The future of computing as we know it is on the cusp of a monumental shift, thanks to a recent breakthrough in quantum computing technology. This advancement, brought about by a unique collaboration between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Harvard University, has the potential to accelerate the actualization of quantum computing by several years. The implications of this development are substantial, promising significant advancements in computing power and technological innovation.

The collaboration between DARPA and Harvard aims to address the fundamental challenges of scaling and error correction in quantum computing. These are crucial parameters for the practical implementation of this technology. A team led by Harvard and supported by DARPA has made significant strides in these areas. They have developed novel logical qubits that could enable the creation of scalable quantum computers.

In a first-of-its-kind achievement, the team created a quantum circuit with logical quantum bits (qubits), utilizing arrays of noisy physical Rydberg qubits. They developed techniques to create error-correcting logical qubits and built quantum circuits with around 48 Rydberg logical qubits in their laboratory. This advancement opens up the possibility of rapidly scaling the number of logical qubits.

Traditionally, it has been believed that millions of physical qubits are needed before a fault-tolerant quantum computer can be developed. However, this breakthrough has challenged this traditional view. By 2025, the QuEra team anticipates having between 10,000 to 100,000 physical qubits and 100 error-corrected qubits with very low error rates. This could potentially lead to commercially viable quantum error-corrected computer systems by 2028.

DARPA has selected Microsoft Corporation and PsiQuantum to advance to the next phase of the US2QC program. This program aims to ascertain whether an underexplored approach to quantum computing can achieve utility-scale operation. The goal is to develop and defend a system design for a fault-tolerant prototype, demonstrating that a utility-scale quantum computer can be constructed and operated as intended.

The breakthrough also underscores the urgent need for agencies and companies to transition from long-standing encryption protocols to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) to resist rapidly advancing quantum computers. PQC is designed to address the threat posed by quantum computers to existing encryption. Implementing the new cryptography algorithms in actual code and ensuring it works is a critical step in this process. Agencies and companies are urged to take proactive steps to address the issue, rather than waiting for cybersecurity vendors to come up with a PQC implementation.

The impact of quantum computing on digital devices and the urgency for the migration to PQC cannot be overstated. This breakthrough, along with the initiatives by DARPA and its partners, is reshaping the future of computing and technology. We are on the brink of a new era, and the potential advancements it promises are truly exciting.

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Quantum Computing Breakthrough: DARPA and Harvard Collaboration - Medriva