Thursday, September 12th, 2024

Enjoy a nice cup of freshly brewed quantum news ☕️ 

Today’s issue includes:

• IonQ announced that it surpassed 99.9% two-qubit gate fidelity on its barium ion platform, one step further towards building high-performance, enterprise-grade quantum systems.

• BosonQ Psi announced the achievement of a large-scale computational fluid dynamics simulation using only 30 logical qubits on a quantum compute.

• The variational quantum harmonizer allows researchers to explore quantum simulations through sound.

• Plus, a 25-qubit flip-chip with decreased crosstalk, an innovation hub to promote AI and quantum tech, real-time thermal management in quantum processors, and more.

And even more research, news, & events within quantum.

✨ IonQ Achieves 99.9% Two-Qubit Gate Fidelity on Barium Ion Platform

QUICK BYTE: IonQ announced that it surpassed 99.9% two-qubit gate fidelity on its barium ion platform, one step further towards building high-performance, enterprise-grade quantum systems.

DETAILS: 

• IonQ achieved 99.9% (three 9's) two-qubit gate fidelity on its next-generation barium ion platform, demonstrating optimized two-qubit gates in a two-ion chain.

• With this achievement, IonQ is able to identify and remove error mechanisms in large, enterprise-grade quantum systems, a step towards their upcoming commercial system, IonQ Tempo.

• Barium ions may provide several advantages over traditional ytterbium ions, including higher gate speeds, lower error rates, and better stability.

• This announcement supports IonQ’s long-term goal of developing commercial quantum computers with reduced error correction needs,in order to develop more accurate and efficient quantum applications for complex problems.

✈️ BosonQ Psi Achieves Breakthrough in CFD Simulation Using 30 Logical Qubits on Quantum Computer

QUICK BYTE: BosonQ Psi announced the achievement of a large-scale computational fluid dynamics simulation using only 30 logical qubits on a quantum compute.

DETAILS: 

• BQP, a quantum-based engineering simulations startup, announced a research milestone for simulating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using a hybrid quantum-classical solver in its BQPhy platform.

• BQP researchers conducted 100,000 experiments and estimated that large-scale CFD simulations of a jet engine could be achieved using just 30 logical qubits on a quantum computer, compared to 19.2 million compute cores required for classical simulations.

• The research demonstrated the scalability and accuracy of BQP's Hybrid Quantum Classical Finite Method (HQCFM) solver by simulating non-linear PDEs with up to 11 qubits, showing that it can solve complex transient problems without error propagation.

• BQP’s achievement may provide significant improvement for CFD simulations, which could reduce hardware demands, and improve design processes for industries like aerospace, gas dynamics, and flood modeling.

🎶 Variational Quantum Harmonizer Brings Together Quantum Simulations and Music Composition

QUICK BYTE: Announced in a recent arXiv preprint, the variational quantum harmonizer allows researchers to explore quantum simulations through sound, used for the the musical piece "Hexagonal Chambers," to showcase the interplay between quantum computing and creative expression.

DETAILS: 

• Researchers from German Electron Synchrotron DESY, the Cyprus Institute, the University of Plymouth, and others developed the variational quantum harmonizer (VQH), a tool that sonifies the minimization steps of variational quantum algorithms, particularly for problems like quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO).

• The VQH uses a hybrid quantum-classical approach to convert quantum states into sound, serving both as a research tool for better understanding quantum systems and as a musical instrument for creative compositions.

• The software is implemented in Python and uses Qiskit for quantum computation and SuperCollider for sound generation, with users able to control and design sonification mappings for real-time auditory feedback.

• Quantum computing has the interdisciplinary potential to also serve creative fields, such as in quantum computer-aided music composition, as demonstrated through the piece "Hexagonal Chambers".

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland developed a 25-qubit flip-chip superconducting quantum processor with low signal crosstalk by optimizing the signal-routing pattern and employing shielding techniques, achieving an average crosstalk performance of -40 dB for xy qubit-drive lines and 0.05% for direct-current flux. This is relevant for improving quantum gate fidelities and enabling scalability in quantum processors.

Mphasis has opened a new Innovation Hub in London's Tower 42, focusing on quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and artificial intelligence solutions to address industry challenges such as algorithmic underwriting, catastrophic risk modeling, and fraud detection. The facility will serve as a Centre of Excellence and intends to seek out top talent, doubling the company’s UK headcount over the next three years.

Scientists from Quantum Motion and the London Centre for Nanotechnology developed a deep-cryogenic temperature sensor in CMOS technology that operates below 1 K, using the temperature-dependent critical current of a superconducting thin film. The sensor integrates a current-output DAC, transimpedance amplifier, and voltage comparator, achieving sub-10 mK resolution and operating at temperatures as low as 15 mK. This is important for real-time thermal management in quantum processors, improving qubit performance by preventing temperature-induced errors.

Multiverse Computing, a company specializing in quantum and quantum-inspired AI solutions, has been selected for the second cohort of the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, receiving AWS credits, mentorship, and resources to expand its work in AI. The company will leverage AWS infrastructure, including Amazon SageMaker HyperPod, to optimize large AI models, focusing on its CompactifAI software, which uses quantum-inspired tensor networks to create smaller, more efficient models, reducing energy and compute needs. This collaboration is centered around a common goal to lower AI-related energy usage and advance green AI development in partnership with UNESCO.

Kipu Quantum and QCentroid have partnered to promote quantum computing applications in Bizkaia, Spain, Latin America, and beyond by combining Kipu's quantum algorithms with QCentroid’s Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) platform. This collaboration will center around accelerating the development of industry-specific use cases across sectors like logistics, healthcare, AI, and finance, with Kipu’s algorithms providing quantum solutions tailored for commercialization.

Quandela has launched its Canadian subsidiary, Quandela Canada, in Montreal, along with the deployment of the first European quantum computer on North American soil at the Bellevue Data Centre. This expansion strengthens Quandela's ties with Quebec’s quantum ecosystem and initiates a collaboration with Exaion and PINQ² to offer integrated quantum and high-performance computing solutions for industries like energy, cybersecurity, automotive, and aerospace. The joint offering includes services such as team training, algorithm co-development, and use of quantum computers and GPU-enhanced emulators to address complex multi-sector challenges.

LISTEN

On the most recent Joy of Why podcast, host Steven Strogatz sits down with theoretical physicist Nicole Yunger Halpern from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They discuss the evolution of thermodynamics from the Industrial Revolution to its reinterpretation at the quantum scale. Yunger Halpern explores how classical thermodynamic concepts like heat, work, and entropy apply to quantum systems and introduces ideas such as quantum engines, refrigerators, and the relationship between information and work in both classical and quantum thermodynamics.

ENJOY

In a recent article, Dr. Pramod Kumar, the director of research and innovation at QuantLase Laboratory, breaks down the growing challenges businesses face as global data traffic surges and quantum computing evolves. With the rapid expansion of communication networks, traditional infrastructure and encryption methods are becoming increasingly vulnerable, especially with quantum computers on the horizon that could break current security standards. Dr. Kumar highlights the promise of photonic quantum networks, which offer fast, secure, and energy-efficient data transmission, but also notes the high costs, integration challenges, and skills gaps that must be addressed for businesses to fully benefit.

WATCH

Peter Chapman and Dean Kassmann of IonQ presented at Quantum World Congress 2024, discussing IonQ's advancements in building a global quantum business, including a new $9M contract with the University of Maryland and partnerships with Hyundai, GE, and the U.S. Air Force: