiments design solid-state devices for this purpose, but Kumars experiment aimed for something more fundamental: atoms.

The electrons in atoms are only ever allowed to have certain specific amounts of energy, called energy levels. If an electron is sitting at a lower energy level, it can be excited to a higher energy level by hitting it with a photon whose energy exactly matches the difference between the higher and lower level. Similarly, when an electron is forced to drop to a lower energy level, the atom then emits a photon with an energy that matches the energy difference between levels.

Rubidium atoms happen to have two gaps in their levels that Kumars technology exploits: one that exactly equals the energy of a microwave photon, and one that exactly equals the energy of an optical photon. By using lasers to shift the atoms electron energies up and down, the technology allows the atom to absorb a microwave photon with quantum information and then emit an optical photon with that quantum information. This translation between different modes of quantum information is called transduction.

Effectively using atoms for this purpose is made possible by the significant progress scientists have made in manipulating such small objects. We as a community have built remarkable technology in the last 20 or 30 years that lets us control essentially everything about the atoms, Kumar said. So the experiment is very controlled and efficient.

He says the other secret to their success is the fields progress in cavity quantum electrodynamics, where a photon is trapped in a superconducting, reflective chamber. Forcing the photon to bounce around in an enclosed space, the superconducting cavity strengthens the interaction between the photon and whatever matter is placed inside it.

Their chamber doesnt look very enclosedin fact, it more closely resembles a block of Swiss cheese. But what looks like holes are actually tunnels that intersect in a very specific geometry, so that photons or atoms can be trapped at an intersection. Its a clever design that also allows researchers access to the chamber so they can inject the atoms and the photons.

The technology works both ways: it can transfer quantum information from microwave photons to optical photons, and vice versa. So it can be on either side of a long-distance connection between two superconducting qubit quantum computers, and serve as a fundamental building block to a quantum internet.

But Kumar thinks there may be a lot more applications for this technology than just quantum networking. Its core ability is to strongly entangle atoms and photonsan essential, and difficult task in many different quantum technologies across the field.

One of the things that were really excited about is the ability of this platform to generate really efficient entanglement, he said. Entanglement is central to almost everything quantum that we care about, from computing to simulations to metrology and atomic clocks. Im excited to see what else we can do.

Reference: Quantum-enabled millimetre wave to optical transduction using neutral atoms by Aishwarya Kumar, Aziza Suleymanzade, Mark Stone, Lavanya Taneja, Alexander Anferov, David I. Schuster and Jonathan Simon, 22 March 2023, Nature.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05740-2

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An Important Step for the Quantum Internet: New Experiment Translates Quantum Information Between Technologies - SciTechDaily

As funding pours into quantum computing, investors are focused on the potential for this technology to address scientific, business and security problems beyond the reach of todays conventional computers. There are signs that dramatic impacts could come in the not-too-distant future, according to industry executives who spoke at the Goldman Sachs 2023 Disruptive Technology Symposium.

A key question during the event was whether the development of quantum computing will follow a path of globalization or fragment into a regional approach. This is particularly relevant at a time when supply chains are on the minds of policy makers and business leaders, having become a source of geopolitical tension and showing indications of fragility during the pandemic.

Ilyas Khan, vice chairman and founder of Quantinuum, said during a panel on quantum computing that he sees the impulse for national control over the development of quantum computing technology. Work his company is doing in the U.S. is subject to a National Security Agreement that is governed by various federal agencies. In many countries, development of quantum computing technology is governed by national organizations, and the intensity of their attention and investment is a historic development, he said.

Im not aware of anything since the Industrial Revolution that even comes close to resembling the resources that are being managed at a national level in order to gain competitive advantage for individual countries, Khan said. When that happens, you get overlap, you get competition, you get suspicion, and in the early days you possibly get fences and borders and walls. And that is what is happening in quantum at the moment. Among many things that may eventually counter these trends and favor globalization, Khan said, will be the willingness of investors and corporate clients to look worldwide for the best ideas in quantum computing.

At the same time, there are significant military and cyber security concerns, as quantum computing is potentially powerful enough to overwhelm existing encryption protocols. The disruption that quantum computing promises wont just be in the business sphere but also in the national security arena, Stephen Nundy, chief technology officer for Lakestar, a European venture capital fund, told the symposium.

Nundy suggested this lends added urgency to questions about who will lead in developing this new technology. Europeans mostly watched from the sidelines as U.S. companies scaled up cloud computing businesses that are now dominant, he said, and they should be wary of doing the same in quantum computing. Europe would be making a poor choice to simply wait for a copy of the blueprint of quantum technology from the U.S. or Asia, rather than developing its domestic industry and expertise, he said.

Interdependence is another theme that is emerging as the quantum computing technology ecosystem develops. Pia Lemmetty, head of finance for IQM Quantum Computers in Finland, described her companys decision to build a pilot foundry for quantum processors. The initial aim was to be able to design chips and manufacture them in-house, but other startups that dont have foundry capability have started reaching out, she said. It will be very important to think about the European angle and ensure that we have capabilities in Europe to be self reliant on the hardware development side, Lemmetty said.

Lemmetty said her company is already beginning to work with corporate clients to design adaptations of quantum computing algorithms and solutions and then to develop hardware specifications to address industry-relevant problems. This will help ensure that businesses are building expertise and are enabled when a quantum advantage emerges, she said. The time is very much now to start doing that.

Markus Pflitsch, founder and CEO of Terra Quantum, agreed that corporate clients should start building relationships and expertise now. His Switzerland-based company is developing quantum algorithms, software that can run today on classical computers, while the development of quantum hardware proceeds. This hybrid approach, using simulated qubits, is already demonstrating some of what may be possible collective portfolio modeling for the investment industry, for example, or optimized satellite mission planning.

These algorithms may begin to reach their full potential when the hardware advances. But Pflitsch said companies should recognize the coming disruption and begin to work with quantum computing technology as soon as possible. We have a growing number of clients, Pflitsch said. We can deliver business value today.

This article is being provided for educational purposes only. The information contained in this article does not constitute a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to the recipient, and Goldman Sachs is not providing any financial, economic, legal, investment, accounting, or tax advice through this article or to its recipient. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this article and any liability therefore (including in respect of direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage) is expressly disclaimed.

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Can Europe Beat China and the US in Quantum Computing? - Goldman Sachs

LEESBURG, Va., March 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT), ("QCI" or the "Company"), a first-to-market full-stack photonic-based quantum computing and solutions company, today announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, QI Solutions, which focuses on federal projects, joined the Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC) as a non-traditional defense company that offers a suite of quantum services, ranging from quantum computing to quantum sensing, imaging, and cybersecurity.

The Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC)'s mission is to act as a united voice for Arizona's defense and industrial communities. The organization unites Arizona's massive defense community and its stakeholders, which is home to six military installations, four national guard operations and 1,250 defense contractors, specializing in numerous fields including electronic systems, smart automation, precision machining and advanced materials. The Arizona defense industry produces 76,000+ direct and indirect jobs and generates $10B in economic impact.

"We are proud to join AZDIC to help collaborate with the defense community in Arizona and carry on the legacy of the late great Senator McCain," saidQI Solutions President Sean Gabeler. "We see countless opportunities for quantum solutions in the defense community and honored to be part of this organization."

For additional information on the company's suite of solutions, please visit our websiteor contact our team directly.

About Quantum Computing Inc.

QCI is a full-stack quantum software and hardware company on a mission to accelerate the value of quantum computing for real-world business solutions, delivering the future of quantum computing, today. The company is on a path to delivering an accessible and affordable full-stack solution with real-world industrial applications, using quantum entropy, which can be used anywhere and with little to no training. QCI's experts in finance, computing, security, mathematics and physics have over a century of experience with complex technologies ranging from leading edge supercomputing to precision sensors and imaging technology, to the security that protects nations. For more information about QCI, visitwww.quantumcomputinginc.com.

About Quantum Innovative Solutions

QIS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quantum Computing Inc., is a newly established supplier of quantum technology solutions and services to the government and defense industries. With a team of qualified and cleared staff, QIS delivers a range of solutions from entropy quantum computing to quantum communications and sensing, backed by expertise in logistics, manufacturing, R&D and training. The company is exclusively focused on delivering tailored solutions for partners in various government departments and agencies.

About Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC)

The Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition (AZDIC) is a coalition of regional organizations inspired by Senator McCain, comprising the defense and mining industries, military, veterans and more, to act as a united voice and advocate for regional and national security efforts. Founding members include West Valley Defense Alliance (WVDA), Mesa Industry & Defense Council (MIDC), Southern Arizona Defense Alliance (SADA), and Yuma 50 with industry partners Raytheon, Boeing, and LG Energy. Together, these groups work closely to foster innovation and advocate for those providing critical resources and services to the US national security efforts. AZDIC's mission is to unify the AZ defense industry and its stakeholders to help secure both AZ regional and national security through better communication and policy reform. For more information on AZDIC, email Lynndy Smith at[emailprotected].

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. By their nature, forward-looking statements and forecasts involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the near future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Quantum Computing Inc. (the "Company"), and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed conditions. Statements in this press release that are not descriptions of historical facts are forward-looking statements relating to future events, and as such all forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements may contain certain forward-looking statements pertaining to future anticipated or projected plans, performance, and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations and results. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be considered to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "intends," "goal," "objective," "seek," "attempt," "aim to," or variations of these or similar words, identify forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and other factors as may periodically be described in the Company's filings with the SEC.

SOURCE Quantum Computing, Inc

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Quantum Computing Inc. Wholly Owned Subsidiary QI Solutions ... - PR Newswire

At Check Point Software Technologies, we are passionate about delivering the best security to our customers around the world. To accomplish this, we must stay ahead of cyber criminals by continuously innovating and considering new approaches for cybersecurity. One of the emerging technologies that we are following is quantum computing.

A quantum computer is a type of computer that uses quantum mechanics to process information, allowing it to solve certain problems much faster than classical computers. First suggested in 1980 by physicist Paul Benioff, quantum computing is still in the research phase. However, researchers are already starting to consider the types of applications that could run on quantum computers with the potential to transform our lives. Quantum computers will not only significantly improve the speed of resolving certain problems, but they will also solve problems that stump todays most powerful supercomputers.

Instead of using classical bits, which can only have a value of 0 or 1, quantum computers operate with data units called qubits (quantum bits). These are very different from the bits in todays computers. Thanks to the quantum mechanical phenomena, qubits have properties of entanglement and superposition that are not applicable for classical bits, which allows using qubits to run much more efficient computation.

Superposition means that each qubit simultaneously has values of 1 and 0 (and all linear combinations of them). Due to this property, the register ofnqubits represents2ndifferent values at the time. As a result, performing one operation on a quantum computer register holdingnqubits is similar to performing2noperations on the classical computer register holding n bits.

Entanglement of qubits allows researchers to correlate qubits values, as change in one qubit value results in change in the others as well. This property allows researchers to perform certain computational tasks faster, especially in the area of factorization and database searches.

Various techniques are being explored for building quantum computers, including superconducting circuits, trapped ions, and topological qubits. However, specialized software and algorithms are needed to fully utilize the unique features of quantum computing. Achieving practical quantum computing requires resolving a number of obstacles, such as error correction, scaling up the number of qubits, and integrating classical and quantum computing. Despite the challenges, many government, academic and enterprises are working on developing quantum computers and exploring their potential applications. And they have made good progress. The first quantum computer created in the mid-nineties had capacity for only two qubits.

In 2022, IBMunveileda quantum computer with 433 qubits. However, a 433 qubit computer is still insufficient for resolving complex real-life problems.Quantum computing is also gaining popularity in India, where the ecosystem of universities, developers, and students are all actively involved. Consequently, the country is emerging as a talent hub for quantum computing. Thegovernment also allocated 8000 Croretowards the National Mission on quantum technologies and applications to spur developments in quantum computing, cryptography, communications, and material science.

With quantum computing, researchers expect to be able to solve previously unsolvable problems, bringing great societal benefit to many areas, including:

However, quantum computers may also bring many new technical challenges. We are getting closer to the day when a quantum computer will be able to solve certain mathematical problems exponentially faster than classical computers. For example, a quantum computer will likely be able to break todays public key cryptosystems, which will have a major impact on the security and safety of the internet.

It is difficult to predict when quantum computing will become mainstream. It could be months or years away. However while researchers work diligently to advance quantum computing, Check Point and the larger cybersecurity industry are not sitting idle. Since 2016, the USNational Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) has led international efforts devoted to defining new cryptographic solutions that are quantum resistant. And at Check Point, we are also working diligently on the challenge of quantum resistant encryption. We will share more details in our next blog post.

About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (https://www.checkpoint.com/) is a leading provider of cyber security solutions to corporate enterprises and governments globally. Check Point Infinitys portfolio of solutions protects enterprises and public organisations from 5thgeneration cyber-attacks with an industry leading catch rate of malware, ransomware and other threats. Infinity comprises four core pillars delivering uncompromised security and generation V threat prevention across enterprise environments: Check Point Harmony, for remote users; Check Point CloudGuard, to automatically secure clouds; and Check Point Quantum, to protect network perimeters and datacenters, all controlled by the industrys most comprehensive, intuitive unified security management; Check Point Horizon, a prevention-first security operations suite. Check Point protects over 100,000 organizations of all sizes.

(This article is written by Manish Alshi, Head, Channels & Emerging Technologies, Check Point Software Technologies India & SAARC, and the views expressed in this article are his own)

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Taking a Quantum Leap in the future of computing - CXOToday.com

Researchers at Yale have extended the lifetime of a qubit by 2.3 times, a major step in improving and proving the viability of quantum computers.

Sammi Kwon 12:43 am, Mar 31, 2023

Contributing Reporter

Vera Villanueva

Yale Daily News

Since the beginning of the quantum revolution in the early 20th century, scientists have been working to prove the functionality of quantum computing.

While in theory the quantum computer is a powerful tool with the ability to encode calculations at speeds faster than those of a classical computer, the physical proof of principle has yet to be demonstrated. However, recent developments by Yale researchers in quantum error correction could represent a major step in proving the feasibility and potential of quantum computers.

A qubit, or quantum bit, is a unit of quantum information that is physically constructed of circuits made of superconductors and cooled to very low temperatures to optimize the circuits efficiency. Yale researchers in the Devoret research group have successfully extended the lifetime of a qubit beyond the break-even point, seeing a gain in the preservation of information and the amount of operations that can be performed on a qubit in one lifetime.

We increased the lifetime by a factor of 2.3, so we more than doubled the number of operations that we can perform before the qubit begins to fail, said Luigi Frunzio, a senior research scientist in applied physics.

With the help of machine learning to optimize calibration and precision, the researchers used quantum error correction a process used to protect information encoded in qubits from errors due to quantum noise to achieve this breakthrough.

According to Frunzio, using the Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill quantum error correction code, the research group was the first to see more errors corrected than errors produced in quantum information. Before this breakthrough, he said, there were more errors than corrections from quantum error correction codes.

Steve Girvin, Yales Eugene Higgins professor of physics, noted that prior to this study, many research groups across the world had gotten close to the break-even point. According to Girvin, by incorporating the efforts of interdisciplinary research and an accumulation of progress from over the years, this breakthrough was finally the first to extend the qubits lifetime above the break-even point to see a gain greater than one.

Having a stable qubit above the break-even point shows that the theories behind quantum computing are plausible, according to Baptiste Royer, former postdoctoral student in the Devoret research group.

One of the main claims is to show that it is possible to have a stable qubit above break-even at the heart of quantum error correction, Royer said.

All sources the News spoke to noted that in addition to being a step towards building more functional quantum computers, the breakthrough is also a proof-of-principle demonstration that shows that researchers may eventually be able to build a quantum computer that provides an advantage beyond any modern supercomputer.

While there is still a long way to go before quantum computers can be as effective as classical computers in terms of functionality, according to Girvin, this breakthrough is an important first step to improving the practicality of quantum computers.

This is a big step forward, though, there is still a huge distance to go to get a gain of millions or billions, Girvin said. But the journey to a billion begins with being above one. The grand challenge to solve is if quantum computers are going to be practical.

With this goal in mind, all three researchers mentioned that the next advancement needed to further validate quantum error correction and the practicality of quantum computing is extending the lifetime of qubits to the scale of billions. Royer added that they are also working on extending this breakthrough to more than one qubit such that complex algorithms can be implemented in the quantum computers.

With the feasibility of quantum error correction, better qubits and better machines altogether, quantum computation will not only be possible but also more concretely useful for disciplines beyond science and math, Frunzio said.

The first quantum computer, a two-qubit with the ability to load and output data, was built in 1989.

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Yale researchers achieve breakthrough in extending qubits lifetime ... - Yale Daily News