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Quantum computing has long been celebrated for its potential to surpass traditional computing in terms of speed and memory efficiency. This innovative technology promises to revolutionize our ability to predict physical phenomena that were once deemed impossible to forecast.

The essence of quantum computing lies in its use of quantum bits, or qubits, which, unlike the binary digits of classical computers, can represent values anywhere between 0 and 1.

This fundamental difference allows quantum computers to process and store information in a way that could vastly outpace their classical counterparts under certain conditions.

However, the journey of quantum computing is not without its challenges. Quantum systems are inherently delicate, often struggling with information loss, a hurdle classical systems do not face.

Additionally, converting quantum information into a classical format, a necessary step for practical applications, presents its own set of difficulties.

Contrary to initial expectations, classical computers have been shown to emulate quantum computing processes more efficiently than previously believed, thanks to innovative algorithmic strategies.

Recent research has demonstrated that with a clever approach, classical computing can not only match but exceed the performance of cutting-edge quantum machines.

The key to this breakthrough lies in an algorithm that selectively maintains quantum information, retaining just enough to accurately predict outcomes.

This work underscores the myriad of possibilities for enhancing computation, integrating both classical and quantum methodologies, explains Dries Sels, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at New York University and co-author of the study.

Sels emphasizes the difficulty of securing a quantum advantage given the susceptibility of quantum computers to errors.

Moreover, our work highlights how difficult it is to achieve quantum advantage with an error-prone quantum computer, Sels emphasized.

The research team, including collaborators from the Simons Foundation, explored optimizing classical computing by focusing on tensor networks.

These networks, which effectively represent qubit interactions, have traditionally been challenging to manage.

Recent advancements, however, have facilitated the optimization of these networks using techniques adapted from statistical inference, thereby enhancing computational efficiency.

The analogy of compressing an image into a JPEG format, as noted by Joseph Tindall of the Flatiron Institute and project lead, offers a clear comparison.

Just as image compression reduces file size with minimal quality loss, selecting various structures for the tensor network enables different forms of computational compression, optimizing the way information is stored and processed.

Tindalls team is optimistic about the future, developing versatile tools for handling diverse tensor networks.

Choosing different structures for the tensor network corresponds to choosing different forms of compression, like different formats for your image, says Tindall.

We are successfully developing tools for working with a wide range of different tensor networks. This work reflects that, and we are confident that we will soon be raising the bar for quantum computing even further.

In summary, this brilliant work highlights the complexity of achieving quantum superiority and showcases the untapped potential of classical computing.

By reimagining classical algorithms, scientists are challenging the boundaries of computing and opening new pathways for technological advancement, blending the strengths of both classical and quantum approaches in the quest for computational excellence.

As discussed above, quantum computing represents a revolutionary leap in computational capabilities, harnessing the peculiar principles of quantum mechanics to process information in fundamentally new ways.

Unlike traditional computers, which use bits as the smallest unit of data, quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits. These qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously, thanks to the quantum phenomena of superposition and entanglement.

At the heart of quantum computing lies the qubit. Unlike a classical bit, which can be either 0 or 1, a qubit can be in a state of 0, 1, or both 0 and 1 simultaneously.

This capability allows quantum computers to perform many calculations at once, providing the potential to solve certain types of problems much more efficiently than classical computers.

The power of quantum computing scales exponentially with the number of qubits, making the technology incredibly potent even with a relatively small number of qubits.

Quantum supremacy is a milestone in the field, referring to the point at which a quantum computer can perform a calculation that is practically impossible for a classical computer to execute within a reasonable timeframe.

Achieving quantum supremacy demonstrates the potential of quantum computers to tackle problems beyond the reach of classical computing, such as simulating quantum physical processes, optimizing large systems, and more.

The implications of quantum computing are vast and varied, touching upon numerous fields. In cryptography, quantum computers pose a threat to traditional encryption methods but also offer new quantum-resistant algorithms.

In drug discovery and material science, they can simulate molecular structures with high precision, accelerating the development of new medications and materials.

Furthermore, quantum computing holds the promise of optimizing complex systems, from logistics and supply chains to climate models, potentially leading to breakthroughs in how we address global challenges.

Despite the exciting potential, quantum computing faces significant technical hurdles, including error rates and qubit stability.

Researchers are actively exploring various approaches to quantum computing, such as superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and topological qubits, each with its own set of challenges and advantages.

As the field progresses, the collaboration between academia, industry, and governments continues to grow, driving innovation and overcoming obstacles.

The journey toward practical and widely accessible quantum computing is complex and uncertain, but the potential rewards make it one of the most thrilling areas of modern science and technology.

Quantum computing stands at the frontier of a new era in computing, promising to redefine what is computationally possible.

As researchers work to scale up quantum systems and solve the challenges ahead, the future of quantum computing shines with the possibility of solving some of humanitys most enduring problems.

The full study was published by PRX Quantum.

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TORONTO, Feb. 23, 2024 Xanadu, a world leader in photonic quantum computing, received a repayable contribution from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), to help companies advance and commercialize their quantum products.

This funding, through the Regional Quantum Initiative (RQI), will accelerate the development of PennyLane, Xanadus open-source, cloud-based software framework for quantum machine learning, quantum chemistry, and quantum computing.

Southern Ontario is well-positioned for quantum breakthroughs because we are home to world-leading research centers and high-potential quantum companies, like the ones we are celebrating today. Businesses in this sector are creating incredible technologies and our government is providing support so they can bring them to market faster, advancing Canadas role as a world leader in quantum technologies, said the Hon. Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

With todays announcement, our government is strengthening Canadas position in quantum technology and helping to boost economic growth and create good jobs for Canadians. Through these investments, we will continue to build this sector and support made-in-Canada technologies that will have a major impact on industries like computing, communications, security and health care, said Bryan May, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Small Business and to the Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.

Viable applications of quantum computers are contingent upon achieving fault-tolerant quantum computation (FTQC). Great strides have been made in the field, and to continue the development of quantum computing technologies and ensure FTQC is achieved, the future quantum workforce must be well-trained.

Since 2016, Xanadu has been on a mission to make quantum computers useful and available to people everywhere. One key for that mission is accessibility to top-tier quantum education that will help build the future quantum workforce. To support this goal, Xanadu has worked with numerous universities across Canada and the world to create custom educational programs and has established a dedicated quantum community team that runs educational events, creates free educational materials, and engages directly with the community.

As a budget commitment in 2021, the Government of Canada launched its National Quantum Strategy in January 2023, which is underpinned by three pillars: research, talent, and commercialization. FedDev Ontario is one of the regional development agencies focused on supporting high-potential quantum projects and scaling promising Canadian companies.

Through RQI, Xanadu is receiving a repayable investment of $3.75 million to accelerate its core quantum software, PennyLane. This funding will create 22 new quantum jobs, further strengthening Canadas quantum workforce. The objectives of this project include advancing the operating infrastructure to provide a broader cloud offering, as well as increasing community support and creating more user engagement materials.

We are thrilled to receive this FedDev Ontario support to advance our quantum technology, build a larger quantum community, and further strengthen Canadas position as a global quantum leader, said Christian Weedbrook, Xanadu Founder and CEO.

About Xanadu

Xanadu is a quantum computing company with the mission to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere. Founded in 2016, Xanadu has become one of the worlds leading quantum hardware and software companies. The company also leads the development of PennyLane, an open-source software library for quantum computing and application development.

Source: Xanadu

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Government of Canada Supports Xanadu to Accelerate Quantum Computing Research and Education - HPCwire

While artificial intelligence and semiconductors capture global attention, some U.S. policymakers want to ensure Congress doesn't fail to invest and stay competitive in other emerging technologies, including quantum computing.

Quantum computing regularly lands on the U.S. critical and emerging technologies list, which pinpoints technologies that could affect U.S. national security. Quantum computing -- an area of computer science that uses quantum physics to solve problems too complex for traditional computers -- not only affects U.S. national security, but intersects with other prominent technologies and industries, including AI, healthcare and communications.

The U.S. first funded quantum computing research and development in 2018 through the $1.2 billion National Quantum Initiative Act. It's something policymakers now want to continue through the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act. Reps. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced the legislation in November 2023, and it has yet to pass the House despite having bipartisan support.

Continuing to invest in quantum computing R&D means staying competitive with other countries making similar investments to not only stay ahead of the latest advancements, but protect national security, said Isabel Al-Dhahir, principal analyst at GlobalData.

"Quantum computing's geopolitical weight and the risk a powerful quantum computer poses to current cybersecurity measures mean that not only the U.S., but also China, the EU, the U.K., India, Canada, Japan and Australia are investing heavily in the technology and are focused on building strong internal quantum ecosystems in the name of national security," she said.

Global competition in quantum computing will increase as the technology moves from theoretical to practical applications, Al-Dhahir said. Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize areas such as drug development and cryptography.

Al-Dhahir said while China is investing $15 billion over the next five years in its quantum computing capabilities, the EU's Quantum Technologies Flagship program will provide $1.2 billion in funding over the next 10 years. To stay competitive, the U.S. needs to continue funding quantum computing R&D and studying practical applications for the technology.

"If reauthorization fails, it will damage the U.S.'s position in the global quantum race," she said.

Lofgren, who spoke during The Intersect: A Tech and Policy Summit earlier this month, said it's important to pass the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to "maintain our competitive edge." The legislation aims to move beyond scientific research and into practical applications of quantum computing, along with ensuring scientists have the necessary resources to accomplish those goals, she said.

Indeed, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said during the summit that the National Quantum Initiative Act needs to be reauthorized for the U.S. to move forward. Blackburn, along with Sen. Ben Ray Lujn (D-N.M.), has also introduced the Quantum Sandbox for Near-Term Applications Act to advance commercialization of quantum computing.

The 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act served a "monumental" purpose in mandating agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NIST and the Department of Energy to study quantum computing and create a national strategy, said Joseph Keller, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Though the private sector has made significant investments in quantum computing, Keller said the U.S. would not be a leader in quantum computing research without federal support, especially with goals to eventually commercialize the technology at scale. He said that's why it's pivotal for the U.S. to pass the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, even amid other congressional priorities such as AI.

"I don't think you see any progress forward without the passage of that legislation," Keller said.

Despite investment from numerous big tech companies, including Microsoft, Intel, IBM and Google, significant technical hurdles remain for the broad commercialization of quantum computing, Al-Dhahir said.

She said the quantum computing market faces issues such as overcoming high error rates -- for example, suppressing error rates requires "substantially higher" qubit counts than what is being achieved today. A qubit, short for quantum bit, is considered a basic unit of information in quantum computing.

IBM released the first quantum computer with more than 1,000 qubits in 2023. However, Al-Dhahir said more is needed to avoid high error rates in quantum computing.

"The consensus is that hundreds of thousands to millions of qubits are required for practical large-scale quantum computers," she said.

Indeed, industry is still trying to identify the economic proposition of quantum computing, and the government has a role to play in that, Brookings' Keller said.

"It doesn't really have these real-world applications, things you can hold and touch," he said. "But there are breakthroughs happening in science and industry."

Lofgren said she recognizes that quantum computing has yet to reach the stage of practical, commercial applications, but she hopes that legislation such as the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act will help the U.S. advance quantum computing to that stage.

"Quantum computing is not quite there yet, although we are making tremendous strides," she said.

Makenzie Holland is a news writer covering big tech and federal regulation. Prior to joining TechTarget Editorial, she was a general reporter for the Wilmington StarNews and a crime and education reporter at the Wabash Plain Dealer.

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U.S. weighs National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act - TechTarget

A radical superconducting qubit design promises to extend their runtime by addressing decoherence challenges in quantum computing.

A new qubit design based on superconductors could revolutionize quantum computing. By leveraging the distinct properties of single-atom-thick layers of materials, this new approach to superconducting circuits promises to significantly extend the runtime of a quantum computer, addressing a major challenge in the field.

This limitation on continuous operation time arises because the quantum state of a qubit the basic computing unit of a quantum computer can be easily destabilized due to interactions with its environment and other qubits. This destruction of the quantum state is called decoherence and leads to errors in computations.

Among the various types of qubits that scientists have created, including photons, trapped ions, and quantum dots, superconducting qubits are desirable because they can switch between different states in the shortest amount of time.

Their operation is based on the fact that, due to subtle quantum effects, the power of the electric current flowing through the superconductor can take discrete values, each corresponding to a state of 0 and/or 1 (or even larger values for some designs).

For superconducting qubits to work correctly, they require the presence of a gap in the superconducting circuit called a Josephson junction through which an electrical current flows through a quantum phenomenon called tunneling the passage of particles through a barrier that, according to the laws of classical physics, they should not be able to cross.

The problem is, the advantage of superconducting qubits in enhanced switching time comes at a cost: They are more susceptible to decoherence, which occurs in milliseconds, or even faster. To mitigate this issue, scientists typically resort to meticulous adjustments of circuit configurations and qubit placements with few net gains.

Addressing this challenge with a more radical approach, an international team of researchers proposed a novel Josephson junction design using two, single-atom-thick flakes of a superconducting copper-based material called a cuprate. They called their design flowermon.

In their study published in the Physical Review Letters, the team applied the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics to analyze the current flow through a Josephson junction and discovered that if the angle between the crystal lattices of two superconducting cuprate sheets is 45 degrees, the qubit exhibits more resilience to external disturbances compared to conventional designs based on materials like niobium and tantalum.

The flowermon modernizes the old idea of using unconventional superconductors for protected quantum circuits and combines it with new fabrication techniques and a new understanding of superconducting circuit coherence, Uri Vool, a physicist at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Germany, explained in a press release.

The teams calculations suggest that the noise reduction promised by their design could increase the qubits coherence time by orders of magnitude, thereby enhancing the continuous operation of quantum computers. However, they view their research as just the beginning, envisioning future endeavors to further optimize superconducting qubits based on their findings.

The idea behind the flowermon can be extended in several directions: Searching for different superconductors or junctions yielding similar effects, exploring the possibility to realize novel quantum devices based on the flowermon, said Valentina Brosco, a researcher at the Institute for Complex Systems Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and Physics Department University of Rome. These devices would combine the benefits of quantum materials and coherent quantum circuits or using the flowermon or related design to investigate the physics of complex superconducting heterostructures.

This is only the first simple concrete example of utilizing the inherent properties of a material to make a new quantum device, and we hope to build on it and find additional examples, eventually establishing a field of research that combines complex material physics with quantum devices, Vool added.

Since the teams study was purely theoretical, even the simplest heterostructure-based qubit design they proposed requires experimental validation a step that is currently underway.

Experimentally, there is still quite a lot of work towards implementing this proposal, concluded Vool. We are currently fabricating and measuring hybrid superconducting circuits which integrate these van der Waals superconductors, and hope to utilize these circuits to better understand the material, and eventually design and measure protected hybrid superconducting circuits to make them into real useful devices.

Reference: Uri Vool, et al., Superconducting Qubit Based on Twisted Cuprate Van der Waals Heterostructures, Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.017003

Feature image credit: SuttleMedia on Pixabay

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Superconducting qubit promises breakthrough in quantum computing - Advanced Science News

Quantum Computing Is Different

Quantum computing is the idea of using quantum physics to perform calculations, which differs from normal semiconductor-based computing methods. Instead of generating 0 and 1 (no current or current), it uses quantum bits, called qubits, where particle data is either 0 AND 1 at once, or 1, or 0.

Because of the fundamental difference in the way of calculus, quantum computing is not so much an alternative to normal computing but rather a complement.

Standard computing works in a linear fashion and struggles with very complex calculations, like climate modeling, cryptography, or the 3D configuration of complex molecules like proteins. And this is precisely the type of calculation that quantum computing is expected to excel at.

So, while our laptops and smartphones are likely to never be quantum computers, they could revolutionize scientific research.

So, with the promise that quantum supercomputers will perform a thousand times better than the existing ones, it is not a surprise that plenty of research has been done to make them a reality.

But the problem is that creating even one qubit is technically very difficult. The first difficulty is that quantum computing only works at ultra-low temperatures, around a hundred degrees above absolute zero. Only in these conditions are some unique materials turning into superconductors (materials with no electric resistance). This is energy-consuming, expensive, and difficult to achieve.

And then, managing to control, manipulate, and read the data in a qubit is also complex, usually involving ultra-precise lasers, atomic microscopes, and sensors. Lastly, any interference will make the qubit useless, so a perfect vacuum needs to be achieved as well.

While semiconductor chips manipulate matter at scales measuring only a few atoms', quantum computing is looking to handle the matter at the particle scale. Notably, a practical quantum computer will require thousands of qubits to stay stable and interact with each other.

A team headed by Professor Gerhard Birkl from the Atoms Photons Quanta research group in the Department of Physics at TU Darmstadtin Germanyhas just created the largest quantum computer yet.

They have created a quantum computer with 1,000 individually controllable atomic qubits, winning a race in the field against many other scientific teams.

The 1,000 mark is partially symbolic but also around the number expected to be required for meaningful application of quantum computers. Less than that, they are mostly a scientific curiosity and a promising idea, but not much more.

The technique uses optical tweezers, which are special lasers able to manipulate the atoms individually. Thanks to progress in micro-optics, this is the most promising technique in quantum computing for a scalable method to build much bigger systems.

As the number of lenslets per square centimeter readily reaches 100,000 and MLA wafers with areas of several 100 square centimeters can be produced, they have enormous potential in terms of scalability, only limited by the available laser power

Source: Optica

By perfecting the usage of such optical tweezers, Prof. Birkl has demonstrated that large quantum computers, with thousands of qubits, can be engineered. This, in turn, will give the essential tool needed by other researchers to perform quantum computations.

Many problems physicists struggle with today are linked to particle behavior at the quantum scale, or at least as soon as more than 30 particles are simulated. This is a problem as ordinary computing systems struggle with the probabilistic behavior of particles and quantum physics in general.

To solve this issue, the ideal situation would be to develop a quantum simulator where qubits can simulate the behavior of quantum particles. This is because qubits use themselves the quantum properties of entanglement and superposition, which are the parts so hard to simulate in a normal computer.

While quantum simulators are essentially a special type of quantum computer, the issue so far has been to make them able to simulate many different particles instead of having to custom design a quantum simulator for each specific physical question.

Natalia Chepiga and her research group, assistant professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, might have found a solution.

She proposes a protocol that creates a fully controllable quantum simulator in a scientific paper published in Physical Review Letters. This works by using two lasers with different frequencies or colors, adding an extra dimension to the calculation. Theoretically, this method could be expanded to add more than 2 dimensions to the quantum simulator calculus.

This type of quantum simulator could be a major boost in plenty of research efforts at the very edge of our current knowledge, including ultra-cold physics (including superconductors), semiconductors, material sciences, telecommunications, and energy technologies (especially batteries).

Most quantum computing designs are focused on qubits, and making them more easy to manipulate/program and to add more of them. An alternative is using quantum digits, or qudits.

Aquantum computer withxqubits can perform 2xcalculations. However, a machine withxnumber ofqudits, with D representing the number of states per qudit, can perform Dx number of calculations.

This means you can encode the same information in fewer quantum particles when using qudits,

Martin Ringbauer, a quantum physicist at the University of Innsbruck in Austriain IEEE Spectrum

In simpler terms, the more D dimensions to a quantum computing system, the more it is becoming exponentially powerful. In addition to this more efficient calculation using qudits instead of qubits, they are expected to be more reliable and less likely to cause calculation error than qubits.

So it is big news that a team of researchers led by Andrea Morelloat the USNW in Australia has createda 16-dimension, highly controllable qudit computing system. With D=16, any quantity of qudits added to the system increases the computing capacity by a power 16.

To achieve this, they used a 123Sb (antimony) donor atom, which was ion-implanted in a silicon nanoelectronic device.

The combined Hilbert space of the atom spans 16 dimensions, and can be accessed using both electric and magnetic control fields. Andrea Morello

This system achieved remarkable results; notably, the nuclear spin already shows gate fidelities exceeding 99% regardless of the drive mechanism. The antimony atom is also an improvement over the previously used 31P (phosphorus), as antimony is a heavier atom and is easier to manipulate.

This technical and scientific achievement is also further improving, notably using isotopically purified 28Si (silicon), removing residual 29Si concentration, and improving the system's reliability (coherence times and gate fidelities).

The field is still very much in its infancy, with whole new concepts still emerging, like usable qudits or programmable quantum simulators.

Combined with the progress in creating 1,000+ qubit systems, this shows that quantum computing will likely be a very important scientific field in the upcoming decades, with tremendous untapped potential.

Currently, research in material science or biochemistry is being boosted by AI, something we discussed in our article Disruptive Industries Coalescing Around a Core Technology Artificial Intelligence (AI).

But soon, in the next 5-10 years, we might start seeing practical results of quantum computing calculations. The hardware is now moving from thought experiments and lab demonstrators to prototypes of commercial research computers.

The next step will be developing software that can maximize the potential of quantum computingand starting to produce at-scale quantum computers to decrease costs and provide some standardization.

So, in many ways, quantum computing is at the stage where the first commercial computer mainframes were coming out in the 1950s and 1960s before becoming a common business and research tool in the following decades.

While hard to fully predict, we already know a few segments that will benefit greatly from quantum computing becoming more widely available:

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) was the leading force behind the commercialization of the first mainframe computer. However, it has fallen behind other tech giants like Apple, TSMC, and NVIDIA.

It is, however, at the forefront of the development of quantum computers. For example, it developed its 127-qubit Eagle quantum computer, which was followed by a 433-qubit system known as Osprey.

And this is now followed by Condor, a 1,121 superconducting qubit quantum processorbased on cross-resonance gate technology, together with Heron, a quantum processor at the very edge of the field.

Finally, IBM released Qiskit 1.0 in February 2024, the most popular quantum computing SDK, with improvements in circuit construction, compilation times, and memory consumption compared to earlier releases.

Looking forward, IBM has already announced its next major goal in anticipation of its current quantum chips outgrowing' the currently used infrastructure. This goal is known as IBM Quantum System Two'; a modular system that has the potential to support up to 16,632 qubits.

IBM's strength has always been since its inception in developing ultra-powerful supercomputers, a segment of the market overshadowed by the rise of consumer electronics and standardized chips. The emergence of quantum computing is an occasion for IBM to shine again and become a leader in this upcoming important segment of computing for scientific research and large corporation computing needs.

Already a leader in normal cloud services, Microsoft is a pioneer in offering quantum computing cloud services withAzure Quantum. It is entirely possible that most quantum computing in the future will be done by researchers remotely, relying on cloud services like Microsoft's, instead of direct access to their own quantum computer.

This is especially likely as, ultimately, most of the quantum computing applications will be researched by biochemists, material science experts, climate scientists, and other specialists with no specific background in quantum computing. So relying upon dedicated professionals working at firms like IBM, Microsoft, or Google to handle the computing part makes more sense than hiring or training people strangers to the field.

The service can also offer hybrid computing, mixing quantum computing with traditional cloud-based supercomputer service.

Instead of vertical integration, Microsoft's approach to quantum computing has been to establish partnerships with leaders in the field covering virtually all the technologies possible to achieve quantum computing, like IonQ(IONQ), Pasqal, Quantinuum, QCI(QUBT), and Rigetti(RGTI).

Quantum computing is not central to Microsoft's business, at least for now. It is nevertheless a central actor of the sector and might make for a safer stock pick over directly acquiring shares of its quantum computing partners that are publicly traded, like QCI or Rigetti.

Google is very active in quantum computing, mostly through its Google Quantum AI lab and Quantum AI campus in Santa Barbara.

Google's quantum computer made history in 2019 when Google claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy with its Sycamore machine, performing a calculation in 200 seconds that would have taken a conventional supercomputer 10,000 years.

But maybe the greatest contribution of Google will be in software, an activity where it has a much better track record than hardware (search, GSuit, Android, etc.). Already, Google's Quantum AI makes available a suite of software designed to assist scientists in developing quantum algorithms.

Google might likely be one of the companies setting the standards of quantum computing software & programming, giving a privileged place to direct where the field will evolve in the future.

Quantinuum is the result of the merger of Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum (and, as mentioned, a partner of Microsoft quantum cloud computing).

Quantinuum seems, for now, to focus on segments less explored by other quantum computing systems, notably financial and supply chain-related analyses, through its Quantum Monte Carlo Integration (QMCI) engine, launched in September 2023.

QMCI applies to problems that have no analytic solution, such as pricing financial derivatives or simulating the results of high-energy particle physics experiments, and promises computational advances across business, energy, supply chain logistics, and other sectors.

Like for Microsoft, quantum computing is not the central part of Honeywell's business, more centered around products in aerospace, automation, and specialty chemicals & materials.

However, considering every single one of these business segments could benefit from quantum computing, it is not hard to see the business case for Honeywell to get involved.

So this makes Honeywell both a provider of quantum computing services and one of the companies that could benefit from the application of quantum computers to real-life business cases, something the integration of Quantinuum into the group should help foster at a quicker pace than its industrial competitors.

Intel is a major chip producer and seems to target to leverage this strength into the quantum computing arena.

It recently released Tunnel Falls, the most advanced silicon spin qubit chip. What is remarkable is that it is not a prototype but a chip built at scale, with a 95% yield rate across the wafer and voltage uniformity. This opens the way to mass production of quantum computing chips, something for now elusive in a nascent and quickly changing industry.

Faithful to its roots, Intel is also developing the software to utilize its chips, with the release of the Intel Quantum SDK. This provides the guideline for programmers to develop software for quantum computing compatible with Intel quantum chip design, which has historically been a very strong & profitable business moat for Intel's conventional chip business.

The arrival of scalable quantum chip manufacturing could be as revolutionary for the industry as any other more technical scientific breakthrough, bringing down costs, and setting common programming standards and chip architectures.

Intel is a company that knows from experience how strong of a force this can be in the computing industry, still riding on the tail of its innovations and associated patents from the 1960s onward.

The quantum computing sector is still very young. It has so far been mostly taken over by large tech corporations with deep enough pockets to finance billions of dollars into this sort of fundamental research.

However, many other smaller companies are also active in the field, some partnering with said giants to deploy their technology.

It can be a rather difficult task for non-specialist investors to understand the intricacy of the different quantum computing technologies, even more guessing which will be commercially successful.

So, while direct investment in small quantum computing startups is an option, another is to rely on an ETF to get exposure to the sector while diversifying at a lower cost.

The Defiance Quantum ETF contains 69 different stocks related to quantum computing in its holdings, including quantum computer & chip developers, as well as suppliers of cooling systems, lasers, software, and other technology used in quantum computers or quantum chip production.

In this quickly evolving field, most investors, even those familiar with the semiconductor industry, will probably benefit from a degree of diversification. So this can be achieved either by betting on individual tech giants making the right partnership choices or with a wide array of stocks, something often more efficiently achieved through a dedicated ETF.

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The Current State of Quantum Computing - Securities.io