SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Fujitsu partnered with Entanglement, Inc. to demonstrate and validate the capabilities of the Digital Annealer (DA), a quantum-inspired computing platform and related services, to address large scale logistical combinatorial optimization challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other intractable challenges facing humankind.

From the beginning of the pandemic, provisioning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to high demand areas continues to pose an enormous logistical challenge. Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Department of Defense, Fujitsu and Entanglement offered to deliver a theoretical nationwide optimization model to solve the challenge, optimizing the equitable resource allocation of the potentially available stock of PPE in the United States, while minimizing the mileage and time traveled to emerging hotspots.

A report prepared by the CRADA validated that this highly complex, combinatorial challenge is solvable in seconds using the DA solution, versus days or weeks for other traditional computing algorithms. In fact, one metric in the report the efficiency of overall supply and demand allocation showed the DA outperformed a comparative Evolutionary Algorithm by 90 percent. Using real-time data from an array of public and private sources, Digital Annealer efficiency increases exponentially with the addition of diverse variables and larger datasets.

"Traditional logistics tools are simply too slow and incapable of managing the complexities of these huge combinatorial problems," said Jason Turner, CEO of Entanglement, Inc. "Fujitsu's Digital Annealing technology and related services, in combination with our advanced computational and quantum computing expertise, not only solve these problems quickly, but do so in a way that is scalable, effective, iterative, equitable, and transparent. The best part? The more complex the problem, the more it shines, producing evermore accurate and efficient results the more its stressed."

Fujitsu and Entanglement formed their partnership in May of 2020 based on their common core values, which together aim to deliver advanced technology ecosystems that assist in solving large-scale, human-centric problems for end users. Fujitsu intellectual property and DA technology, combined with Entanglement's intellectual property, domain experience and commitment to demonstrate and accelerate quantum information science and artificial intelligence, created an optimum environment for the two companies to spotlight computing capabilities beyond the reach of traditional computing systems in the market today, and make a significant impact.

"While our initial collaborations centered on commercial prospects leveraging the emerging mobility ecosystem, the COVID-19 pandemic made it abundantly clear we needed to redeploy our conceptual thinking and quickly offer new models that accelerated our response to the virus," said Paul Warburton, Global Head of Mobility DX business at Fujitsu. "Both companies felt and embraced a deep responsibility to use our capabilities for good, and there is no area of greater need today than fighting this pandemic."

The DA solution, related consultancy and professional services, together with the advanced research, experienced team and purpose-built laboratory capabilities from Entanglement, make the particular use case for PPE optimization highly transferrable to a number of different applications in a variety of public and private sector endeavors. Agile and adaptive, the quantum-inspired model is designed to tackle a variety of linear parallel processes including predictive modeling for financial markets and portfolio optimization; supply chain logistics; transport and mobility; drug discovery; diagnosing, preventing and treating disease; predicting and preventing cyber threats; and modeling simulations, to name a few. The DA also adapts to fast-moving environments and integrates with existing systems, making it non-disruptive to ongoing and transforming operations.

Online Resources- More on the Fujitsu Digital Annealer: https://www.fujitsu.com/global/services/business-services/digital-annealer/- Read the Fujitsu blog: http://blog.ts.fujitsu.com- Follow Fujitsu on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FujitsuAmerica- Follow us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/fujitsu-america- Find Fujitsu on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Fujitsu- Fujitsu pictures and media server: http://mediaportal.ts.fujitsu.com/pages/portal.php- For regular news updates, bookmark the Fujitsu newsroom: http://www.fujitsu.com/us/about/resources/news/

About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu AmericasFujitsu America, Inc. is the parent and/or management company of a group of Fujitsu-owned companies operating in North, Central and South America and Caribbean, dedicated to delivering a comprehensive range of digital transformation solutions and services to clients in the Western Hemisphere. These companies are collectively referred to as Fujitsu Americas. Fujitsu enables clients to meet their business objectives through integrated offerings and solutions, including consulting and professional services, systems integration, managed services, outsourcing and cloud services for infrastructure, platforms and applications; AI and data analytics; and quantum-inspired computing solutions. For more information, please visit: http://fujitsu.com/us and http://twitter.com/fujitsuamerica.

About Entanglement, Inc.Entanglement is an early-stage deep technology company dedicated, inter alia, to providing unprecedented commercial access to diverse and advanced computing systems (including quantum computing, high-performance / super- computing and purpose-built computing systems) to a broad range of customers. Focused to accelerate the development of quantum information science (QIS) and artificial intelligence (AI) without enormous up-front capital investment, Entanglement has designed an environment for rapid experimentation and breakthroughs. Through the democratization of these integrated computing capabilities and the experience of its team, the company lowers the barriers to entry for solving seemingly unsolvable real-world problems today. It provides a bridge from classical to quantum computation. Entanglement, together with its partners and customers, push "Beyond Binary." For more information, please visit: https://www.entanglement.ai

All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

SOURCE Fujitsu America, Inc.

http://www.fujitsu.com

Original post:
Fujitsu and Entanglement Solve Problems Related to COVID-19 and Other Previously Unsolvable Problems through Quantum-Inspired Technology - PRNewswire

Security experts have long worried that advances in quantum computing could eventually make it easier to break encryption that protects the privacy of peoples data. Thats because these sophisticated machines can perform calculations at speeds impossible for conventional computers, potentially enabling them to crack codes previously thought indecipherable.

Now, a Swiss technology company says it has made a breakthrough by using quantum computers to uncover vulnerabilities in commonly used encryption. The company believes its found a security weakness that could jeopardize the confidentiality of the worlds internet data, banking transactions and emails.

Terra Quantum AG said its discovery upends the current understanding of what constitutes unbreakable encryption and could have major implications for the worlds leading technology companies, such as Alphabet Inc.s Google, Microsoft Corp., and International Business Machines Corp.

Don't miss: ProtonMail, Threema, Tresorit and Tutanota warn EU of risks of weakening encryption

But some other security experts said they arent nearly ready to declare a major breakthrough, at least not until the company publishes the full details of its research. If true, this would be a huge result, said Brent Waters, a computer science professor who specialises in cryptography at the University of Texas at Austin. It seems somewhat unlikely on the face of it. However, it is pretty hard for experts to weigh in on something without it being published.

IBM spokesman Christopher Sciacca said his company has known the risks for 20 years and is working on its own solutions to address the issue of post-quantum security. This is why the National Institute of Science & Technology (NIST) has been hosting a challenge to develop a new quantum safe crypto standard, he said in an email. IBM has several proposals for this new standard in the final round, which is expected in a few years.

Brian LaMacchia, distinguished engineer at Microsoft, said company cryptographers are collaborating with the global cryptographic community to prepare customers and data centers for a quantum future. Preparing for security in a post-quantum world is important not only to protect and secure data in the future but also to ensure that future quantum computers are not a threat to the long-term security of todays information.

Google didnt reply to a message seeking comment.

Terra Quantum AG has a team of about 80 quantum physicists, cryptographers and mathematicians, who are based in Switzerland, Russia, Finland and the US What currently is viewed as being post-quantum secure is not post-quantum secure, said Markus Pflitsch, chief executive officer and founder of Terra Quantum, in an interview. We can show and have proven that it isnt secure and is hackable.

Also read: Heres how an encrypted, locked Android and Apple phone gets bypassed

Pflitsch founded the company in 2019. Hes a former finance executive who began his career as a research scientist at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Terra Quantums research is led by two chief technology officers Gordey Lesovik, head of the Laboratory of Quantum Information Technology at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and Valerii Vinokur, a Chicago-based physicist who in 2020 won the Fritz London Memorial Prize for his work in condensed matter and theoretical physics.

The company said that its research found vulnerabilities that affect symmetric encryption ciphers, including the Advanced Encryption Standard, or AES, which is widely used to secure data transmitted over the internet and to encrypt files. Using a method known as quantum annealing, the company said its research found that even the strongest versions of AES encryption may be decipherable by quantum computers that could be available in a few years from now.

Vinokur said in an interview that Terra Quantums team made the discovery after figuring out how to invert whats called a hash function, a mathematical algorithm that converts a message or portion of data into a numerical value. The research will show that what was once believed unbreakable doesnt exist anymore, Vinokur said, adding that the finding means a thousand other ways can be found soon.

Read more: Chinese scientists make world's first light-based quantum computer: Report

The company, which is backed by the Zurich-based venture capital firm Lakestar LP, has developed a new encryption protocol that it says cant be broken by quantum computers. Vinokur said the new protocol utilizes a method known as quantum key distribution.

Terra Quantum is currently pursuing a patent for the new protocol. But the company will make it available for free, according to Pflitsch. We will open up access to our protocol to make sure we have a safe and secure environment, said Pflitsch. We feel obliged to share it with the world and the quantum community.

The US government, like China, has made research in quantum computing research an economic and national security priority, saying that the world is on the cusp of what it calls a new quantum revolution. In addition, technology companies including Google, Microsoft, and IBM have made large investments in quantum computing in recent years.

Read the original here:
A Swiss company claims it used quantum computers to find weakness in encryption - HT Tech

Download our Mobile App

Scientists and engineers at the University of Sydney and Microsoft Corporation have developed a device that can handle thousands of qubits. To put things in perspective, the current state-of-the-art quantum computer can control only 50 qubits at a time.

Scaled-up quantum computers require control interfaces to manipulate or readout a large number of qubits, which usually operate at temperatures close to absolute zero (1 Kelvin or -273 degrees celsius).

The complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology has its limitations due to high thermodynamic dissipation, leading to heating of the fragile quantum bits. Overheating of quantum bits compromises its quantumness, the property of being in two states at the same time (also called superposition).

The current architecture uses multiple connections as every qubit is controlled by external circuitry with a separate electrical connection, generating a lot of heat.

The scientists from the University of Sydney built a CMOS interface between the qubits and the external circuitry, in such a way that the CMOS chip can generate control pulses for multiple qubits, with just four low-bandwidth wires, at 0.1 Kelvin, a temperature 30 times colder than deep space, with ultralow power dissipation.

The interface consists of four low-bandwidth wires at room temperature to provide input signals to the chip, which then configures 32 analogue circuit blocks to control the qubits that use dynamic voltage signals.

Analogue circuit boards use the low leakage of the transistors to generate dynamic voltage signals for manipulating qubits, consuming significantly less power.

Quantum computers are at a similar stage that classical computers were in their 40s when machines needed control rooms to function.

However, this chip, according to the scientists, is the most advanced integrated circuit ever built to operate at deep cryogenic temperatures.

The quantum computers that we have now are still lab prototypes and are not commercially relevant yet. Hence, this is definitely a big step towards building practical and commercially relevant quantum computers, said Mr Viraj Kulkarni, But I think that we are still far away from it.

This is because of the Error Correction. Any computing device always has errors in it and no electronic device can be completely perfect. There are various techniques that computers use to correct those errors.

Now the problem with quantum computing is that qubits are very fragile. Even a slight increase in temperature, vibrations, or even cosmic rays can make qubits lose their quantumness, and this introduces errors. So the key question of whether we can really control these errors is still relevant.

Nivedita Dey, research coordinator at Quantum Research and Development Labs, said the qubit noise is still a roadblock in developing quantum computers.

One of the biggest challenges in implementing a quantum circuit in this Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) era is qubit noise, which causes hindrance in commercial availability of fault-tolerant full-scale quantum computers, said Ms Dey.

This approach can be well suited for practical quantum applications and might reduce the number of error-correcting qubits to be associated with noisy qubits, she added.

If quantum computing does prove to be commercially viable, it will open up completely new avenues.

A plane is not just faster than a car, it can also fly, said Mr Kulkarni, drawing an analogy between quantum computers and conventional computers. The idea is that quantum computers are not just faster, but at the same time will provide us with solutions that are better, especially in AI.

Hence, many applications in AI including complex mathematical equations, drug discovery by enabling chemical simulations, or building financial applications to come up with a better strategy will be solved in a faster and efficient way.

In the end its a tool, so any function a conventional computer can achieve, quantum computers will be able to do it faster and better.

See the rest here:
Microsoft Scientists Build Chip That Can Handle Thousands Of Qubits - Analytics India Magazine

For most of us, the refrigerator is where we keep our dairy, meat and vegetables. For Ilana Wisby, CEO at Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), refrigeration means something else entirely.

Her company, operator of the UKs only commercially available quantum computer, has recently announced a new partnership with Oxford Instruments Nanoscience, a manufacturer of ultra-low temperature refrigerators.

As per the agreement, OQC will be the first to deploy the new Proteox cryo-refrigerator, which reaches temperatures as low as 5-8 millikelvin (circa -273 C/-460 F), significantly colder than outer space.

According to Wisby, the arrival of powerful new refrigerators will allow organizations like hers to take quantum computing to new heights, by improving the "quality" of superconducting quantum bits (qubits).

Quantum effects only happen in really low-energy environments, and energy is temperature. Ultimately, we need to be at incredibly low temperatures, because were working at single-digit electron levels, she explained

A qubit is an electronic circuit made from aluminum, built with a piece of silicon, which we cool down until it becomes superconducting and then further until single electron effects are happening.

The colder the system the less noise and mess there is, she told TechRadar Pro, because all the other junk is frozen out. With the Proteox, then, OQC hopes to be able to scale up the architecture of its quantum machine in a significant way.

The meaning of quantum computing, let alone its significance, can be difficult to grasp without a background in physics. At the end of our conversation, Wisby herself told us she had found it difficult to balance scientific integrity with the need to communicate the concepts.

But, in short, quantum computers approach problem solving in an entirely different way to classical machines, making use of certain symmetries to speed up processing and allow for far greater scale.

Quantum computers exploit a number of principles that define how the world works at an atomic level. Superposition, for example, is a principle whereby something can be in two positions at once, like a coin thats both a head and a tail, said Wisby.

Ultimately, that can happen with information as well. We are therefore no longer limited to just ones and zeros, but can have many versions of numbers in between, superimposed.

Instead of running calculation after calculation in a linear fashion, quantum machines can run them in parallel, optimizing for many more variables - and doing so extremely quickly.

Advances in the field, which is really still only in its nascent stages, are expected to have a major impact on areas such as drug discovery, logistics, finance, cybersecurity and almost any other market that needs to process massive volumes of information.

Quantum computers in operation today, however, can not yet consistently outperform classical supercomputers. There are also very few quantum computing resources available for businesses to utilize; OQC has only a small pool of rivals worldwide in this regard.

The most famous milestone held aloft as a marker of progress is that of quantum supremacy, the point at which quantum computers are able to solve problems that would take classical machines an infeasible amount of time.

In October 2019, Google announced it was the first company to reach this landmark, performing a task with its Sycamore prototype in 200 seconds that would take another machine 10,000 years.

But the claim was very publicly contested by IBM, which dialled up its Summit supercomputer (previously the worlds fastest) to prove it was capable of processing the same workload in roughly two and a half days.

Although the quantum supremacy landmark remains disputed, and quantum computers have not yet been responsible for any major scientific discoveries, Wisby is bullish about the industrys near-term prospects.

Were not there yet, but we will be very soon. Were at a tipping point after which we should start to see discoveries and applications that were fundamentally impossible before, realistically in the next three years.

In pharma, that might mean understanding specific molecules, even better understanding water. We hope to see customers working on new drugs that have been enabled by a quantum computer, at least partially, in the not too distant future.

The challenge facing organizations working to push quantum computing to the next level is balancing quality, scale and control. Currently, as quantum systems are scaled and an appropriate level of control asserted, the quality decreases and information is lost.

Achieving all these things in parallel is whats going to unlock a quantum-enabled future, says Wisby.

There is work to be done, in other words, before quantum fulfils its potential. But steps forward in the ability to fabricate superconducting devices at scale and developments in areas such as refrigeration are setting the stage.

See the rest here:
A fridge thats colder than outer space could take quantum computing to new heights - TechRadar

Deploying the more sustainable and resilient electric grid of the future requiresa sophisticatedusage of data. This begins with sensorsand measurement infrastructurecollecting a wide range of grid-relevant data, butalsoincludes various forms of analytics to usethedata tosolvea wide range ofgrid problems.Many advanced analytics methodsalreadyarebeing used,includingartificial intelligence and machine learning.Now,forward-looking electric utilities are exploringthe next step in enhancing these analytics,by understandinghow emerging computing technologies can be leveraged to provide higher levels of service. Among the mostcompellingexamples of this is the potential use of quantum computing for grid purposes.

This rapid evolution is happening in part toaccommodate additional distributed energy resources (DERs)on the grid, including the solarphotovoltaic (PV)and energy storage that helptoreduce emissions bylimitingthe need for fossil-fuel power plants. High levels of DER penetration not only necessitate reform in traditional grid planning and operation, but also facilitate unprecedented grid modernization to accommodate new types of loads (for example,electric vehicles)andbidirectional power transfer.

Electric utilities like Commonwealth Edison(ComEd)are in a unique position to develop and deploy grid-optimizing technologies to meet the demands of evolving systems and build a scalable model for the grid of the future.Serving over 4 million customers in northern Illinois and Chicago,Illinois, U.S.,ComEd ispartnering with leading academic institutionsincluding the University of Denver and the University of Chicago andleveraging its position as one of the largest electric utilities in theU.S.to explorequantumcomputing applications forgrid purposes.

What Is Quantum Computing?

The major difference between classical and quantum computers is in the way they process information.Whereas classical computing bits are either 0 or 1, quantum bits (qubits) can be both 0 and 1 at the same timethrougha unique quantum property called superposition. For example, an electron can be used as a qubit because it can simultaneously occupy its ground state (0) and its excited state (1).

Moreover, this superposition phenomenon scales exponentially. For example, two qubitscanoccupy four statessimultaneously: 00, 01, 10 and 11. More generally, N qubits can represent an exponential number of states (2N) at once, enabling a quantum computer to process all these states rapidly.This exponential advantageis the salient feature of quantum computers, enabling faster calculations in specific applications,such as factoringlargenumbers and searching datasets.

ComEd cohosted a workshop that brought together a dozen leaders in quantum computing and power systems to help determine the future applications of quantum computing for the grid.

A superconducting quantum computer from Professor David Schuster's laboratory at UChicago that can help drive the field forward. Credit: Yongshan Ding.

The data from these advanced sensors can be leveraged from quantum computing to provide higher levels of grid resiliency and support DER integration.

QuantumComputingApplications

To identify potential applications forquantumcomputing in the grid of the future,ComEdcohosted a workshop on Feb.27, 2020,with researchers from the University of Chicago,the University of Denverand Argonne NationalLaboratory. The purpose of theworkshop was to explore the potential benefitsquantumcomputingcouldbring to power systemsand collaborate on developing technologies that couldbe demonstrated to provide this value.

Recognizing these two fields historicallyhavenot been in close contact, the workshop began with two tutorial sessions, one forpowersystems and another forquantumcomputing, to provide backgroundonthe stateoftheart of the respective fields as well as the emerging challengesof each. Following the tutorial sessions, a technical discussionincludedbrainstormingpotential applications of existingquantumcomputing algorithms on large-scale power system problems requiring heavy computational resources.Followingare severalpotential power systemsapplicationsofquantum computingin deployingthe grid of the future.

Unit Commitment

Optimal system schedulingin particular,unit commitment(UC)is one of the most computationally intensive problems in power systems. UCis a nonlinear, nonconvexoptimizationproblem with a multitude of binary and continuous variables. There have been extensive and continuous efforts to improve the solutiontothis problem, from both optimality and execution time points of view. Recent advances in power systems, such astheintegration of variable renewable energy resources andagrowing number of customer-ownedgeneration units, add another level of difficulty to this problem and make it even harder to solve.

Quantum optimization may solve the UC problem fasterthancurrent models used in classical computers. Thequantumapproximateoptimizationalgorithm(QAOA),analgorithm for quantum computers designed to solve complex combinatorial problems,may be wellsuited for the UC problem. While QAOA was designed for discrete combinatorial optimization, several interesting research directions could relaxthe algorithmto be compatible with mixed-integer programming tasksused inUC.

Contingency Analysis

Another potentialapplicationinvolvescontingency analysis. Traditional power system operators tend to assess system reliability byanalyzingN-1 contingency, to ensure thesystemcan maintainadequatepower flowduringone-at-a-time equipment outages. Systemoperators usually run this study after obtaining a state estimator solution todetermine whethersystem status is still within the acceptable operating condition.

Advanced computing capabilities like quantum computing can support the integration of clean energy generation like this deployment as part of the Bronzeville Community Microgrid.

The high-riskN-k contingencyhas beenintroduced toobtainbetter situational awareness. However, the combinatorial explosion in potential scenarios greatly challenges the existing computing power. Quantum computers could helptoaddress N-k scenarios by enabling access to an exponentially expanded state space.

State Estimation

Quantumcomputingalsohas the potential to enable large-scale distribution systemhybridstate estimation with phasor measurement units (PMUs)and advanced meteringinfrastructure (AMI).Utilitiesalreadyhave deployedthousandsofPMUsand millionsofsmart metersacross the grid that provide data toacentral management system. PMUsprovide time-synchronized three-phase voltage and current measurements at speeds up to 60 samples per second, which allow for linear state estimation at similar speeds.AMI provides voltage and energy measurementsat customer siteswith differenttimeresolutions.

As thesystem becomes more complex, the computationrequiredto usemany measurements estimating the states of apracticalnetwork increasesaccordingly. QAOA provides a promising path for state estimation withPMUsor hybrid state estimation with both PMUsand AMIata speed believed to be unachievable byclassicalcomputers. In addition, QAOA is within the computing capabilities of near-term quantum computers,called noisy intermediate-scale quantum(NISQ),now available.

AccurateForecasting

When it comes to system operation, forecasting is another issuequantumcomputing could address.The high volatility ofDERs, such assolar andwind, may disturb normal system operation and underminethesystems reliability. Accurate forecastingof variable generationwouldenablesystem operators to act proactively to avoid potential system frequency disturbances and stability concerns.

Quantumcomputing couldmake it possible to consider abroaderrange of data for forecasting (such as detailed weather projections and trends) and achieve a much more accurate forecast.The workshop identified Boltzmannas a potentially effective method to tackle this problem. In particular, thequantum Boltzmannmachine (QBM) is a model that has significantly greater representational power than traditional Boltzmannmachines. QBMsalreadyhavebeen experimentally realized on currently availablequantum computers.

AddressingUncertainties

An inherent part of modern power gridsistheuncertaintystemmingfrom various sources (such asvariable generation, component failures, customer behavior, extreme weatherandnatural disasters). Uncertainties cannot be controlled by grid operators, so the common practice is to define potential scenarios and plan for themaccordingly.However, these scenarioscanbe significantin some cases, making it extremely challenging to devise a viable plan for grid operation and asset management.

Quantum computers capabilityto solve numerous scenarios simultaneouslycould beuseful in addressing uncertainty in power systems. Quantum algorithms under development by financial firmsalsomaybe directly translatable to addressing uncertainties in power grids.

StudyingThese Applications

As part of thebroader collaboration,the University of Denver teamhas beenawarded a grant to study some of theapplicationsof quantum computing in power grids.Awarded by theColorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade,the grantaimstoexplorequantum computing-enhanced security and sustainability for next-generation smart grids. In particular, the team will investigate the quantum solution of the power flow problem as the most fundamentalcomputationalanalysis in power systems.

The workshop also identified that practical applications of quantum computing may soon be possible thanks to the development of quantum hardware.In 2019,Googleconducted aquantum supremacy experimentby running asimple program on a small quantum computer in secondsthatwould have taken days on the worlds largest supercomputer. IBM recently released a technology roadmapin whichmachineswilldoublein sizeoverthe next few years, with a target of over 1000 quantum bitsby2023whichlikelywould belarge enough for many of thepotentialpower gridapplications.

A Quantum Leap

The 2020 workshopthat ComEd,theUniversity of Chicago andtheUniversity of Denver engaged inhas only scratched the surface ofquantumcomputingas a new paradigm to solve complex energy system issues. However, this first step presents a path toward understanding the capabilities ofquantumcomputing and the role it can play in optimizing energy systems.That path toward understanding is best taken together, as academics and engineers,government and institutions,andutilitiescollaborate to share knowledge to build theelectricgrid of the future.

ComEdand the two universities have sustained a bimonthlycollaboration since the workshopto explorepower systems applications of quantum computing.Some preliminary results on quantum computing approaches to theUCproblem were presentedbytheUniversity of Chicago in the IEEE 2020 Quantum Week.As this collaboration develops, it becomes increasingly likely the next generation of grid technologies will engage the quantum possibilities of ones, zeros and everything in between.

Honghao Zheng(honghao.zheng@comed.com)isaprincipalquantitativeengineer insmart grid emerging technology atCommonwealthEdison(ComEd),where he supportsnew technology ideation, industrialresearch and development,and complex project execution. Prior to ComEd,heworkedasatechnical leadof Spectrum PowerOperator Training Simulator and TransmissionNetwork Applicationsmodulesfor Siemens DG SWS.ZhengreceivedhisPh.D. inelectricalengineering fromtheUniversity ofWisconsin-Madison in 2015.

Ryan Burg(ryan.s.burg@comed.com)is aprincipalbusinessanalyst insmartgridprograms at ComEd,where he supports academic partnerships. He previously taught sustainable management and business ethics at Bucknell, HSE and Georgetown Universities.Burgholds a joint Ph.D.in sociology and business ethics from the Wharton School of Businessof the University of Pennsylvania.

AleksiPaaso(esa.paaso@comed.com)is director ofdistributionplanning,smartgridandinnovation at ComEd, where he is responsible for distribution planning activities, distributed energy resource (DER) interconnection, andsmart grid strategy and project execution. He is a senior member ofthe IEEE and technical co-chair for the 2020 IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference and Exposition. He holds a Ph.D.in electrical engineering from the University of Kentucky.

RozhinEskandarpour(Rozhin.Eskandarpour@du.edu)is aseniorresearchassociateintheelectrical andcomputerengineeringdepartment at the University of Denver. Her expertise spans the areas ofquantumcomputing andartificialintelligenceapplications in enhancingpowersystemresilience.Shealsois the CEO and founder of Resilient Entanglement LLC, a Colorado-based R&D company focusing on quantumgrid.She is a senior member of the IEEE society. Rozhin holds a Ph.D. degree inelectrical and computer engineering from the University of Denver.

AminKhodaei(Amin.Khodaei@du.edu)isa professor ofelectrical andcomputerengineering at the University of Denver andthe founder of PLUG LLC, an energy consulting firm. He holds a Ph.D.degree inelectricalengineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr.Khodaeihas authored more than 170 technical articles on various topics in power systems, including the design of the grid of the future in the era of distributed resources.

Pranav Gokhale(pranavgokhale@uchicago.edu)iscofounder and CEO ofSuper.tech, a quantum software start-up. He recently defended his Ph.D.in computer science fromtheUniversity ofChicago(UChicago), where he focused on bridging the gap from near-term quantum hardware to practical applications.Gokhales Ph.D.research led to over a dozen publications, three best paper awards and two patent applications. Prior toUChicago,hestudied computer science and physics at Princeton University.

Frederic T.Chong(chong@cs.uchicago.edu)is the Seymour Goodman Professor in thedepartment ofcomputerscience at the University of Chicago. Healsoisleadprincipalinvestigator for the Enabling Practical-scale Quantum Computing(EPiQC) project, a National Science Foundation (NSF)Expedition in Computing. Chong received his Ph.D. from MIT in 1996. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award andninebest paper awards.

Read the original:
A Quantum Leap Is Coming: Ones, Zeros And Everything In Between - Transmission & Distribution World

BOSTON, Jan. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Aliro Quantum, the leading quantum networking company, announces today that it has joined the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) Industry Advisory Board. Aliro will help guide CQN on its mission to build the first long-range quantum network enabled by quantum repeaters, making Entanglement as a Servicethe fundamental building block for a 100% secure networka reality for government and business use. CQN, centered at the University of Arizona, was founded in 2020 with a $26 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

"The Center for Quantum Networks is at the forefront of establishing national leadership in quantum networking technology," said Jim Ricotta, Aliro CEO. "Aliro will provide valuable industry perspective to support CQN's groundbreaking work. I've led companies into nascent networking markets before, and the signs are unmistakable: The quantum internet will spur a new remarkable computing revolution."

CQN will develop the first quantum network enabling fully error-corrected quantum connectivity at 10 M qubits/s over 100-km simultaneously between multiple user groups, enabled by quantum repeaters. Prineha Narang, Professor at Harvard and Aliro CTO, serves as a Thrust Co-Lead at CQN, with a focus on quantum materials, devices, and fundamentals.

"The Quantum Internet will surpass the capabilities of today's internet because of the unique applications afforded by distributed entanglement," said Saikat Guha, Director, CQN.

CQN was founded in 2020 as an NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC). The NSF ERC program supports convergent research, education, and technology translation at U.S. universities that will lead to strong societal impacts.

To learn more about Aliro and its quantum networking solutions, visit aliroquantum.com.

About Aliro Quantum

Aliro Quantum is a quantum networking platform company that spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University. Aliro is leading the charge on quantum network market creation by offering the foundational technologies needed for organizations around the world to build powerful quantum systems. An Air Force Research grant recipient, Aliro is designing quantum network simulation and emulation tools while partnering with national labs and hardware vendors including Air Force Research Labs, IBM Q Network, Rigetti, Honeywell Quantum Solutions, and Hyperion Research to make scalable quantum computing accessible. To learn more, visit https://aliroquantum.com.

About Center for Quantum Networks

The Center for Quantum Networks(CQN) is taking on one of the great engineering challenges of the 21st century: to lay the technical and social foundations of the quantum internet. CQN will lay the foundations for a socially responsible quantum internet which will spur new technology industries and a competitive marketplace of quantum service providers and application developers. CQN aims to develop a quantum network enabling error-corrected quantum connectivity at mega qubits per second over metropolitan-scale distances, simultaneously for multiple user pairs, supported on a network backbone of quantum repeaters and switches. To learn more, visit https://cqn-erc.org.

SOURCE Aliro Quantum

Homepage

View original post here:
Aliro Joins the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) Industry Advisory Board to Lay the Foundations for a Commercially-Available Quantum Internet -...

Issued on: 25/01/2021 - 13:19Modified: 25/01/2021 - 14:18

The first quantum revolution gave way to lasers and transistors while the secondushered in MRIs and GPS. But the technology still holds much more promisefor the future. We tell you why quantum computing is becomingsuch a strategic sector.

Quantum physics constitutes a huge change in how one understands the world and conceives reality. There is a shift from the intuitive, straightforward classical paradigmto the quantum world that describesmuch more complex, counterintuitive and amazing phenomena. In this edition, we attempt to explain the fundamental mechanism of quantum physics, a demonstration of how little we actually know about our world.

We dig deeper into the prospect of quantum computers with Eleni Diamanti, a senior researcher at LIP6 Sorbonne. She tells us how much this technology is set to revolutionise certain sectors like communications, medtech and theInternet of Things, plus how nations and companies are now engaged in an arms race for quantum supremacy.

And in Test 24, wetake a look at the French startup Vaonis' latest deviceVespera, a perfect hybrid between a smart telescope and a camera that picked up the best innovation award at this year's CES trade show.

Originally posted here:
Tech 24 - Welcome to the quantum era - FRANCE 24

More than four out of five (82 percent) surveyed pharma companies believe quantum computing will impact the industry within the next decade.

Quantum computing is being eyed to accelerate computations in a variety of applications. While many routine computational workloads are well-served by traditional high-performance computing (HPC) systems, quantum computing offers advantages for certain classes of applications. One category that it appears can greatly benefit is pharmaceutical research. Specifically, leading organizations in the field hope to use the technology to accelerate drug discovery and the development of new therapies.

One sign of the growing adoption in the life sciences was anannouncement last week of a collaborative agreement between BoehringerIngelheim and Google Quantum AI (Google). The two will focus on researching andimplementing cutting-edge use cases for quantum computing in pharmaceuticalresearch and development (R&D), specifically molecular dynamicssimulations.

See also: Quantum Computing: Coming to a Platform Near You

The new partnership combines Boehringer Ingelheimsexpertise in the field of computer-aided drug design and in silico modelingwith Googles efforts in quantum computers and algorithms. Boehringer Ingelheimis the first pharmaceutical company worldwide to join forces with Google inquantum computing. The partnership is designed for three years and is co-led bythe newly established Quantum Lab of Boehringer Ingelheim.

In making the announcement, the teams noted that while thetechnology is still new, there are opportunities to make significant advances.Quantum computing is still very much an emerging technology, saidMichaelSchmelmer, Member of the Board of Managing Directors of Boehringer Ingelheimwith responsibility for Finance and Group Functions. However, we are convincedthat this technology could help us to provide even more humans and animals withinnovative and groundbreaking medicines in the future.

The work here is yet another part of wide-ranging Boehringer Ingelheim technology investments in a broad range of digital technologies. Those investments encompass key areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data science to better understand diseases, their drivers and biomarkers, and digital therapeutics.

With respect to potential advances using quantum computing,the technology has the potential to accurately simulate and compare much largermolecules than currently possible with traditional (HPC) systems. Extremelyaccurate modeling of molecular systems is widely anticipated as among the mostnatural and potentially transformative applications of quantum computing, saidRyan Babbush, Head of Quantum Algorithms at Google, when the news was announced.

Using the technology in pharmaceutical research will require new compute systems, software, and expertise. As such, adoption is still in its early stages. A survey conducted last year by the Pistoia Alliance, theQuantum Economic Development Consortium(QED-C), andQuPharm found almost one third (31 percent) of life science organizations were set to begin quantum computing evaluation in 2020. A further 39 percent are planning to evaluate this year or have the technology on their radar, while 30 percent have no current plans to evaluate.

The three organizations have established a cross-industry Community of Interest (CoI). The aim is to explore opportunities for the technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of biopharma R&D. The CoI aims to support companies that need help navigating the pathway to quantum computing.

While we are still in the early stages of this newtechnology becoming available, there are great expectations of its importance.That same survey found that more than four out of five respondents (82 percent)believe quantum computing will impact the industry within the next decade.

More here:
Quantum Computing Acceleration of AI in Pharma on the Rise - RTInsights

The globalquantum computing marketis valued at $667.3 million by 2027, surging from $88.2 million in 2019 at a noteworthy CAGR of 30.0%.

Impact Analysis of COVID-19 on the Quantum Computing Market

The global market for quantum computing services is projected to experience considerable impact due to the emergence of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In the fight against COVID-19, quantum computing platform has joined the force of disruptive technologies at the service to better control the global outbreak. The current coronavirus crisis provides a valuable stage for zooming in the real potential applications of quantum computing in highly-impacted and complex situations. The esteemed companies operating in global quantum computing market are trying their best to provide integrated platform amidst the shutdown. For instance, in September 2020, IBM, an American multinational technology and consulting company, announced to conduct IBM Quantum Summit 2020 to discover chemical compounds that could contribute to the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, quantum computing is very helpful in the discovery of lot of drugs which is a computationally-intensive task. Quantum computing can analyze the the interaction between biomolecules, and this can be helpful in tackling infectious agents such as coronavirus and others. There can be no other better way than to model the problem on a computer and conduct extensive research on the same. For instance in March, D-Wave announced that they are offering quantum computers free to anyone working on the coronavirus crisis for research and other work related to covid19. Therefore, there are many companies expirenced upsurge in growth, throughout the pandemic period. These type of factors may lead lucrative opportunities for the investors in the forecast period.

Quantum Computing Market Analysis:

The enormous growth of the global quantum computing market is mainly attributed to the increasing integration of quantum computing platforms in healthcare. Companies such as 1QB Information Technologies Inc., QxBranch, LLC, D-Wave Systems Inc. are working in the field of material simulation to enhance the accessibility, availability, and usability of quantum computers in material simulation applications. In addition, these players are following strategic collaborations, business expansion and technological innovations to acquire the largest share in the global industry. For instance, in October 2020, Cambridge Quantum Computing announced that they are opening Ph.D. internships with multinational pharmaceutical companies for drug designing through quantum algorithms. These key factors may lead to a surge in the demand for quantum computing services in the global market.

Lack of knowledge and skills may create a negative impact on global quantum computing services throughout the analysis timeframe. This type of factors may hamper the quantum computing market growth during the analysis period.

The global quantum computing industry is growing extensively across various fields, but fastest growing adoption of quantum computing is in agriculture. Quantum computing offers software solutions for agriculture in large businesses and startups all over the world to develop innovative solutions in agriculture. For instance Quantum, a software and data science company launched a software named AgriTech, ths software helps farmers to monitor crops, agricultural fields and it will respond quickly to all the issues related to agriculture. These factors may provide lucrative opportunities for the global quantum computing market, in the coming years.

The consulting solutions sub-segment of the quantum computing market will have the fastest growth and it is projected to surpass $354.0 million by 2027, with an increase from $37.1 million in 2019. This is mainly attributed to its application in blind quantum computing and quantum cryptography playing a major role to secure cloud computing services. Moreover, the consulting solutions segment for quantum computing technologies covers broad range of end-user industries including automotive, space & defense, chemicals, healthcare, and energy & power, and others.

Moreover systems offering sub-segment type will have a significant market share and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 26.7% by registering a revenue of $313.3 million by 2027. This growth is mainly attributed to many government authorities across the developed as well as developing economies that are heavily investing into quantum computing technologies. For instance, in February 2020, the Indian government announces that they are going to invest $1120 million in quantum computing research. This type of government support and scheme is expected to flourish the research for technology under the National Mission of Quantum Technology and Application project. Such government support may bolster the segmental growth, in the analysis period.

Machine learning sub-segment for the quantum computing industry shall have rapid growth and it is anticipated to generate a revenue of $236.9 million by 2027, during the forecast period. This growth is mainly attributed to higher applications of quantum computing in the broad range of areas such as drug discovery, multi-omics data integration, and many among others. These factors may offer lucrative opportunities for the segment, during the forecast timeframe.

The banking and finance sub-segment will be the fastest-growing segment and it is expected to register a revenue of $159.2 million by 2027, throughout the analysis timeframe. The enormously growing quantum computing in the finance sector across the globe has advanced with developments in smartphone technology and computer processing. In addition, the quantum computing platform helps speed up the transactional activities in cost-effective ways. Hence, the quantum computing platform is extensively attracting the interest of BFSI firms that are seeking to boost their data speed, trade, and transactions. Such factors are projected to upsurge the growth of the segment, during the projected timeframe.

The quantum computing market for the Asia-Pacific region will be a rapidly-growing market and it has generated a revenue of $18.1 million in 2019 and is further projected to reach up to $150.3 million by 2027. The demand for quantum computing services is surging in the Asia pacific region, specifically because of the strategic collaboration and development. For instance, in December 2019, D-Wave Systems came in a partnership with Japans NEC for building of quantum apps and hybrid HPC for exploring the capabilities NECs high-performance computers and D-Waves quantum systems. Such partnerships may further surge the growth of market, during the analysis timeframe.

The Europe quantum computing market shall have a dominating market share and is anticipated to reach up to $ 221.2 million by the end of 2027 due to its higher application in fields such as development and discovery of new drugs, cryptography, cyber security, defense sector, among others. In addition, the use of quantum computing will also have positive consequences in development of AI as well as in machine learning. For instance, in July 2019, Utimaco GmbH, software & hardware provider came in partnership with ISARA to utilize post quantum cryptography; this partnership will help their users to have secured and encrypted communication that cannot be decrypted by other computers. These initiatives may create a positive impact on the Asia-pacific quantum computing market, during the forecast period.

Key Market Players

Porters Five Forces Analysis for Quantum Computing Market:

About Us:Research Dive is a market research firm based in Pune, India. Maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the services, the firm provides the services that are solely based on its exclusive data model, compelled by the 360-degree research methodology, which guarantees comprehensive and accurate analysis. With unprecedented access to several paid data resources, team of expert researchers, and strict work ethic, the firm offers insights that are extremely precise and reliable. Scrutinizing relevant news releases, government publications, decades of trade data, and technical & white papers, Research dive deliver the required services to its clients well within the required timeframe. Its expertise is focused on examining niche markets, targeting its major driving factors, and spotting threatening hindrances. Complementarily, it also has a seamless collaboration with the major industry aficionado that further offers its research an edge.

Contact us:Mr. Abhishek PaliwalResearch Dive30 Wall St. 8th Floor, New YorkNY 10005 (P)+ 91 (788) 802-9103 (India)+1 (917) 444-1262 (US)Toll Free: +1-888-961-4454E-mail: support@researchdive.comLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/research-dive/Twitter:https://twitter.com/ResearchDiveFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/Research-Dive-1385542314927521Blog:https://www.researchdive.com/blogFollow us:https://marketinsightinformation.blogspot.com/

Originally posted here:
Analysis: Opportunities and Restraint of the Quantum Computing Market KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper

Schematic of light-induced formation of Weyl points in a Dirac material of ZrTe5. Jigang Wang and collaborators report how coherently twisted lattice motion by laser pulses, i.e., a phononic switch, can control the crystal inversion symmetry and photogenerate giant low dissipation current with an exceptional ballistic transport protected by induced Weyl band topology. Credit: U.S. Department of Energy, Ames Laboratory

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energys Ames Laboratory and collaborators at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered a new light-induced switch that twists the crystal lattice of the material, switching on a giant electron current that appears to be nearly dissipationless. The discovery was made in a category of topological materials that holds great promise for spintronics, topological effect transistors, and quantum computing.

Weyl and Dirac semimetals can host exotic, nearly dissipationless, electron conduction properties that take advantage of the unique state in the crystal lattice and electronic structure of the material that protects the electrons from doing so. These anomalous electron transport channels, protected by symmetry and topology, dont normally occur in conventional metals such as copper. After decades of being described only in the context of theoretical physics, there is growing interest in fabricating, exploring, refining, and controlling their topologically protected electronic properties for device applications. For example, wide-scale adoption of quantum computing requires building devices in which fragile quantum states are protected from impurities and noisy environments. One approach to achieve this is through the development of topological quantum computation, in which qubits are based on symmetry-protected dissipationless electric currents that are immune to noise.

Light-induced lattice twisting, or a phononic switch, can control the crystal inversion symmetry and photogenerate giant electric current with very small resistance, said Jigang Wang, senior scientist at Ames Laboratory and professor of physics at Iowa State University. This new control principle does not require static electric or magnetic fields, and has much faster speeds and lower energy cost.

This finding could be extended to a newquantum computing principle based on the chiral physics and dissipationlessenergy transport, which may run much faster speeds, lower energy cost and high operation temperature. said Liang Luo, a scientist at Ames Laboratory and first author of the paper.

Wang, Luo, and their colleagues accomplished just that, using terahertz (one trillion cycles per second) laser light spectroscopy to examine and nudge these materials into revealing the symmetry switching mechanisms of their properties.

In this experiment, the team altered the symmetry of the electronic structure of the material, using laser pulses to twist the lattice arrangement of the crystal. This light switch enables Weyl points in the material, causing electrons to behave as massless particles that can carry the protected, low dissipation current that is sought after.

We achieved this giant dissipationless current by driving periodic motions of atoms around their equilibrium position in order to break crystal inversion symmetry, says Ilias Perakis, professor of physics and chair at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This light-induced Weyl semimetal transport and topology control principle appears to be universal and will be very useful in the development of future quantum computing and electronics with high speed and low energy consumption.

What weve lacked until now is a low energy and fast switch to induce and control symmetry of these materials, said Qiang Li, Group leader of the Brookhaven National Laboratorys Advanced Energy Materials Group. Our discovery of a light symmetry switch opens a fascinating opportunity to carry dissipationless electron current, a topologically protected state that doesnt weaken or slow down when it bumps into imperfections and impurities in the material.

Reference: A light-induced phononic symmetry switch and giant dissipationless topological photocurrent in ZrTe5 by Liang Luo, Di Cheng, Boqun Song, Lin-Lin Wang, Chirag Vaswani, P. M. Lozano, G. Gu, Chuankun Huang, Richard H. J. Kim, Zhaoyu Liu, Joong-Mok Park, Yongxin Yao, Kaiming Ho, Ilias E. Perakis, Qiang Li and Jigang Wang, 18 January 2021, Nature Materials.DOI: 10.1038/s41563-020-00882-4

Terahertz photocurrent and laser spectroscopy experiments and model building were performed at Ames Laboratory. Sample development and magneto-transport measurements were conducted by Brookhaven National Laboratory. Data analysis was conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. First-principles calculations and topological analysis were conducted by the Center for the Advancement of Topological Semimetals, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the DOE Office of Science.

Originally posted here:
Light-Induced Twisting of Weyl Nodes Switches on Giant Electron Current Useful for Spintronics and Quantum Computing - SciTechDaily