What's New - 2021
RISC-V Chip Delivers Quantum-Resistant Encryption
IEEE Spectrum - August 2021
New chip aims to future-proof security against coming quantum computers
A new post-quantum cryptography microchip based on the open source RISC-V standard is highly efficient at generating randomness and other encryption techniques.
IBM's Quantum Computing Compromise—a Road to Scale?
IEEE Spectrum - August 2021
Big Blue's quantum processors sacrifice connectivity for simplicity
By using hexagonal quantum processors with fewer connections between qubits, IBM reports an exponential reduction in errors that will help them scale faster to much larger processors required to solve real-world problems.
Quantum Randomness Now Boosts Everyday Security
IEEE Spectrum - August 2021
Encryption needs random numbers, and the subatomic realm has plenty to spare
Randomness is a crucial ingredient in encryption, and with tech giants now utilizing quantum random number generator (QRNG) platforms and chips to secure their services, could the use of quantum randomness soon be standard practice?
Google's Quantum Computer Exponentially Suppresses Errors
IEEE Spectrum - July 2021
Research may help pave the way for scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers
In a new study, Google scientists exponentially suppress quantum error rates of their 54-qubit quantum computer "Sycamore" by scaling up a type of stabilizer code known as a repetition code. Such error suppression proved stable over 50 rounds of error correction.
For the First Time, Scientists Detect a Moving Photon Multiple Times Without Destroying It
IEEE Spectrum - July 2021
Boon for all things quantum
Detecting photons typically requires absorbing them, however, researchers in Germany have detected a single photon twice without destroying it. Such findings could one day help scientists keep track of photons in quantum technology, leading to faster quantum computers and networks.
This Quantum Computer Is Sized for Server Rooms
IEEE Quantum - June 2021
A new 24-qubit trapped-ion option can fit in two server racks
Usually quantum computers are devices that can fill entire laboratories, but scientists in Austria have developed a compact 24-qubit quantum computer that can fit in two 19-inch server racks that performs at least on par with similar lab-scale setups.
How Can Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence Transform the Healthcare Industry?
IEEE SA - June 2021
Combining quantum computing and AI technologies opens up new opportunities to overcome challenges in healthcare and other industries. At IEEE SA's Executive Summit on Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence, global industry leaders and policymakers came together to understand and address current gaps in quantum computing and AI.
Moving Chips Closer to Cold Qubits
IEEE Spectrum - April 2021
Conventional electronics join quantum circuits in the deep freeze
Tech giants such as Google, Intel, and Microsoft are working on solutions to shrink the operating temperature difference between qubits and the conventional computing chips that control them.
Better Commuting Through Quantum Computing
IEEE Spectrum - April 2021
Startup Q-CTRL teams with Australian transportation agency to test how quantum computing can optimize transportation networks
Startup Q-CTRL has partnered with the transport and roads agency in New South Wales, Australia to explore how quantum technologies can help commuters and tourists find the most efficient travel routes across multiple transportation networks.
How Close Is Ordinary Light to Doing Quantum Computing?
IEEE Spectrum - April 2021
New research suggests classical phenomena in optics may enable a new kind of hybrid computation
The use of classically entangled light could potentially provide a bridge between quantum computers and classical computers to help physicists perform quantum calculations. A recent paper shows a new method where a light beam with multiple entanglements can be created.
Amazon's New Quantum Computer Design Relies On Tiny Schrödinger's Cats
IEEE Spectrum - April 2021
Theoretical blueprint aims to suppress overwhelming errors with a new approach to making qubits
Amazon has unveiled a new fault-tolerant quantum computer blueprint that relies on so-called “cat states,” based on the Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment.
Diamond-Based Quantum Accelerator Puts Qubits in a Server Rack
IEEE Spectrum - April 2021
Its makers envision this device growing to 50+ qubits and fitting aboard satellites, autonomous vehicles
The startup Quantum Brilliance recently announced that they have developed a market-ready, diamond-based quantum computer the size of a server rack module that can operate at room temperatures. Its makers envision this device fitting aboard satellites and autonomous vehicles by 2026.
Major(ana) Backpedaling: Microsoft-Backed Quantum Computer Research Retracted
IEEE Quantum - March 2021
Controversial evidence for elusive, hypothesized quasiparticles debunked
Controversial Microsoft-backed research on a kind of Majorana fermiona quasiparticle known as a Majorana zero mode has been retracted.
In the Race to Hundreds of Qubits, Photons May Have "Quantum Advantage"
IEEE Spectrum - March 2021
Canadian startup Xanadu says their quantum computer is cloud-accessible, Python programmable, and ready to scale
Xanadu, a Toronto-based startup, has developed a photonic quantum computer that is programmable, highly scalable, and could even beat the fastest classical supercomputers at certain tasks.
Quantum Computing Makes Inroads Towards Pharma
IEEE Spectrum - March 2021
Pharma giants and computing titans increasingly partnering on quantum computing
Major pharma companies are partnering with technology leaders to advance #quantum computing uses for pharmaceutical research, drug production, bioinformatics, and more.
Could "Topological Materials" Be a New Medium for Ultra-Fast Electronics?
IEEE Spectrum - March 2021
Discovery of laser-triggered properties one step toward advanced quantum computers and high-speed, low-power devices
Scientists hope topological matter -- exotic materials in which electricity flows across surfaces only, with virtually no dissipation of energy -- could protect quantum computers from disruptions.
Quantum Computer Error Correction Is Getting Practical
IEEE Spectrum - February 2021
2021 may be the year when quantum error correction finally helps
Quantum error correction (QEC) is an algorithm designed to identify and fix errors in quantum computers to achieve what is known as fault-tolerant quantum computing. QEC has seen many partial demonstrations, but now is the time where it may be convincingly demonstrated in real hardware.
Coding for Qubits: How to Program in Quantum Computer Assembly Language
IEEE Spectrum - February 2021
Sandia Labs pioneers Just Another Quantum Assembly Language ("Jaqal") on their QSCOUT platform
QSCOUT, an open-source quantum computer project at Sandia, utilizes a new quantum assembly code called Jaqal. The QSCOUT team has released a Python package that provides a Jaqal emulator as well as commands to include Jaqal code as an object inside a larger Python program.
How Microsoft Could Redefine the Power Industry with Quantum Computing
IEEE Spectrum - February 2021
The technology is expected to lower emissions and create more efficient electrical power systems
Did you know that quantum computing could revolutionize not only the future of computing, but also the energy sector, leading to cleaner fuel, lower emissions, and more efficient electrical power systems? Krysta Svore, General Manager at Microsoft Quantum, chats about this potential impact.
Three Frosty Innovations for Better Quantum Computers
IEEE Spectrum - January 2021
Putting these in the cryogenic freezer could make quantum computers more powerful and compact
Due to the strict requirement for quantum computers to be kept at cold temperatures, many research efforts are underway to enable circuits to run in cryogenic conditions. This article explores three such efforts.
New and Hardened Quantum Crypto System Notches "Milestone" Open-Air Test
IEEE Spectrum - January 2021
Super strong protections now in place; just don't fiddle with the lasers
New quantum cryptography system, dubbed MDI-QKD, allows for secure quantum communication even if the detectors at the measurement station are untrusted or compromised as long as sender and receiver use trusted laser sources.
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