Qubit Community Weekly Newsletter #5
Greetings, Qubit Community members!
We are excited to bring you the latest edition of our newsletter, packed with updates, insights, and opportunities in the ever-evolving field of quantum technologies. Whether you're a seasoned expert or a curious newcomer, our aim is to keep you informed and engaged with cutting-edge developments, community events, and thought-provoking articles.
Stay connected, stay curious, and let's continue to push the boundaries of what's possible together.
Happy reading!
Qubit News ands Announcements:
We are planning our future events – and encourage you to be a speaker in our meetups and events! If you have a knowledge about quantum technologies and related fields (quantum physics, photonics, spintronics, superconducting, etc), working on state of the art product, technology, or on an innovative research, we will be happy to give you the platform and share your project with the community!
Researchers Opportunities – we would like to give the opportunity to researchers in the community to share their knowledge and their research in special face to face events and webinars, creating deep-dive discussion.
If you are interested in presenting in one of these events, please fill the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVQt922_bx_U5EqDa4PHIkCjpFZJLcj4C6hsWdcO9O5wNJNg/viewform?usp=sf_link
If you are new in the field on quantum technologies, read our two guides about online courses and open source libraries:
Quantum news:
Quantum Industry Funding and Advances Highlight Q2 2024 - The Quantum Insider's Q2 2024 report was published last week, and it reveals a notable recovery in quantum industry funding, despite broader economic uncertainties. Private investments saw a boost, with significant funding rounds like Quantinuum’s $300 million standing out. This resurgence signals renewed investor confidence in the sector’s potential.
The report also highlights impressive strides in research and intellectual property (IP). Around 2,500 quantum-related patents were filed by 1,000 organizations, with China leading the pack. Companies such as IBM and QuEra released new roadmaps forecasting practical quantum computing advancements within the next few years, marking a shift from earlier, more conservative estimates.
Noteworthy collaborations include a significant study by Microsoft and Quantinuum that achieved new levels of quantum fidelity and logical qubit production. These advancements are crucial for overcoming error correction challenges, a major hurdle in practical quantum computing applications.
For the full report: https://thequantuminsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TQI-Q2-report.pdf
New Quantum Algorithm Enhances NISQCs – A breakthrough quantum algorithm promises to solve complex problems, boosting the capabilities of noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers (NISQCs). This hybrid quantum-classical approach leverages variational quantum algorithms and the SWAP test to identify eigenvectors of unitary and normal matrices, making it ideal for quantum principal component analysis on unknown mixed states. These algorithms, suitable for low-depth quantum circuits, address optimization challenges arising from barren plateaus, thus enhancing the performance of existing quantum systems.
For further information: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11128-024-04461-3
PennyLane Introduces Major Updates – PennyLane, from Xanadu, has launched new features and improvements, enhancing its platform for quantum computing. Key updates include support for just-in-time compilation with the Qrack GPU simulator for faster execution, arbitrary state-based measurements, and an updated qml.assert_equal implementation. Improvements to the Catalyst compiler now support autodifferentiation and custom VJP rules. Additionally, QChem Hamiltonians can be converted to and from OpenFermion.
For further information: https://pennylane.ai/blog/2024/07/pennylane-release-0.37/
Quantum Computing Breakthrough Accelerates Drug Discovery – Qubit Pharmaceuticals has made a significant leap in drug discovery by integrating quantum computing with classical high-performance computing (HPC). Their Atlas platform uses this hybrid approach to simulate and model molecules, optimizing drug development processes. Supported by the European Innovation Council and collaborating with Sorbonne Université and Scaleway, the company has achieved calculations requiring up to 250 logic qubits. This innovation could revolutionize drug discovery and other quantum chemistry applications, leading to more effective and safer pharmaceuticals.
For further information: https://www.scaleway.com/en/news/major-breakthrough-in-quantum-algorithms-qubit-pharmaceuticals-and-sorbonne-university-drastically-reduce-the-number-of-qubits-needed-to-simulate-molecules/
Zapata AI and D-Wave Quantum Expand Partnership to Enhance Generative AI Platforms – Zapata AI and D-Wave Quantum have announced a significant expansion of their partnership aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of generative AI solutions. This collaboration will leverage Zapata's Universal Generative AI software and D-Wave's Leap™ real-time quantum cloud service to create advanced, integrated quantum and AI applications. The partnership aims to combine the strengths of both companies: Zapata's expertise in generative AI and D-Wave's cutting-edge quantum computing technology. This synergy is expected to enhance the efficiency and performance of AI models, making them more suitable for complex, large-scale computational tasks in various industries, including deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. This partnership not only reinforces the strategic relationship between Zapata AI and D-Wave Quantum but also marks a significant step towards the commercial realization of quantum-enhanced generative AI applications.
For further information: https://ir.dwavesys.com/news/news-details/2024/Zapata-AI-and-D-Wave-Quantum-Announce-Expanded-Partnership-to-Accelerate-Development-and-Delivery-of-Generative-AIPlatforms/default.aspx
UK Develops Record-Breaking Quantum Chip with Double Performance Power – Oxford Ionics, a University of Oxford spin-off, has developed a high-performance quantum chip that sets new industry records. This innovative chip uses Electronic Qubit Control instead of traditional laser methods, integrating control components onto a silicon chip. This advancement simplifies manufacturing and enhances scalability. The chip achieves industry-leading performance in two-qubit and single-qubit gate operations without the need for error correction, making commercial applications more feasible. Oxford Ionics aims to develop a 256-qubit chip within a few years, bringing practical quantum computing closer to reality and promising significant impacts across various industries.
For further information: https://www.oxionics.com/news/oxford-ionics-breaks-global-quantum-performance-records
For the paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2407.07694
Quantum Randomness: Revolutionizing Computing and Cryptography – Quantum randomness, a unique feature of quantum mechanics, is unlocking new frontiers in computing and cryptography. Professor Thomas Vidick's research at the Weizmann Institute of Science explores this inherent randomness and its applications in secure communication. Vidick emphasizes the significance of randomness as a critical resource for algorithms and secret communication. His work includes developing methods to verify quantum randomness using entanglement, ensuring the integrity of quantum-generated random numbers. These advancements promise ultra-secure communication systems and robust encryption methods, pushing the boundaries of digital security and computational power.
For further information: https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/07/11/quantum-randomness-unlocks-new-frontiers-in-computing-cryptography/
Fast Cross-Country Quantum Networks on the Horizon – Researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have proposed an innovative method to create fast, cross-country quantum networks. Using vacuum-sealed tubes with spaced-out lenses, this method can maintain photon focus over thousands of kilometers, enabling the transmission of over 10 trillion qubits per second. This breakthrough combines the benefits of existing fiber-optic and satellite methods, promising to revolutionize secure communication, distributed quantum computing, and quantum sensing technologies.
For further information: https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/07/10/new-method-could-pave-the-way-to-fast-cross-country-quantum-networks/
For the Paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2312.09372v3