What's New - 2018
Q&A: Quantum Computing’s Researcher Shortage
The Institute - December 2018
Expert William Hurley says the problem could be solved by opening up the field to software developers
"The race is on to build quantum computers and associated technologies. But U.S. businesses and universities are growing concerned there aren’t enough qualified engineers and researchers to meet demand, according to a recent article in The New York Times. In fact, there might be fewer than a thousand people in the world who are doing leading work in the field, the story says."
The U.S. National Academies Reports on the Prospects for Quantum Computing
IEEE Spectrum - December 2018
Experts in the field give a hard-headed assessment of just how hard the technology is
"In November, IEEE Spectrum published an expert-written feature titled, “The Case Against Quantum Computing.” In it, the author, Mikhail Dyakonov, defended his view that practical general-purpose quantum computers would not be built anytime in the foreseeable future. As you might expect at this time of great enthusiasm for quantum computing, the article ruffled more than a few feathers."
Quantum Computing: Atomic Clocks Make for Longer-Lasting Qubits
IEEE Spectrum - November 2018
Cesium atoms and laser traps offer a more robust type of quantum computer
"A decade ago, quantum computing was still something of a parlor game. Quantum-computer advocates could make bold claims about one promising technology or another because no one had yet figured out how to string together more than a handful of quantum bits (qubits)."
The Case Against Quantum Computing
IEEE Spectrum - November 2018
The proposed strategy relies on manipulating with high precision an unimaginably huge number of variables
"Quantum computing is all the rage. It seems like hardly a day goes by without some news outlet describing the extraordinary things this technology promises. Most commentators forget, or just gloss over, the fact that people have been working on quantum computing for decades—and without any practical results to show for it."
U.S. National Labs Team Up to Build a Quantum Network
IEEE Spectrum - October 2018
A 48-kilometer quantum network will test whether solid-state qubits are more reliable and scalable than photonic qubits
"Two U.S. national labs plan to build a new quantum network bridging a distance of 48 kilometers (30 miles) between their facilities. The project could advance U.S. efforts in the global race to develop unhackable communication technologies. "
D-Wave Launches Free Quantum Cloud Service
IEEE Spectrum - October 2018
Canadian company joins IBM and Rigetti in offering online access to pricey hardware
Quantum computing could someday supercharge artificial intelligence, accelerate drug discovery, and even reduce traffic jams. But existing quantum computers, which have only a modest, if any, advantage over their classical brethren, are expensive, finicky beasts. Even if you could afford the US $15 million to buy a D-Wave 2000Q quantum annealer, for example, you would need experts to maintain the ultracold operating conditions its processor requires."
Singapore and United Kingdom Plan Quantum CubeSat for 2021 Launch
IEEE Spectrum - October 2018
A tiny quantum satellite project could pave the way for a global quantum-communications network
"Highly secure global communication based on quantum key distribution could eventually be made possible by swarms of tiny CubeSats. Singapore and the United Kingdom want to demonstrate that possibility through a US $13 million international project aimed at launching a small quantum communications satellite by 2021."
Pristine Quantum Light Source Created at the Edge of Silicon Chip
IEEE Spectrum - October 2018
Maryland researchers develop a silicon chip that guides the light around its edge producing high-quality single photons
Postquantum Cryptography, Part 2
IEEE Security & Privacy - September 2018
This is part 2 of IEEE Security & Privacy magazine’s special issue on Postquantum Cryptography. As explained in the introduction to part 1, public-key cryptography is indispensable for the security of open computer networks, particularly the Internet. Because of public-key cryptography’s relevance and quantum computers’ increasingly realistic threat to this technology, it’s necessary to come up with practical and secure postquantum cryptography—that is, public-key cryptography that can be expected to resist quantum computer attacks.
Read more at IEEE Security & Privacy
Ford Signs Up to Use NASA’s Quantum Computers
IEEE Spectrum - September 2018
Ford will explore next-gen annealing technology for autonomous and mobility research
"Ford Motor Company has quietly signed a US $100,000 contract with NASA’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL) to use the space agency’s quantum computer in its autonomous car research, according to a Space Act Agreement obtained by IEEE Spectrum."
Quantum Technology Promises Practical Cryptography With Unbreakable Keys
IEEE Spectrum - September 2018
Toshiba reports the first quantum key distribution scheme to achieve speeds exceeding 10 Mbps over standard fiber-optic lines
"Cryptographic protection of sensitive information is arguably facing its most severe challenge to date thanks to quantum computers. To counter this threat, researchers around the globe are investigating new ways to protect secret keys used to send and unlock encrypted data. One advanced method close to commercialization is quantum key distribution (QKD)."
Clearing a Path for Quantum Light
IEEE Spectrum - September 2018
University of Maryland researchers demonstrate the first single-photon transistor using a semiconductor chip
Building Quantum Computers With Photons
IEEE Spectrum - September 2018
Silicon chip creates two-qubit processor
"Silicon has given us the computers we have today by allowing billions of transistors to be packed onto a single chip. And it may one day lead to far more powerful computers, now that researchers have demonstrated a silicon chip that manipulates individual photons to create a quantum photonic processor."
QuMA: Researchers Develop Quantum Microarchitecture that “Bridges the Gap” in Processor System Stacks
IEEE Micro - July 2018
Researchers from the Netherlands are bridging the top and bottom layers of the system stack--specifically, the quantum algorithm and quantum chip.
IEEE Events at SXSW Cover Quantum Computing, Regenerative Medicine, and Scent Technology
The Institute - March 2018
Hugh Herr and Dean Kamen among this year’s speakers
"IEEE is making its presence known at one of the world’s largest tech events, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival, held from 9 to 14 March in Austin, Texas... Senior Member William Hurley, a serial entrepreneur and chair of the IEEE Quantum Computing Working Group, is set to deliver the keynote talk “The Endless Impossibilities of Quantum Computing,” in which he addresses how the technology will permanently alter computing and the global arms race to become the leader in the field."
Bringing Quantum Computing to the Masses
Beyond Standards - February 2018
Q&A with William Hurley ("whurley"), chair, IEEE Standards Association Quantum Computing Working Group
Before Quantum Computing Can Take Off, Terminology Must Be Defined
The Institute - January 2018
That’s the task of a new IEEE Standards Association working group
"What is a qubit? Depends on whom you ask. The term, short for quantum bit, describes the basic unit of information in quantum computing. Quantum computers are expected to be exponentially faster than today’s supercomputers, with the ability to process complex algorithms and massive amounts of data at high speeds. Each maker of the computers defines qubit differently. One might offer a 2,048-qubit model, while another offers a 50-qubit one—and it’s not clear which is the faster version, according to IEEE Senior Member William Hurley. He is the chair of the new IEEE Standards Association Quantum Computing Working Group. Its goal: set definitions for qubit and other terms used in the field. The working group is set to meet for the first time in February."
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