NEW YORK, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Technavio, the global quantum computing market size is estimated to grow by USD 9.01 billion from 2022 to 2027. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.84% during the forecast period. Moreover, the growth momentum will accelerate.The growing use of quantum cryptography is driving market growth.With the use of quantum cryptography, critical data can be transmitted with a high level of security.Quantum computers have high processing speeds and efficiently process vast amounts of encrypted data.Governments of many countries have invested large amounts in the development of highly secure quantum computers. These factors will fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period.The report includes historic market data from 2017 to 2021. In 2017, the quantum computing market was valued at USD 3,001.05 million. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of growth opportunities at regional levels, new product launches, the latest trends, and the post-pandemic recovery of the global market.

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Report Coverage

Details

Page number

143

Base year

2022

Historic period

2017-2021

Forecast period

2023-2027

Growth momentum & CAGR

Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.84%

Market growth 2023-2027

USD 9,013.68 million

Market structure

Fragmented

YoY growth2022-2023(%)

18.6

Regional analysis

North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa

Performing market contribution

North America at 38%

Key countries

US, China, Japan, India, and Germany

Geographical Analysis

Based on geography, the global quantum computing market is segmented into North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global quantum computing market. North America is estimated to account for 38% of the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is primarily driven by factors such as the presence of numerous customers based in the US. US-based firms have access to quantum computers on immediate release. They also have high economies of scale and have the finances and resources to adopt these technologies. These factors will drive the growth of the market in the region during the forecast period.

Segment overview Technavio has segmented the market based on deployment (cloud and on-premise) and end-user (aerospace and defense, government, IT and telecom, and others).

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The growth of AI and machine learning is a key trend in the market.

AI and machine learning are expected to be some of the biggest applications of quantum computers. Quantum computing processor chips will be used in AI applications to compute data at high speeds efficiently. The use of AI will help solve issues related to optimization and sampling.These factors will support the growth of the market during the forecast period.

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Analyst Review

Quantum computing represents a paradigm shift in computational power, promising unprecedented capabilities in various industries, including banking and finance services. Its potential to revolutionize portfolio management and financial risk analysis is attracting significant attention from both established institutions and emerging quantum technology start-ups.

One of the most significant challenges is stability and error correction. Researchers at the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL) are tirelessly working on addressing stability and error correction issues to make quantum computers more reliable. The manipulation of physical qubits and the development of logical qubits are pivotal in this pursuit, leveraging principles of quantum mechanics.

The Department of Defense recognizes the transformative potential in areas such as cybersecurity solutions and fraudulent activities detection. As such, it's actively involved in quantum technology monitor research and investments to maintain a strategic advantage.

In the biopharmaceuticals sector, it holds promise for accelerating drug discovery processes. By harnessing its immense computational power, researchers can simulate molecular interactions more accurately, potentially leading to breakthroughs in medicine.

However, the market isn't devoid of challenges. Talent shortage is a pressing issue, with demand for skilled professionals in quantum mechanics and artificial intelligence (AI) outpacing supply. Governments are thus increasing investments in quantum technology education to bridge this gap.

Furthermore, patent filings related to quantum technology are on the rise, reflecting the fierce competition in this space. Companies are eager to protect their innovations, especially in areas like teleportation and blockchain technology integration with quantum computing.

Despite these challenges, the quantum computing market is witnessing remarkable growth, driven by a convergence of factors such as technological advancements, increased funding, and a growing ecosystem of quantum technology start-ups. As the industry continues to evolve, it promises to reshape the landscape of computing and unlock unprecedented possibilities across various sectors.

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Related Reports:

The edge computing market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 24.74% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 9,928.42 million.

The mobile edge computing market size is expected to rise by USD 1.60 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 30.21%.

TOC

About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [emailprotected] Website: http://www.technavio.com/

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Quantum Computing Market Size to Grow by USD 9.01 Billion, The growing use of quantum cryptography to drive the ... - PR Newswire

Zero Point Cryogenics (ZPC) has secured funding from the Government of Canada through the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, in collaboration with the University of Waterloo. This initiative, aimed at advancing quantum technology research for defence and security applications, highlights Canadas commitment to technological innovation. ZPCs involvement in the Microwave Quantum Radar project, alongside partners like Qubic Technologies and Carleton University, underscores the companys dedication to pioneering quantum solutions. The project will be supported by a $3 million contribution agreement from the IDEaS program. Zero Point Cryogenics is an Edmonton, Canada based company that supplies dilution refrigerators. Qubic Technology located in Sherbrooke, Canada is developing a new quantum technology of microwave transmitters and receivers for telecommunications and remote sensing applications. For further details, refer to the original press release provided by Zero Point Cryogenics here.

March 7, 2024

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Zero Point Cryogenics, Qubic Technology, and Team Win $3 Million Award for Quantum Sensing - Quantum Computing Report

Google Quantum AI along with additional support from the Geneva Science Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) Foundation is sponsoring a 3 year, $5 million prize competition to encourage development of novel algorithms, new applications, or ways of implementing enhanced performance of quantum solutions that can help solve real-world challenges. The contest will be administered by the XPRIZE Foundation, a non-profit set up in 1994 to host public competitions intended to encourage technical breakthroughs. As stated in the contest guidelines:

To win the prize, teams must develop a new (or meaningfully improved) application of quantum computers that addresses a computationally complex problem and demonstrate the viability of the proposed quantum algorithm for this task, establishing a clear practical quantum advantage over classical methods with a compelling case for positive societal impact.

Key criteria the judges will use for awarding the prizes are the following:

The contest is open to any individual or entity, unless prohibited by U.S. law and will occur in two phases over a three year period. Phase I which will last for 24 months from March 2024 to February 2026 will be for teams to submit a paper describing the beneficial application they intend to solve and what is the quantum advantage and novelty of their approach. At the end of this phase, the judges will select up to 20 teams that will split a $1 million prize purse and advance to Phase 2.

Phase II will occur in the third year of the contest from March 2026 to January 2027. This phase will require the teams to compile their solutions against realistic estimates of quantum hardware capabilities and perform resource estimates of what is needed to provide meaningful quantum advantage. They will also need to benchmark their quantum solutions with the best known classical solutions to show how their quantum solution is superior. The teams solutions will be judged according to the criteria listed above and a Grand Prize of $3 million will be awarded to a single or perhaps multiple Grand Prize winners. If there are multiple Grand Prize winners, the $3 million will be split amongst them. A final $1 million award will be split amongst a few runners-up. The number of runners-up will be determined by the judges.

Registration to participate in Phase I has already started and will last through June 2024. Additional details about this contest can be viewed on a web page posted on the XPRIZE site here, a preliminary competition guidelines document here, and a list of FAQs here.

March 5, 2024

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$5 Million XPrize Competition Announced to Develop Real World Applications Quantum Applications - Quantum Computing Report

Insider Brief

PRESS RELEASE The high-tech company Q.ANT and Fraunhofer IPA signed an agreement to establish the Competence Centre Human-Machine-Interface. The aim of the cooperation is to detect the finest nerve signals from muscle activity and interpret the resulting information in order to control machines and devices. This could make it possible to intuitively control hand prostheses in the future.

Q.ANT plays a leading role in the field of magnetic field sensors based on quantum technology. The sensor from Q.ANT enables the fine sensitivities that we need for reading biosignals, says Urs Schneider, Head of Biomechatronics Research at Fraunhofer IPA. The competence centre is based in Stuttgart and brings together around 15 experts from research and industry.

We want to control prosthetic hands, just like healthy limbs, using neural impulses. Fraunhofer IPA brings proven expertise in this field of biomechatronics to our strategic partnership. This can be used to develop completely new applications in medical technology. We are therefore among the pioneers in this promising field of application for quantum sensor technology and are redefining the human-machine-interface, says Michael Frtsch, CEO of Q.ANT, which specialises in photonic quantum technologies for sensing and computing.

Both cooperation partners bring many years of experience to the collaboration: Q.ANT has been developing a magnetic field sensor based on quantum technology for five years. It is characterised by its combination of sensitivity, size, and operation at room temperature. Fraunhofer IPA can draw on more than 15 years of expertise in biomechatronics and biosignal processing. The IPA specialists will characterise biosignals in order to program the corresponding algorithms that convert the sensor data into control commands for the prosthesis. The Fraunhofer Institute will also carry out the corresponding series of tests with patients, the results of which will be incorporated into the development of the prosthesis prototypes.

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Q.ANT and Fraunhofer IPA Establish Competence Centre for Prosthetics With Quantum Technology - The Quantum Insider

Image Credits: ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP / Getty Images

Quantum computers have the potential to carry out highly complicated calculations in minutes that would have taken classical computers thousands of years to work out. But much of the industry is still in its infancy, partly because of a lack of domain experts and software tools that match the progress of quantum hardware.

Now, companies are working to simplify the process of developing quantum software applications so programmers dont actually need to understand the underlying quantum mechanics. One of the early-stage startups making such an effort is Singapore-based Horizon Quantum Computing, whose tools can automatically construct quantum algorithms based on programs written in classical programming languages.

The company recently picked up $18.1 million in a Series A round from Tencent along with other investors, boosting its equity financing to around $21.3 million. Other investors in the Series A round included Sequoia Capital India, SGInnovate, Pappas Capital and Expeditions Fund.

The money will be used to fund product development and its expansion in Europe, where the company is planning to open an office in Dublin, Ireland. The startup is also scheduled to launch the early access program of its developer tools later this year.

While Singapore is more widely known as a financial hub, it has also been one of the most proactive governments in supporting quantum technologies. The Center for Quantum Technologies, where Horizon Quantum Computings founder and CEO Joe Fitzsimons used to be a professor, was set up under the city-states Research Centres of Excellence program to advance research in the cutting-edge field.

When I made the jump from academia, Singapore already had the right talent [for quantum computing] and there was access to capital, said Fitzsimons, who earned a PhD from University of Oxford.

Singapore is also less likely to impose export restrictions on technologies, reckoned the founder, who said he doesnt want his company to be barred from selling in other markets like the European Union.

Being in a politically neutral country like Singapore is increasingly important in a world where businesses become caught in the tech war between the U.S. and China and lose access to supply chains. Launching from a neutral home base is now seen as a prerequisite for many tech firms, including quantum computer builders, who rely on components sourced from around the world.

Tencents investment in Horizon Quantum Computing is purely financial, so it wont entail any transfer of sensitive data, the founder noted. The startup took Tencents investment because the giant is an expert in the area, he said.

Indeed, the social networking and gaming giant showed a keen interest in the field when it opened its quantum research lab in 2018. Ling Ge, Tencents chief representative in Europe and the person who oversaw the deal with Horizon Quantum Computing, has known Fitzsimons since her years in Oxford, where she studied quantum computing.

At Tencent, we take a long-term perspective on quantum. In our own quantum lab, we are focused on fundamental research, first-principles simulations and quantum algorithms, and how these might serve enterprise customers, said Ge at an industry event last year.

In terms of investments, we take a science-driven approach. One of the challenges in investing in quantum is what we call the black box paradox. The challenge of evaluating early-stage deep tech companies in areas like quantum, nuclear fusion or biotech is difficult because the core technology is in its early proof-of-concept phase. It is hard to evaluate and understand at what stage of maturity it really is.

Therefore, we take appropriate steps to mitigate the risks of this black box paradox depending on the investment stage. This is primarily achieved through our deep technical expertise, which allows us to really understand what is being developed and its maturity, she said.

The story was updated on April 3, 2023 to clarify the founders view on export controls.

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Tencent backs Singapores Horizon Quantum Computing in $18M round - TechCrunch

Multinational consumer goods company Unilever, which owns brands ranging from Dove to premium Tatcha and Hourglass Cosmetics, has used machine learning since the 1950s. Now, its developing robotics and AI for use in product testing and development.

Unilevers beauty and wellbeing arm represents 20% of the companys annual revenue in 2022, that equated to $13.3 billion, and sales have been on the rise. The companys 120,000-square-foot Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), opened in 2017 in partnership with the University of Liverpool in Liverpool, U.K.. is run by over 250 researchers.

The MIF has been using robots and AI to test and develop its products for the last five years. In 2022, products that were developed using MIF technologies drove one-third of its tech-derived product sales. They included the Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and the Hourglass Cosmetics Red 0 Lipstick, which were all made with AI and robotics.

MIFs robots feature celebrity-inspired names, including Ariana, Shirley and Gwen. The Force Brush is a hair brush equipped with sensors for force, temperature and sound. Unilever used it in the development of the Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner to test its ability to detangle hair. The hair brush collects hundreds of data points during the hair brushing process, which translate to insights on potential improvements to be made to product formulas. The Ariana robot, on the other hand, prepares hair samples for widespread lab testing.

The robots we use in the lab probably exceed the output of three or four people doing the same task, said Dr. Paul Jenkins, global research director of beauty, personal care science and Technology at MIF. If a person was doing the same task, it would take them much longer. There are also other complications, like the boredom it would entail after a continuous period, and also the great potential for injury due to the involved repetition.

The robot Shirley, meanwhile, is stationary and washes hair. Its function is to gauge the user experience and performance of shampoo and conditioner products by Tresemm, another Unilever brand. It is able to do 120 hair swatch washes in 24 hours. Finally, Gwen, another stationary machine robot, can test up to 96 tubes of Unilever products in 24 hours. It tests and perfects products foam volume and density through a process that incorporates water. All the robots exceed human outputin these tasks at least fourfold.

Other uses of innovative machines are abundant in the Unilever lab. A rheometer is used to measure the viscosity and acidity of Dove, Sunsilk and Alberto Balsam formulas. It collects 400-500 data points per month. To make the perfect, cruelty-free red pigment for the Hourglass Cosmetics red lipstick, a spectrophotometer was incorporated to measure the pigments reflective quality. It took two years to achieve the color without resorting to use of carmine beetles.

The benefits of using robots in a lab setting are obvious. For one, robots can run through the night without experiencing injury due to repetitive tasks. Whats more, they allow for the manipulation of humidity and agitation, as well as speed and force, allowing for thorough trials and experimentation. Whats more, using AI, the data points they provide can be cross-referenced between experiments, increasing the potential for new discoveries and insights.

We now use AI everywhere, said Dr. Sam Samaras, global vp of science and technology in Unilevers beauty and wellness division. We use AI in our manufacturing plants to make the processes we run more efficient. We also use it to understand the input we get through consumer groups, through active listening and social media. We use it in research whether or not were using robotics.

Unilever is investing in robotics, AI and quantum computing, seeing them as key to the next stage of beauty innovation. It is currently testing three collaborative robots, or cobots, in its Liverpool lab. The same way that we took the repetitive work of hair washing down to a robot, the cobots will be a more flexible robotic solution versus a fixed robotic solution, said Dr. Samaras.

The company is also bringing in more stationary robots and plans to incorporate quantum computing when the technology is available for businesses. Quantum computing is an area of computer science that allows for quicker, more complex machine problem-solving, compared to classic computers. Its based on the physics concept of quantum theory.

Its definitely not a replacement for human jobs, she said. We hire the best and the brightest scientists from around the Northwest of England, but also all around the world. What AI and robotics allow us to do is have these people do more creative problem-solving and less of the repetitive stuff.

Working with robots and AI for data also allows the companys worldwide labs as far out as Bangalore, India to monitor each others progress using Microsoft lenses or digital camera feeds. Theyre great for efficiencies and cutting out menial tasks, said Dr. Samaras. But what really gets me excited is that I get to learn stuff that, 10 years ago, we couldnt have learned.

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How Unilever is using robots, AI and testing quantum computing to innovate in beauty - Glossy

KPMG's Global Quantum Hub announced on Tuesday a collaboration with Classiq, the Israeli quantum software company, to bring innovative quantum solutions to clients.

Classiq and KPMG have extensive experience of supporting and enabling quantum newcomers and quantum experts. The collaboration will target a range of industry verticals including financial services, automotive, pharma, energy, telco and logistics. The companies efforts will focus on quantum use-case exploration and quantum capability development.

"By bringing together our expertise in quantum strategy, technology and client processes with Classiq's cutting-edge quantum software platform, we will provide clients with innovative solutions that will help them drive business value through quantum computing," said Troels Steenstrup, Head of KPMG's Global Quantum Hub.

"Classiq is committed to making quantum computing a scalable, accessible and powerful technology for enterprises," said Nir Minerbi, CEO of Classiq. "We are excited to work with KPMG to help organizations adopt quantum technologies and drive real-world impact through the use of quantum computing."

Classiq, which raised $63 million since its 2020 inception, provides an end-to-end platform for designing, executing, and analyzing quantum software. Built for organizations that want to accelerate their quantum computing programs, Classiqs patented software automatically converts high-level functional models into optimized quantum circuits for most quantum computers and cloud providers.

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KPMG and Classiq join forces to offer quantum computing capabilities to enterprise customers - CTech

In 1994, mathematician Peter Shor developed an algorithm showing how then-hypothetical quantum computers could factor numbers exponentially faster than standard machines. This promise of exotic computational power launched the age of quantum computing. It also set the clock ticking on existing public-key cryptography that provides safeguards for online banking, medical records, national secrets and more based on the infeasibility of factoring massive numbers.

Today, with Google, IBM and College Park-based startup IonQ racing to introduce the worlds first general-purpose quantum computer, University of Maryland researchersbacked by $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundationare developing a framework for cryptographic systems that can weather increasingly powerful quantum computers. They are also focused on fundamentally changing the way that cryptography is taught, developed and practiced.

The aim of our work is to help build the foundational theory of cryptography in a post-quantum future, said Jonathan Katz, a professor of computer science and principal investigator of the award. We know that many aspects of classical cryptography will look very different in a world where everyone, both honest parties and attackers, have access to quantum computers.

Assisting Katz on the NSF award are Dana Dachman-Soled, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Gorjan Alagic, an associate research scientist in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), where Dachman-Soled also holds an appointment.

The researchers will explore constructions of cryptosystems that can be proven secure against quantum computers. Initially they will focus on the private-key setting. Two kinds of cryptography are currently in use: public-key and private-key. The former is ideal for negotiating a connection over the internet but slow for sending data. The latter is very fast but needs a preexisting, already-negotiated connection. In practice, both types get used often.

It is known that quantum computers would pose a dangerous threat to current public-key cryptosystems, Alagic said, but security of private-key systems against quantum computers is less well understood. One strategy is to establish mathematical theorems that say things like, breaking this private-key cryptosystem would take a quantum computer that's thispowerful.

Alagic and the other researchers are working closely with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in this area, as the federal agency is ultimately tasked with establishing the benchmarks for any post-quantum security regulations or protocols.

A key element of the NSF grant is to explore new options in education, Katz said. While cryptography in a post-quantum future will require people to think differently about the challenge of securing critical information, it will also require new knowledge on quantum-based security features that are not currently possible.

Educational initiatives are already underway, with the UMD faculty helping organize a summer school on quantum and post-quantum cryptography at the University of California, Los Angeles last year. The weeklong event brought together physicists and computer scientists and included introductory talks on cryptography and quantum computing, invited talks on post-quantum assumptions and proof techniques, and poster and mentoring sessions.

Dachman-Soled said that although she believes existing public-key cryptosystems will remain in use for the near future, she is incorporating a module on post-quantum cryptography in the undergraduate course she teaches at UMD.

She is also working with a team of Gemstone Honors Program students to extend the functionality of a toolkit she developed to analyze the security of post-quantum cryptosystems when side-information is available. Examples include a systems timing, power consumption and electromagnetic leaks, which can be used as a sort of hint in attacks to break the cryptosystem, Dachman-Soled explained.

To get younger students interested in quantum cryptography, Alagic recently visited an elementary school and a middle school in Montgomery County, Md., as part of each schools career-day programming.

The kids were great, he said. The elementary school students enjoyed it so much they actually sent me thank-you notes encrypted with the Caesar cipher I taught them.

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$1M NSF Award Supports Reimagining Cryptography in a Post-Quantum - Maryland Today

This is an audio transcript of the Tech Tonic podcast: The quantum revolution brain waves

Madhumita MurgiaHi, my name is Madhumita Murgia, and Im one of the presenters of Tech Tonic. Were looking for some feedback from our listeners about the show, so if you have a second, please fill out our brief listener survey, which you can find at FT.com/techtonicsurvey.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So far in this season of Tech Tonic, weve been talking about quantum computers and how they could bring about a quantum revolution. But computers arent the only forms of technology being built today that use quantum physics.

Margot TaylorOK. So all right. Do you want to come in? This is our little participant today. Shes a little shy.

Madhumita MurgiaIn a hospital in Toronto in Canada, researcher Margot Taylor is using quantum technology to see in to the brains of young children. Today, Margot is scanning the brain of a four-year-old girl. Shes quiet and shy, and shes holding tight to her dads hand as Margot gets her set up in her lab.

Margot TaylorShes going into the magnetically shielded room, which is a big room. And then she sits in this rocking chair, and here is the helmet, and it goes on. Its got all these sensors in the helmet, and it goes on her hand just like that, like a bicycle helmet.

Madhumita Murgia The little girl climbs into a big padded chair and sits quietly as a brightly coloured plastic helmet is fitted on to her head. But this is no ordinary helmet. Its a quantum brain scanner fitted with a raft of sensors that use quantum physics to detect brain activity.

Margot TaylorOK. Are you ready? Are you ready to go? All right (door shutting sound). So the doors now shut. And so now the sensors are calibrated, and so we can record all the different frequencies and get measures of ongoing brain activity.

Madhumita Murgia Margot shows the little girl different images and videos to elicit different responses in her brain pictures of different faces with different expressions mixed with abstract shapes.

Margot TaylorAnd so she is now watching these stimuli. And then in between you can see also there are occasional cartoon characters. And that is just so the children are watching for the cartoon characters that keeps them engaged.

Madhumita Murgia All the while, the quantum sensors in the helmet pick up the electromagnetic fields generated by the brains billions of firing neurons.

Margot TaylorSo this is our stimulus computer, and its just the operating panel on the, on the right, and on the left, we have the ongoing activity coming from these sensors.

Madhumita MurgiaIt means Margot can watch the little girls brain working in real time right there on her computer screen. Margot has spent her career trying to understand childrens brains, but until now, its been virtually impossible to get an accurate picture of whats going on inside them because the brain scanners in general use today dont work on small children. They need subjects to stay really still, and small children tend to move and wriggle about. But now, a new generation of quantum-powered brain scanners has changed all that. And theyre giving researchers like Margot a window into the workings of young brains that theyve never had before. Margot says this new quantum technology feels like a miracle.

Margot Taylor This is the first time weve been able to see brain function in young children. Absolutely astoundingly good recordings of brain function. We can study infants and look at their real-time ongoing brain activity. I think this is revolutionary. I am very grateful to be able to work with these quantum sensors.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Madhumita MurgiaThis is Tech Tonic from the Financial Times. I am Madhumita Murgia.

John Thornhill And Im John Thornhill. In this season, weve been asking if were on the brink of a quantum revolution. Most of that conversation has been about quantum computers. The idea that new, powerful computers based on quantum physics will transform computing, solve all kinds of problems and upend whole industries in the process. But quantum computers are just one part of the quantum technology being developed today. Other technologies that use quantum physics, things like quantum sensors and quantum communication networks, are also being touted as game changing innovations. So in this episode, were looking beyond the computers and asking if the wider world of quantum technology is where the quantum revolution is really taking place.

Madhumita MurgiaMargot Taylors research in Toronto is a great example of where quantum technology is already having a real-world impact. She works at the Hospital for Sick Children, and the research shes doing right now focuses on autism, a condition that emerges in childhood. So in her lab, shes scanning childrens brains to look for brain activity associated with autism.

Margot Taylor So this is one of our tasks that we present to them. Now, you can see that there are emotional faces being presented, happy and angry faces. And we present them particularly because people with autism, one of their main difficulties is in the perception and understanding emotional faces.

Madhumita MurgiaDespite decades of research, theres still a lot we dont know about autism and what causes it. We know it develops in childhood and that theres probably a genetic component to it because it tends to run in families. Researchers have known for years that there are certain patterns of brain activity associated with autism. And using brain scans, these patterns have been found in adults and older children with autism. Margot thinks that these same patterns of brain activity could be present in younger children even before they develop symptoms of the condition.

Margot TaylorSo were looking for a brain signature that could predict the likelihood of developing autism.

Madhumita Murgia If shes right, it might help to explain how autism emerges in young brains, and it could help identify at a young age the children who might develop the condition.

Margot TaylorAnd if thats the case, then as soon as that an atypical signature is seen, then interventions could be started right away. Behavioural interventions work. They help them improve the quality of life of the child and family. And the earlier they start, the better it is. The other aspect is that if we find a reliable brain signature, then that could help guide future research because there are pharmaceutical interventions that can be developed.

Madhumita Murgia Margots research could be groundbreaking. Thats because until now, researchers havent been able to look for the brain signature for autism in young children. In fact, they havent been able to observe the brain functioning of young children much at all. Thats because existing brain scanners dont really work on kids. Theyre too big, and crucially to work, they need the person being scanned to do something that children find really hard to do.

Margot TaylorThe participant has to stay perfectly still and little children dont stay perfectly still.

Madhumita Murgia Margot likens the older brain scanners to massive old fashioned hair dryers you might find in a 1950s hair salon.

Margot Taylor But its quite a ways away from the persons head because the sensors are cooled with liquid helium, and so they have to be kept a long ways away from the head. And then if you put a small head into that, so like one size fits all, you can imagine putting a little child in an adult hairdryer in a salon, thered be so much room around that the signal is very impoverished at that point.

Madhumita Murgia So for years, getting good data on what was actually going on in childrens brains was basically impossible. And for people like Margot, whos particularly interested in childrens brains, that was hugely frustrating. But in recent years, developments in quantum technology have changed all that. New brain scanning technology using quantum physics has been developed by people like this man, Matt Brookes.

Matthew Brookes Im a professor of physics at the University of Nottingham, and Ive been working for nearly 20 years on various different types of human brain imaging.

Madhumita Murgia Matt is part of the team that developed the quantum brain scanner Margot is now using in her lab.

Matthew BrookesIn recent years, theres been a new generation of quantum devices, and in our case quantum sensors, that have come along that have really fundamentally changed what we can do. These new sensors are very small. Theyre about the size of a Lego brick. The device looks like a bike helmet. Its about the same weight as a bike helmet, but a bike helmet with lots of these little Lego bricks. And so you just put it on your head that gets the sensors close to your head. And then you measure magnetic fields have been generated by the brain as we carry out tasks.

Madhumita Murgia Because the sensors are closer to the head, they pick up clearer signals from the brain, and the person being scanned can move around.

Matthew Brookes So with this, because its just a helmet, the sensors move with the head. So you can stand up and you can go for a walk. You can behave normally. You can move your arms around. You can maybe head around. You can do different tasks.

Madhumita Murgia This means the technology can be used to scan brains, where the subjects have difficulty staying still. And thats not just children. Measuring brain function in patients with Parkinsons, for example, or studying the brain when seizures happen in epilepsy. But for researchers like Margot, it means theyre getting their first real insight into something theyve spent their whole career studying from a distance, the brains of young children.

Margot TaylorIt is very, very exciting. Oh, we thought it was a miracle (laughs). We hadnt seen really good recordings of ongoing brain function in little children before. So for me, this is just a tremendous breakthrough.

Madhumita MurgiaLike quantum computers, quantum sensors are an example of how our understanding of quantum physics is being used to develop a new and exciting technology. The quantum sensors arent just used for scanning brains. Theyre being developed for all kinds of uses to measure changes deep on the ground, making better navigation systems, driverless cars, in building the worlds most accurate clocks. And Matt Brookes says that unlike quantum computing, you dont have to look years or decades into the future to see the applications for quantum sensors. They are being used today.

Matthew BrookesA lot of people, when they think about quantum technology, they immediately think of quantum computing, which is interesting, is exciting, but its not the only game in town. Actually, quantum sensors are far more advanced that are already being used in applications like this and other applications, and they really do work. And so I think theres certainly a hype around quantum computing, and its sometimes frustrating that because of that hype, actually a lot of the other work thats being done in the quantum technology sector is being overlooked.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Madhumita Murgia So, John, in this season of the podcast, weve been looking at quantum computers and the impact they might have. But quantum sensors, theres another type of quantum technology thats being developed, and it seems to be revolutionary in its own right, at least in the world of brain scans and neurological research like weve just heard. So we should probably take a step back here and talk about what quantum sensors are, how they work and why they might be so useful.

John Thornhill I mean, I think Matt has a very good point that quantum sensors tend to be the overlooked sibling of quantum computing, which gets all the headlines. But quantum sensors clearly have a lot of potential, and they might become more practically useful before quantum computers themselves. And quantum sensors work in different ways. But essentially what theyre doing is taking advantage of the fact that quantum particles are really sensitive to their environment. And youll remember when we were talking about building quantum computers, that was one of the real big problems for quantum computers, that they are sensitive to all kinds of environmental noise.

Madhumita MurgiaThats right. And this is a problem because an even a little bit of heat or electromagnetic waves or photons of light, really anything in the environment is enough to disturb the delicate state of the qubits and to stop the computer working at all.

John Thornhill Id say quantum sensors are really trying to turn that weakness into a strength. Theyre using the fact that quantum particles are super sensitive to changes in the environment around them, but that allows you to measure the environment with an incredible level of sensitivity and accuracy. So in the case of quantum brain scanners, theyre measuring the tiny changes in the brains electromagnetic fields to tell you about whats going on in the brain. But quantum particles can be sensitive to all kinds of other small environmental changes, too. So they have lots of other potential uses.

Madhumita MurgiaSo what kind of applications are we talking about here?

John ThornhillWell, you can build better guidance systems with quantum particles, for example, that are sensitive to the Earths magnetic field. Another really interesting use is for quantum sensors that detect tiny changes in gravity, because this can tell you a lot about movements in the Earth deep underground. And we spoke to one big fan of quantum sensors and in particular, these gravity detecting sensors. His name is Stuart Woods.

Stuart WoodsBeing able to use these atoms to look at the rest of the world and to see how the world is changing is really the next generation of sensors. And thats what were talking about with quantum sensors.

John Thornhill Stuart has a long career in different types of deep tech, including quantum computing, but he now works for a quantum technology investment company called Quantum Exponential. He says the really exciting thing about quantum sensors is they could give us unprecedented amounts of information about the world we live in. And this could help us tackle the major challenges we face today.

Stuart WoodsAs were facing climate change, it is all about understanding the rate of change that, that is happening so that we can a, on one hand, look at what we can do to fix it. But I think as we all know, were constantly at a point with climate change to understand and express the urgency of the situation that were in. And I think quantum sensors will help us do that.

John Thornhill Quantum sensors could help us better measure how and how fast our planet is changing. And this is where, Stuart says, detecting movements in the Earth is really important because shifting weather patterns are causing big changes in the ground as well as in the atmosphere. And those changes in the ground are producing tiny alterations in gravity that only quantum sensors can pick up.

Stuart WoodsYou can imagine now where we can actually look underground and see changes in the Earth, eg, you know, subsidence. When you look at climate change, we obviously have floods, right? But the other side that we have with climate change is subsidence, right? Exactly the kind of applications you can see with quantum sensors. You know, in those situations you can imagine a large amount of mass physically changing and therefore slight changes in the gravitational field in those areas where you suspect that they might happen. And you can imagine over time, if were starting to monitor different areas, we should be able to start to get a very accurate understanding of subsidence and changes in the world.

John Thornhill You can imagine other uses for gravity detecting quantum sensors, such as helping seismologists understand and predict earthquakes, and helping archaeologists investigate buried ruins without excavating them. But Stewart says they also have potential commercial uses with things like big infrastructure projects.

Stuart WoodsTo me, I find railroads incredibly fascinating, right? A railroad is a living thing, right? In the winter, you might have a wet track, you might have the wet soil. Things sink. Things move. In the summer, everything dries out. The, the metal tracks themselves expand, and that infrastructure is now moving and contracting according to the environment that it sits in. And if we had the ability to understand how that track, you know, moved and changed, that would then allow us to build much larger infrastructures, but allow us to have a lot more intelligent infrastructures and therefore lead to mega smart infrastructures.

John Thornhill So the picture that the champions of quantum sensor technology paint of the future is a world where we have access to much more information about all kinds of things around us, all kinds of information, and in much more detail than weve ever had before. And its the access to all that information from quantum sensors that could be really game changing for industries and society as a whole.

Madhumita MurgiaSo this season weve been asking if a quantum revolution is coming. And with quantum computers, I suppose its easy to see how a computer suddenly showing up that can break the internet or solve these seemingly impossible problems could be seen as revolutionary. But maybe we should be thinking about the impact of quantum technologies more broadly.

John Thornhill Yes, I think when it comes to quantum computers, even their strongest advocates admit there are a lot of technological challenges to building them. And maybe, other technologies using quantum physics should be getting a bit more attention. And earlier in the season, if you remember, we spoke to Jack Hidary, and he used to work for Google, and now hes in charge of a quantum company called SandboxAQ.

Jack HidaryMost of the attention is focused on computing, whereas quantum sensors will have impacts far sooner than quantum computers. In fact, we today have quantum sensors right now being tested in a variety of life sciences applications, medical applications, navigation applications. So these are the kinds of quantum sensing applications that are much more near-term. We dont need error correction. We dont need to build millions of qubits inside these things. Were already fabricating these today and deploying them. So, so quantum sensing, I think, is an example where were going to see quantum technology in peoples hands in the next few years, far sooner than well see a quantum computer.

John Thornhill But we dont have to choose which type of quantum technology to back. When we spoke, Jack painted a vision of a quantum future that is quite striking. You have quantum computers doing all these calculations. You have quantum sensors bringing in all this new data. And then you have a third component, a quantum communication network, a new kind of internet that could connect all of this together.

Jack Hidary Its really about ultimately having a parallel internet for the purpose of connecting two quantum computers, for the purpose of sharing a computation, for the purpose of taking a quantum sensor. You can directly connect it with a quantum computer for processing that data coming from the quantum sensor. So the future, now this is now 10 to 20 years from now, but just to paint a picture for your listeners, this is something that will occur over the next 10-20 years. Its exciting for discovery. Its exciting for collaboration. Well see that built out. And hopefully you and I will come back 10 years from now in another podcast, and well see how were doing there.

John Thornhill Thats the vision of the quantum future that people working in quantum technology today are talking about. So its not just about quantum computers. Its about a whole ecosystem of quantum technologies all working together.

Madhumita MurgiaIn the next and final episode of this Season of Tech Tonic, we go back into the weird world of quantum mechanics.

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Carlo RovelliEverything is quantum. So thiscup Ihave in my hands, which looks so solid and well-defined, is actually a wavy thing that is constantly disappearing, reappearing and in principle could be in twoplaces at thesame time. And all these things in principle could happen.

Madhumita MurgiaWe speak to some of the big names in the world of quantum mechanics about what quantum technology could tell us about the nature of the universe and reality.

David DeutschSupposing that you build a quantum computer - that means that theres more to reality, exponentially more to reality, than just the states of the world that we see around us.

John Thornhill This has been Tech Tonic from the Financial Times. Im John Thornhill.

Madhumita MurgiaAnd Im Madhumita Murgia. Tech Tonic senior producer is Edwin Lane, and our producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Manuela Saragosa is our executive producer. Sound Design byBreen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Cheryl Brumley is our global head of audio.

Read the original:

The quantum revolution: brain waves - Financial Times

Qantinuum

Quantinuum

Quantinuum recently announced that its first-generation System Model H1 trapped ion quantum computer has once again set a new quantum volume (QV) record of 32,768. This achievement is on track with Quantinuums initial 2020 roadmap that projected it would increase quantum volume by 10x annually for five years.

Early experimental versions of the Quantinuum H1-1 quantum computer demonstrated relatively small values of quantum volume. When the machine made its public debut in 2020, Quantinuum (Honeywell Quantum Solutions at that time) had a documented QV of 64. Since then, Quantinuum has steadily doubled the H1 quantum volume eight consecutive times to reach its current value of 32,768.

What is quantum volume?

There are many tests available for determining the performance of individual quantum components and systems. However, only a few tests can measure a quantum computer's overall performance. IBM filled this void for gate-based quantum computers in 2019 with the development of quantum volume (QV). QV has the added benefit of producing an easy-to-interpret, single-number measurement; the higher the QV number, the more powerful the quantum computer.

Quantum volume is holistic, which means it cant be gamed by inflating one or two of the factors, such as adding many qubits without making any other adjustments. To raise QV, all parts of the system must be improved in an integrated fashion.

Quantum computers and speedometers

Simplistically, quantum volume can be compared to a speedometer in a high-performance race car. Both measurements reflect the total performance of a complex system. A speedometer measures speed created by powerful motors and an assortment of precision components and finely tuned systems. Racing scientists optimize the cars aerodynamics, its fuel mixture, tires and the gearing of complex transmissions to obtain the highest speed.

However, there is another factorfrictionthat works against speed. Most friction comes from air resistance, the road surface and mechanical parts within the car.

Similarly, quantum volume measures a quantum computers overall performance. QV is influenced directly and indirectly by the number of qubits, qubit connectivity, speed and fidelity of quantum gates, cross talk, circuit compiler efficiency and measurement errors. Just as friction negatively affects the performance of cars, errors reduce the performance of quantum computers. Quantum errors are also commonly enumerated as a fidelity percentage.

High-fidelity qubits translate into high quantum volume

Qubits are the basic units of information in quantum computers. Quantum computings awesome potential to exponentially out-compute classical supercomputers comes from the quantum properties of superposition and entanglement that allow qubits to interact simultaneously.

Qubit quality compared to qubit quantity is often misunderstood by people unfamiliar with quantum computing. Once, while participating in a quantum forum, I was asked if a large number of low-fidelity qubits could outperform a handful of high-quality qubits. For many reasons, the answer was no. Errors generated by qubits of poor quality will likely degrade the computers performance rather than improve it. By the same standard, low-fidelity qubits would also degrade quantum volume.

QCCD: The Secret Behind Quantinuum's High Performance

Quantinuum's ability to continually improve its quantum volume can be attributed to its trapped ion architecture, which is called a quantum charge coupled device (QCCD).

Quantinuum was the first company to implement and improve QCCD after it was proposed twenty years ago in a research paper by Dr. David Wineland (recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics) and his NIST group. Dr. Chris Monroe, co-founder and chief scientist for IonQ and professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering at Duke University, was one of the authors of that paper.

Quantinuums QCCD architecture consists of multiple dedicated zones, into which small numbers of ytterbium and barium ions can be transported to perform quantum computations. QCCD also supports an important feature called mid-circuit measurement and reset (MCMR). It allows an algorithm to be paused during its execution to measure qubits without affecting the outcome. MCMR is expected to play an important future role in quantum error correction. Because of its capability to reuse qubits, in some instances it can reduce the total number of qubits needed for an operation.

Quantinuums H1 generation H-Series quantum computer currently has 20 fully connected qubits spread across its five QCCD zones where qubit operations are performed. In the future, when Quantinuum chooses to scale up the number of qubits, it can add additional zones.

Increasing quantum volume

Quantinums QCCD architecture has helped its researchers increase quantum volume and system fidelity for the System Model H1 . Here are two examples of this:

QCCD creates two-qubit gates by moving both qubits into an isolation zone to reduce potential errors and crosstalk that could occur if the zone contained many qubits. With greater precision and control over a few qubits in a small zone, QCCD is not limited to creating only normal two-qubit full entangling gates; the architecture also allows creation of arbitrary angle partially entangling gates. These gates have the advantage of being able to run on many circuit types with fewer errors. For example, the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) is used in many quantum algorithms, the most famous being Shors algorithm. When arbitrary angle partially entangling gates are substituted for normal two-qubit entangling gates in the QFT, half as many gates are required, and errors are reduced by 2x.

It should be no surprise that Quantinuum used arbitrary angle partially entangling gates in the QV circuits that produced its latest quantum volume record of 32,768.

Performance insights

Quantum volume is not just a performance indicator. It can also be used to assist development efforts. Along with its quantum volume announcement, Quantinuum provided a few interesting insights into how its researchers solved several technical issues involving quantum volume, as well as a way to greatly improve circuit runtime:

By benchmarking the Quantinuum H1s performance on relevant circuits, the researchers found that a very slight change in gate fidelity reduced the algorithms runtime by 3x.

Wrapping up

Quantinuum has had many research achievements over the past 12 months that are important to its long-term success. One example is implementing fault-tolerant entangling gates on the five-qubit code and the color code, which are important to the future development of quantum error correction.

In another breakthrough, Quantinuum researchers eliminated a potential obstacle in its long-term roadmap by developing a method to simultaneously move two types of ions through junctions and make right turns in ion traps. Prior to this development it was believed each type of ion would have to be moved separately through the junctions and then recombinedat a high cost of time.

Everything considered, Quantinuum has made great progress over the past two years. Looking ahead, I expect Quantinuum will continue to focus on higher fidelities and expand on its real-time quantum error mitigation and quantum error correction research. It is also possible we could see a flip in its use of ytterbium ions as qubits and barium ions for cooling, which offers several advantages including increased gate fidelity.

Quantinuum has solid management, an excellent quantum technology platform and an aggressive roadmap. It will be interesting to see what changes, if any, its new CEO, Dr. Raj Hazra will make.

Analyst notes

Follow me on Twitter for current information on whats happening in quantum computing and artificial intelligence

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Read more:

Unlocking Quantum Potential With High-Quality Qubits: How Quantinuum Achieved A Three-Year String Of Record-Breaking Quantum Measurements - Forbes