Category Archives: Quantum Computing

Short Bytes: A team of Chinesescientists has claimed that it has built the worlds first quantum computing machine. According to them, the machine is 24,000 times faster thanits international counterparts and 10-100 times faster than thefirst electronic computer, ENIAC. While it might not be of any practical use at the moment, it surely shows Chinas work in the field of quantum computing.

This quantum computer is built by the researchers working at the University of Science and Technology of China, which is located at Hefei in Anhui province. For those who dont know, quantum computing machines are incredibly faster than the conventional computers. The quantum computers can also predict the complex behaviorof subatomic particles.

The researchers believe that quantum computing could excel the processing power of supercomputers. Pan Jianwei, a quantum physicist, and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that quantum computing makes use of quantum superposition principle for ultra-fast parallel calculation and simulation capabilities.

The Hefei quantum computing machine is 10 to 100 times faster than the first electronic computer, ENIAC. While it might not be of any practical use at the moment, the future prospects of quantum computing look bright.

Compared to the previous proof-of-principle experiments that had small photon number and low sampling rates, the performance of the new machine is better.

Our architecture is feasible to be scaled up to a larger number of photons and with a higher rate to race against increasingly advanced classical computers, the researchers said in a studypublished in the journal Nature Photonics on Tuesday.

Its the first quantum computing machine based on single photons. This development is interesting to note because, last year, China created the worlds first hack proof quantum satellite.

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World's First Quantum Computer Made By China 24000 Times Faster Than International Counterparts - Fossbytes

2D liquid crystals are commonly used in smart phone and television display screens.

Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) recently discovered a new state of matter, the 3D quantum liquid crystal.

We have detected the existence of a fundamentally new state of matter that can be regarded as a quantum analog of a liquid crystal, David Hsieh, assistant professor of physics at Caltech, said in a press release.

Liquid crystals flow like a liquid but are structurally oriented like a solid. Quantum liquid crystals contain electrons that act nematic, or arrange themselves in a parallel manner.

Quantum liquid crystals are not a foreign concept. 2D quantum liquid crystals were first discovered in 1999 by a Caltech professor. As the name suggests, 2D quantum liquid crystals flow in a flat plane, moving in one particular direction. 2D quantum crystals can also be found in high-temperature superconductors.

Electrons living in this flatland collectively decide to flow preferentially along the x-axis rather than the y-axis even though theres nothing to distinguish one direction from the other, John Harter, a postdoctoral researcher at the Caltech lab, said in a press release.

3D quantum crystals have more states. They can move along three axes, in a forward or backward motion. If a current is run through the material, the motion of the electrons yields a different magnetic strength and magnetic orientation.

The 3D quantum liquid crystal was found, surprisingly, in the metallic pyrochlore Cd2Re2O7 using second harmonic optical anisotropy measurements. In fact, researchers were originally interested in studying the atomic structure of Cd2Re2O7 using second harmonic optical anisotropy and encountered results inexplicable using solely the concept of a 2D quantum liquid crystal.

Like liquid crystals, the new phase spontaneously breaks rotational symmetry. Their paper, which was published in Science, described how the researchers found that there was a spin-orbit coupling which suggested that the material had a 3D quantum nature.

According to Science Daily, Harter was at first surprised by their findings and questioned their results. They were able to connect the dots when they accounted for the concept of 3D quantum liquid crystals, which was developed by Liang Fu, a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Liquid crystals can be found in nature but they can also be created artificially. Liquid crystal displays are commonly found in smartphones, televisions and other display screens.

The researchers question whether the 3D quantum liquid crystals could be implemented in a computer chip.

The nature of the electrons in the 3D quantum liquid crystals may be suitable for advancement in quantum computing, which uses quantum states to increase operating speed. Researchers theoretical models show that 3D quantum liquid crystals can have topological superconducting phases.

3D quantum liquid crystals could be the precursors to topological superconductors weve been looking for, said Hsieh in a press release.

Topological superconductors can stabilize the uncertain nature of quantum computing. Creating topological superconductors using the 3D quantum liquid crystals can open a new field in quantum computing.

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Quantum computing utilizes 3D crystals - Johns Hopkins News-Letter

Quantum Computation

Rather than store information using bits represented by 0s or 1s as conventional digital computers do, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, to encode information as 0s, 1s, or both at the same time. This superposition of statesalong with the other quantum mechanical phenomena of entanglement and tunnelingenables quantum computers to manipulate enormous combinations of states at once.

In nature, physical systems tend to evolve toward their lowest energy state: objects slide down hills, hot things cool down, and so on. This behavior also applies to quantum systems. To imagine this, think of a traveler looking for the best solution by finding the lowest valley in the energy landscape that represents the problem.

Classical algorithms seek the lowest valley by placing the traveler at some point in the landscape and allowing that traveler to move based on local variations. While it is generally most efficient to move downhill and avoid climbing hills that are too high, such classical algorithms are prone to leading the traveler into nearby valleys that may not be the global minimum. Numerous trials are typically required, with many travelers beginning their journeys from different points.

In contrast, quantum annealing begins with the traveler simultaneously occupying many coordinates thanks to the quantum phenomenon of superposition. The probability of being at any given coordinate smoothly evolves as annealing progresses, with the probability increasing around the coordinates of deep valleys. Quantum tunneling allows the traveller to pass through hillsrather than be forced to climb themreducing the chance of becoming trapped in valleys that are not the global minimum. Quantum entanglement further improves the outcome by allowing the traveler to discover correlations between the coordinates that lead to deep valleys.

The D-Wave system has a web API with client libraries available for C/C++, Python, and MATLAB. This allows users to access the computer easily as a cloud resource over a network.

To program the system, a user maps a problem into a search for the lowest point in a vast landscape, corresponding to the best possible outcome. The quantum processing unitconsiders all the possibilities simultaneously to determine the lowest energy required to form those relationships. The solutions are values that correspond to the optimal configurations of qubits found, or the lowest points in the energy landscape. These values are returned to the user program over the network.

Because a quantum computer is probabilistic rather than deterministic, the computer returns many very good answers in a short amount of timethousands of samples in one second. This provides not only the best solution found but also other very good alternatives from which to choose.

D-Wave systems are intended to be used to complement classical computers. There are many examples of problems where a quantum computer can complement an HPC (high-performance computing) system. While the quantum computer is well suited to discrete optimization, for example,the HPC system is better at large-scale numerical simulations.

Download this whitepaper to learn more about programming a D-Wave quantum computer.

D-Waves flagship product, the 2000qubit D-Wave 2000Q quantum computer, is the most advanced quantum computer in the world. It is based on a novel type of superconducting processor that uses quantum mechanics to massively accelerate computation. It is best suited to tackling complex optimization problems that exist across many domains such as:

Download the Technology Overview

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Quantum Computing | D-Wave Systems

Its been proven that time crystals do in fact exist. Two different teams of researchers created some time crystals just recently, one of which was from the University of Maryland and the other from Harvard University. While the first team used a chain of charged particles called ytterbium ions, the others used a synthetic diamond to create an artificial lattice.

It took a while for the idea of time crystals to stick because they are essentially impossibilities. Unlike conventional crystals where the lattices simply repeat themselves in space, time crystals also repeat in time to breaking time-translation symmetry. This unique phenomenon is the first in demonstrating non-equilibrium phases of matter.

The Harvard researchers are excited with their discoveries so far and are now hoping to uncover more about these time crystals. Mikhail Lukin and Eugene Demler are both physics professors and joint leaders of the Harvard research group. Lukin said in a recent press release, There is now broad, ongoing work to understand the physics of non-equilibrium quantum systems. The team is keen to move on with further research as they know by researching materials such as time crystals will help us better understand our own world as well as the quantum world.

Research such as that carried out by the Harvard team will allow others to develop new technologies such as quantum sensors, atomic clocks, or precision measuring tools. In regards to quantum computing, time crystals could be the missing link that were searching for when it comes to developing the worlds first workable model. This is an area that is of interest for many quantum technologies, said Lukin, because a quantum computer is a quantum system thats far away from equilibrium. Its very much at the frontier of research and we are really just scratching the surface. Quantum computer could change the way in which research is carried out and help in solving the most complex of problems. We just need to figure it out first.

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Time Crystals Could be the Key to the First Quantum Computer - TrendinTech

Lets make no mistake: The race for a quantum computer is the new arms race.

As Arthur Herman wrote in a recent NRO article, Quantum Cryptography: A Boon for Security, the competition to create the first quantum computer is heating up. The country that develops one first will have the ability to cripple militaries and topple the global economy. To deter such activity, and to ensure our security, the United States must win this new race to the quantum-computer revolution.

Classical computers operate in bits, with each bit being either a 0 or 1. Quantum computers, by contrast, operate in quantum bits, or qubits, which can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously. Therefore, quantum computers can do nearly infinite calculations at once, rather than sequentially. Because of these properties, a single quantum computer could be the master key to hijack our country.

The danger of a quantum computer is its ability to tear through the encryption protecting most of our online data, which means it could wipe out the global financial system or locate weapons of mass destruction. Quantum computers operate much differently from todays classical computers and could crack encryption in less time than it takes to snap ones fingers.

In 2016, 4.2 billion computerized records in the United States were compromised, a staggering 421 percent increase from the prior year. Whats more, foreign countries are stealing encrypted U.S. data and storing it because they know that in roughly a decade, quantum computers will be able to get around the encryption.

Many experts agree that the U.S. still has the advantage in the nascent world of quantum computing, thanks to heavy investment by giants such as Microsoft, Intel, IBM, D-Wave, and Google. Yet with China graduating 4.7 million of its students per year with STEM degrees while the U.S. graduates a little over half a million, how long can the U.S. maintain its lead?

Maybe not for long. Half of the global landmark scientific achievements of 2014 were led by a European consortium and the other half by China, according to a 2015 MIT study. The European Union has made quantum research a flagship project over the next ten years and is committed to investing nearly $1 billion. While the U.S. government allocates about $200 million per year to quantum research, a recent congressional report noted that inconsistent funding has slowed progress.

According to Dr. Chad Rigetti, a former member of IBMs quantum-computing group and now the CEO of Rigetti Computing, computing superiority is fundamental to long-term economic superiority, safety, and security. Our strategy, he continues, has to be viewing quantum computing as a way to regain American superiority in high-performance computing.

Additionally, cyber-policy advisor Tim Polk stated publicly that our edge in quantum technologies is under siege. In fact, China leads in unhackable quantum-enabled satellites and owns the worlds fastest supercomputers.

While quantum computers will lead to astounding breakthroughs in medicine, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, defense, and more, rogue states or actors could use quantum computers for fiercely destructive purposes. Recall the hack of Sony by North Korea, Russian spies hacking Yahoo accounts, and the exposure of 22 million federal Office of Personnel Management records by Chinese hackers.

How can the United States win this race? We must take a multi-pronged approach to guard against the dangers of quantum computers while reaping their benefits. The near-term priority is to implement quantum-cybersecurity solutions, which fully protect against quantum-computer attacks. Solutions can soon be built directly into devices, accessed via the cloud, integrated with online browsers, or implemented alongside existing fiber-optic infrastructure.

Second, the U.S. needs to consider increasing federal research and development and boost incentives for industry and academia to develop technologies that align private interests with national-security interests, since quantum technology will lead to advances in defense and forge deterrent capabilities.

Third, as private companies advance quicker than government agencies, Washington should engage regularly with industry. Not only will policies evolve in a timely manner, but government agencies could become valuable early adopters.

Fourth, translating breakthroughs in the lab to commercial development will require training quantum engineers. Dr. Robert Schoelkopf, director of the Yale Quantum Institute, launched Quantum Circuits, Inc., to bridge this gap and to perform the commercial development of a quantum computer.

The United States achieved the unthinkable when it put a man on the Moon. Creating the first quantum computer will be easier but the consequences if we dont will be far greater.

Idalia Friedson is a research assistant at the Hudson Institute.

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The Quantum Computer Revolution Is Closer Than You May Think - National Review

China has beaten the world at building the first ever quantum computing machine that is 24,000 times faster than its international counterparts.

Making the announcement at a press conference in the Shanghai Institute for Advanced Studies of University of Science and Technology, the scientists said that this quantum computing machine may dwarf the processing power of existing supercomputers.

Researchers also said that quantum computing could in some ways dwarf the processing power of today's supercomputers.

HOW THE WORLD'S FIRST QUANTUM COMPUTING MACHINE CAME TO BE?

The manipulation of multi-particle entanglement is the core of quantum computing technology and has been the focus of international quantum computing research.

Recently, Pan Jianwei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lu Chaoyang and Zhu Xiaobo of the University of Science and Technology of China and Wang Haohua of Zhejiang University set international records in quantum control of the maximal numbers of entangled photonic quantum bits and entangled superconducting quantum bits.

Pan said quantum computers could, in principle, solve certain problems faster than classical computers.

Despite substantial progress in the past two decades, building quantum machines that can actually outperform classical computers in some specific tasks - an important milestone termed "quantum supremacy" - remains challenging.

In the quest for quantum supremacy, Boson sampling - an intermediate quantum computer model - has received considerable attention, as it requires fewer physical resources than building universal optical quantum computers, Pan was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Last year, the researchers had developed the world's best single photon source based on semiconductor quantum dots.

Now, they are using the high-performance single photon source and electronically programmable photonic circuit to build a multi-photon quantum computing prototype to run the Boson sampling task.

The test results show the sampling rate of this prototype is at least 24,000 times faster than international counterparts, researchers said.

At the same time, the prototype quantum computing machine is 10 to 100 times faster than the first electronic computer, ENIAC, and the first transistor computer, TRADIC, in running the classical algorithm, Pan said.

It is the first quantum computing machine based on single photons that goes beyond the early classical computer, and ultimately paves the way to a quantum computer that can beat classical computers.

Last year, China had successfully launched the world's first quantum satellite that will explore "hack proof" quantum communications by transmitting unhackable keys from space, and provide insight into the strangest phenomenon in quantum physics - quantum entanglement.

The research was published in the journal Nature Photonics.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Chinese scientists build world's first quantum computing machine - India Today