Category Archives: Quantum Computing

The announcement last night that Canberra based QuintessenceLab had completed a $25 million Series B capital raising demonstrates the interest in the emerging field however, like all venture investments, it comes with risk, especially in an immature field such as quantum computing.

The fundraising was led by CSIRO founded Main Sequence and TELUS Ventures, with participation from Mizuho Financial Group-backed InterValley Ventures and Terry Snows Capital Property Group.

According to business statistics site Statista, revenues for the global quantum computing market are projected to exceed $US1.76 billion by 2026 up from $472 million this year, an average compound annual growth rate of a tick above 30 per cent. By way of spurious comparisons, the size of the global for loot boxes (basically lucky dips inside competitive computing games) in 2020 was $US15 billion.

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The discipline's novelty means it comes with significant risk for investors owing to the nature of the impediments which need to be overcome to ensure widespread commercial deployment.

Despite the aspirations of entrepreneurs and investors, and the often gimlet-eyed assessments of industry commentators, quantum cyber security and quantum computing more generally remain relatively new fields commercially, despite decades of lab research.

Steady on

A paper by Deloitte authors Itan Barnes, Bartosz Czaszyriski and Ruud Schellekens, calledQuantum computers and their impact on Cyber Security argues that building the hardware for a quantum computer is a formidable challenge.

"Qubits (in loose terms quantum-mechanical analogue of a classical bit) in their nature are very fragile and can lose the information encoded in them very quickly (the decoherence problem)."

In their paper, they write that the major challenge is to keep the qubits completely isolated from the environment while allowing high precision control and readout of the qubit state.

To effectively decouple qubits from any noise source, and therefore sustain longer coherence times, these systems are typically cooled to extremely low temperatures using liquid helium.

This, they say, puts a heavy burden on the size of the system and results in high running costs.

There are many different ways to realise qubits, e.g trapped ions, superconducting rings and many others. Each architecture has its advantages and drawbacks and it is not yet clear which qubit material is the most scalable one.

Still, proponents argue that quantum computing is the next great threat to data and information.

In its funding announcement, QuintessenceLab claims, Quantum computing capabilities and power transcend that of current computing, making todays information vulnerable to quantum computing attacks and data breaches. Organisations need to start assessing their cybersecurity posture from a quantum-safe perspective.

As computing power increases exponentially, the tools needed to secure critical data and assets must stay several steps ahead, said Bill Bartee, Partner at Main Sequence. Dr. Sharma and the team at QuintessenceLabs are global leaders in developing quantum-based cybersecurity tools that help protect sovereign and commercially sensitive information. Were excited to support the QuintessenceLabs team as they scale their business and provide customers with a critical layer of protection.

Define soon

In its funding announcement, QuintessenceLabs says quantum cybersecurity will soon become mainstream and will be one of the critical pillars of a robust cybersecurity strategy for most organisations.

Writing in Telefonica earlier this year Gonzalo lvarez Maran noted that presently, only 1 per cent of organisations are investing in quantum computing and quantum computers, although he does note an expectation that in a decade or two we will be enjoying error-free quantum computers of thousands of qubits."

In the current world of real things, the largest quantum computer is IBM's Quantum System One at 65 bits. It still has aspirations to launch a 127 quantum bit computer this year, although the clock is ticking.

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Investors like the appeal of Quantum computing, but reward comes with risk - Digital Nation

Brooklyn, NY, Oct. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A New York City College of Technology (City Tech), professor and his then-undergraduate research partner have been granted a patent that may revolutionize quantum technology and cybersecurity. Their work has the potential to provide the missing part of the ultimate quantum technology: coupling of existing internet/data transfer telecom lines with quantum encryption/computing hardware.

The utility patent was awarded to the City Tech team of Dr. German Kolmakov, chair of the colleges Physics Department, and then City Tech undergraduate student Shaina Raklyar. With the support of the US Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation (NSF), The City University of New York (CUNY) and prospective New York State funding, a quantum interconnect enabling the coupling of existing internet/data transfer telecom lines with quantum encryption/computing hardware has been designed by the City Tech team and is now being prototyped for testing by US quantum computing companies. Until now, the absence of this quantum interconnect has been a significant obstacle to the deploying of quantum computing.

Quantum computing (QC)is the long-expected next step in dramatically increasing the speed with which computers can perform, tackling problems previously regarded as unsolvable because of the daunting number of variables involved. QC is the processing of information thats represented by special quantum states. By relying on quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement, these machines handle information in a fundamentally different way to classical computers like smartphones, laptops, or even todays powerful supercomputers. It can be seen as a revolution in the way computers function.

Linkage to quantum technology can revolutionize surveillance and homeland security, effectively transforming cybersecurity, the secure transmission of information, artificial intelligence, the creation of new materials and even the advancement of science through the development of new drugs. The main directions of quantum technology development include quantum computing, quantum secure internet and unbreakable quantum encryption of information.

The potential for this breakthrough work is profound. With quantum encryption enabled by the teams patent, Twitter and other social media would never be hacked again, personal data would never be leaked and private conversations would be immune to eavesdropping. With quantum acceleration of computations, new vaccines could be developed in weeks. This technology also has the potential to reduce energy costs for data centers by 50%, and dramatically reduce their carbon footprint a reduction equal to half of the carbon footprint of global aviation.

To facilitate the commercialization of this technology and attract private funding, Raklyar established a Brooklyn-based, woman-owned, woman-operated startup company Next Generation Quantum Corp (NGQ). With the support of the NSF, the team led a customer discovery session, interviewing 130+ decision makers, top officers and technology experts from the nation's leading high-tech companies, including IBM, AWS, D-Wave, Intel, and Google, as well as potential adopters of the technology, including Lyft, Uber, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. The interviews underscored the importance of the prototyping now being done and an angel investor has come forward to fund its development.

Shainas work forms the basis of this technological breakthrough, not only within the world of high-performance computing, but in the digital ecosystem as a whole, which has become an essential part of our daily lives. Im sure it will bring new experiences to homes, workplaces and free up time for almost all of us, said Prof. Kolmakov. Im really lucky that Shaina joined in on this research and brought her passions and, also, her scientific and entrepreneurial energy to this project.

It is not by accident that this technological breakthrough is the result of joint research by a City Tech faculty member and his student. City Tech prides itself on the value add of its programs in student-faculty collaborative research.

City Tech President Russell K. Hotzler states, City Tech is proudto be an incubator for the development of innovative technologies such as Ms. Raklyar and Dr. Kolmakovs quantum computing device. Their achievement will leave a lasting imprint in the field of quantum computing and the world of technology in general. We are excited to be the home of such groundbreaking research and congratulate this team on their newly acquired patent.

####

Shaina Raklyar was born in Kiev, Ukraine at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. She moved to the US in 2012 and has lived in New York ever since. When she learned about the opportunities that City Tech provides, her first thought was Wow! this is a cool place with unique majors. This sounded like the future to her, she says, so she immediately applied.Ms. Raklyar completed her bachelors degree in Biomedical Informatics in June 2020 and is now enrolled in a doctoral program at the City College of New York.

When asked about her hopes for the outcome of her work with Professor Kolmakov, she replied, I have three big hopes for the startup. The first is to revolutionize technology and to have our piece integrated in every computer in the future. The second hope is for Next Generation Quantum to go to an IPO. The third hope is for NGQ to get a Nobel prize in physics, or an equivalent in engineering (or both).

Professor German Kolmakov Is a professor of physics, and chairman of the Physics Department at City Tech. He received his Ph.D. from the L.D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics in Moscow, Russia. Professor Kolmakov is the author or co-author of a long list of articles on theoretical physics. Of Kolmakov, Shaina says, German is the smartest person that I know. I truly hope that this is not the last technology that we build together.

City Tech, of The City University of New York (CUNY), located in downtown Brooklyn, is the largest four-year public college of technology in the Northeast and a national model for technological education. In fall 2019, City Tech had an enrollment of more than 17,000 students in 31 baccalaureate and 30 associate degree programs, and was ranked ninth among more than 2,000 U.S. institutions in overall economic mobility for its students (www.equality-of-opportunity.org). For more information, visit http://www.citytech.cuny.edu.

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City University of New York Research Team's Technology Patent Could Revolutionize Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity - GlobeNewswire

We have more cats

Physicists in China claim they've constructed two quantum computers with performance speeds that outrival competitors in the US, debuting a superconducting machine, in addition to an even speedier one that uses light photons to obtain unprecedented results.

According to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journals Physical Review Letters and Science Bulletin. Interesting Engineering reports that the supercomputer, called Jiuzhang 2, can calculate in a single millisecond a task that the fastest conventional computer in the world would take a mind-numbing 30 trillion years.

The breakthrough was revealed during an interview with the research team, which was broadcast on China's state-owned CCTV on Tuesday, which could make the news suspect. But with two peer-reviewed papers, it's important to take this seriously.

Pan Jianwei, lead researcher of the studies, said that Zuchongzhi 2, which is a 66-qubit programmable superconducting quantum computer is an incredible 10 million times faster than Google's 55-qubit Sycamore, making China's new machine the fastest in the world, and the first to beat Google's in two years.

The Zuchongzhi 2 is an improved version of a previous machine, completed three months ago. The Jiuzhang 2, a different quantum computer that runs on light, has fewer applications but can run at blinding speeds of 100 sextillion times faster than the biggest conventional computers of today. In case you missed it, that's a one with 23 zeroes behind it.

But while the features of these new machines hint at a computing revolution, they won't hit the marketplace anytime soon. As things stand, the two machines can only operate in pristine environments, and only for hyper-specific tasks. And even with special care, they still make lots of errors.

Professor Pan of the University of Science and Technology of China said that the next step involved quantum error correction with four to five years of hard work.

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China makes a quantum computer streets ahead of the US - Fudzilla

Source: Stockfresh

The changing landscape of cyber security and Facebook experiences more pushback

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Read More: Cisco CyberHive Facebook Holograms Podcast Podcasts Social networks TechRadio WebEx

On this weeks show we look at the cyber security landscape and the emerging technologies like quantum computing that will reshape it with CyberHive head of product Gareth Lockwood.

In other news Cisco brings holograms to conference calls, Facebook is in the bad books, again, and its competitors try to convince US lawmakers to leave them alone.

To never miss an episode of TechRadio subscribe, comment and rate us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify or find us on pod.link.

For more on CyberHive visit https://cyberhive.com/

Read More: Cisco CyberHive Facebook Holograms Podcast Podcasts Social networks TechRadio WebEx

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CyberHive's Gareth Lockwood on how quantum computing changes the rules of threat protection - TechCentral.ie

In time, as companies develop more powerful quantum computers, the VQE could enable chemists to run strikingly accurate simulations. These models might be so precise that scientists wont need to synthesize and test the materials at all. If we ever reach this point, Aspuru-Guzik says, my work in materials science will be done.

When Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016, Aspuru-Guziks career was flourishing, but suddenly the prospect of remaining in the country no longer appealed to him. One week after the election, he began emailing colleagues in Australia and Canada, looking for a new job.

The University of Toronto offered him a prestigious government-funded position meant to lure top-tier researchers to the country and a cross-appointment at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a nonprofit corporation cofounded by machine-learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton that is quickly making Toronto a global hub for AI. The biggest inducement, however, was a promise to build a radical new materials lab called the Matter Lab, a project Aspuru-Guzik had dreamed of for years.

In the Matter Lab, we only attack a problem after asking three questions, says Aspuru-Guzik. Does it matter for the world? If not, then fuck it. Has somebody else already done it? If the answer is yes, theres no point. And is it remotely possible? Here, the word remotely is key. Aspuru-Guzik wants to tackle challenges that are within the range of feasibility, but barely so. If a material is too easy, he says, let other people find it.

Located in a postwar brick building in downtown Toronto, the lab is unlike any other at the university. The ceiling is adorned with maroon and burgundy acoustic panels, an homage to the beloved Mexican architect Luis Barragn. Tucked away in an inconspicuous corner is a typical lab bencha table with flasks, scales, and beakers beneath a fume hoodwhere graduate students can practice chemistry in much the same way their grandparents generation did. One gets the sense that this workstation isnt often used.

In the center is a $1.5 million robota nitrogen-filled glass-and-metal enclosure housing a mechanical arm that moves back and forth along a track. The arm can select powders and liquids from an array of canisters near the sides of the enclosure and deposit the contents, with exacting accuracy, in one of a number of reactors. The robot is like a tireless lab assistant who mixes chemicals 24/7, says Aspuru-Guzik. It can make 40 compounds in a mere 12 hours.

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This chemist is reimagining the discovery of materials using AI and automation - MIT Technology Review

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Machines, creator of the first universal quantum computing cloud infrastructure, today announced an investment from Qualcomm Ventures LLC. The investment in Quantum Machines is the first by Qualcomm Ventures in the Quantum Computing space and is an extension of the company's Series B round announced earlier this year.

Quantum computing will unleash a computational revolution, producing computers far more advanced and powerful than any computing technology we have to date. The race towards quantum advantage is rapidly accelerating, with multi-billion dollar investments led by venture-capital funds, the industry's largest computing corporations, and governments around the world.

Since its founding, Quantum Machines has established itself as the leading provider of control and operation systems for quantum computing across companies and research centers. Over the past few years, the company has developed a full-stack Quantum Orchestration Platform, with the combined software and hardware solution enabling an entirely new approach to controlling and operating quantum processors.

Qualcomm Ventures invests in companies focused on 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, IoT, Consumer and Enterprise and Cloud. Qualcomm Ventures has over 150 portfolio companies in its portfolio and manages over $1.5 billion in assets across the United States, China, India, Israel, Europe, Latin America, and Korea.

"When we look towards the future, we believe Quantum Computing will be an important technology that redefines many industries such as AI, Cybersecurity and Cloud," said Boaz Peer, Senior Investment Director, Qualcomm Ventures Europe and Israel at Qualcomm Israel Ltd. "We're excited to invest in Quantum Machines to help drive the Quantum Computing revolution forward."

"It's always very important to find the right investors who are aligned with our goals," said Dr. Itamar Sivan, Co-founder and CEO of Quantum Machines. "We're very proud to be working with Qualcomm Ventures as we believe their desire to push boundaries and commitment to innovation matches our drive to transform and advance the quantum computing industry."

About Quantum Machines

QM's full-stack Quantum Orchestration Platform enables an entirely new approach to controlling and operating quantum processors. Capable of running even the most complex algorithms from near-term applications of quantum computers to challenges of quantum-error-correction the Quantum Orchestration Platform allows users to realize the potential of all quantum processors right out of the box via its powerful, yet intuitive, programming language QUA.

About Qualcomm Ventures

Qualcomm Ventures, acting through Qualcomm Ventures LLC or its affiliated entities, has been making strategic investments in technology companies that have the potential to dramatically transform our world since 2000. As a global investor, we look to help entrepreneurs build revolutionary businesses that reshape the world around us. For more information please visit:www.qualcommventures.com.

Media Contact for Quantum Machines:

Lazer Cohen[emailprotected]+347-753-8256

SOURCE Quantum Machines

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Qualcomm Ventures Invests in Quantum Machines to Power the Future of Quantum Computing - PRNewswire

Showcasing quantum computing strategy and collaborations between businesses and research institutions

Tokyo Toppan, a global leader in communication, security, packaging, dcor materials, and electronics solutions, will participate in the 2nd QUANTUM COMPUTING EXPO TOKYO [Autumn], which will be held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, Japan, from October 27 to 29. Toppans booth (7-1) will present the companys perspective on the application of quantum technologies in society as well as its activities in the field of quantum computing.

Quantum computing is a computer processing technology that uses quantum bits, or qubits,1 which exhibit quantum-mechanical properties. Development targeting practical application has been underway since the 1980s, when the principle was first proposed, and it has garnered significant attention as a next-generation computing technology with high processing power. Data processing in classical computing has thus far been supported by the miniaturization of semiconductors to achieve higher speeds, but methods for enhancing processing power based on miniaturization are approaching their limit. Increased interest in next-generation computing based on a new principle is therefore prompting accelerated development of quantum computing technology around the world.

Toppan turned its attention to the potential of quantum computing technology at an early stage and is now working with research institutions, businesses, and other organizations to advance wide-ranging efforts leveraging the technology in diverse fields, such as development of new materials and enhancement of operational process efficiency.

There is, however, a risk that quantum computing could be used to decrypt highly sensitive communications, such as electronic payments and digital application forms containing personal data. Uncrackable encryption technologies will therefore be required as society is faced with the challenge of bolstering security.

Through the development and manufacture of smart cards, Toppan has accumulated a range of related security technologies, including encryption, authentication, and unauthorized access prevention. Leveraging this expertise, Toppan is working to advance the establishment of a safe and secure society in the age of quantum computing through support for equipping smart cards with post-quantum public key cryptography2 and expanding the use of quantum secure cloud technology. Toppan also intends to provide services and solutions including secure backup and data distribution for highly sensitive digital information.

Taking advantage of quantum computing technology in an array of fields, Toppan aims to enable a sustainable society and enhance corporate value as a leader in providing solutions to social issues globally through Digital Transformation (DX) and Sustainable Transformation (SX).

Details of the Toppan booth at QUANTUM COMPUTING EXPO TOKYO [Autumn]

(1) Diagram presenting an overview of the implementation of quantum technologies in societyThe diagram will present Toppans take on quantum technology-related hardware and software, applications, and fields in which it can be implemented in society.

(2) Four-way collaboration on quantum secure cloud technologyToppan is collaborating with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), QunaSys Inc. (QunaSys) and ISARA Corporation (ISARA). The project aims to devise and propose a specific structure and operational framework for quantum secure cloud technology suitable for practical use, with consideration for elements including management of keys and access rights. The four organizations will identify the requirements for devising and verifying use cases for quantum secure cloud technology.

(3) Joint development to equip smart cards with post-quantum public key cryptographyToppan and ISARA are working together to equip smart cards with post-quantum public key cryptography and conduct technical verification of the use of such smart cards to control and manage access. The project aims to develop a program enabling algorithms that generate and authenticate digital signatures for post-quantum public key cryptography, and to then apply the program to smart cards and verify functionality. The two companies will also carry out technical verification of digital authentication using smart cards equipped with post-quantum public key cryptography.

(4) Collaboration to enhance the efficiency of logisticsToppan and Tohoku University startup Sigma-i are conducting a pilot test on leveraging the results of joint research into quantum annealing to enhance the efficiency of logistics. The project aims to develop a delivery planning optimization system using quantum computing technologies by linking up with MITATE,3 a system offered by Toppan Group company Toppan Cosmo to enhance operational efficiency and visibility. Toppan and Sigma-i will verify the systems effectiveness for reducing time and increasing accuracy for delivery planning.

(5) Creation of new material development frameworkToppans booth will present the approach for material development being advanced in collaboration with QunaSys. The initiative involves creating a platform for the design and development of materials by establishing a cross-sectional, scalable material development data management system that takes full advantage of the power of quantum technologies. The goal is to create new businesses based on Toppans resources and QunaSyss technologies.

Reference panel: Quantum Key Distribution SystemA life-size photograph of a quantum key distribution system provided by Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation will also be on display in Toppans booth.

1. A quantum bit or qubit is the basic unit of information in quantum computing. A feature of qubits is their exhibiting complex states, such as superposition and entanglement.2. Post-quantum public key cryptography is a public key cryptography technology that cannot be decrypted even by quantum computing technologies.3. MITATE is a registered trademark of LAMPLIGHT Co., Ltd., a collaborative partner of Toppan Cosmo.

About the QUANTUM COMPUTING EXPO TOKYO [Autumn]

Dates: October 27 to 29, 2021Times: 10:0017:00Venue: Makuhari MesseOrganizer: RX Japan Ltd.https://www.qc-expo-at.jp/en-gb.html

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Toppan to Participate in QUANTUM COMPUTING EXPO TOKYO [Autumn] - WhatTheyThink

ARMONK, N.Y. and WALTHAM, Mass. IBM and Raytheon Technologies are jointly developing advanced artificial intelligence (AI), cryptographic, and quantum computing solutions for several sectors.

The strategic collaboration agreement is focused on the aerospace, defense, and intelligence sectors, including the federal government, according to the companies this month.

They intend to combine IBMs commercial research with Raytheon Technologies research, plus aerospace and defense expertise, to crack once-unsolvable challenges.

Aerospace and government customers can use artificial intelligence and quantum computing technologies to design systems more quickly, better secure their communications networks, and improve decision-making processes, they said.

See more: Artificial Intelligence Market

The companies also plan to jointly research and develop advanced cryptographic technologies that lie at the heart of some of the toughest problems faced by the aerospace industry and government agencies.

IBM and Raytheon Technologies are building a technical collaboration team to quickly insert IBMs commercial technologies into active aerospace, defense, and intelligence programs. The team will identify promising technologies to investresearch dollars and talent in to jointly develop long-term system solutions.

The rapid advancement of quantum computing and its exponential capabilities has spawned one of the greatest technological races in recent history one that demands unprecedented agility and speed, said Dario Gil, SVP and director of research, IBM.

See more: IBM Partnering with University of Tokyo on Quantum Computer

IBMs collaboration with Raytheon Technologies will be a catalyst in advancing these state-of-the-art technologies to make discovery faster and the scope of that discovery larger than ever, Gil said.

Take something as fundamental as encrypted communications, said Mark E. Russell, CTO, Raytheon Technologies. As computing and quantum technologies advance, existing cybersecurity and cryptography methods are at risk of becoming vulnerable.

Russell said IBM and Raytheon Technologies will collaboratively help customers in the sectors maintain secure communications and defend their networks better than previously possible.

See more: Top Cloud Security Companies & Solutions

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IBM and Raytheon Collaborating on AI, Cryptography, and Quantum Computing - Datamation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] A team of Brown University researchers has shown a new method of probing the properties of anyons, strange quasiparticles that could be useful in future quantum computers.

In research published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team describes a means of probing anyons by measuring subtle properties of the way in which they conduct heat. Whereas other methods probe these particles using electrical charge, this new method enables researchers to probe anyons even in non-conducting materials. Thats critical, the researchers say, because non-conducting systems have far less stringent temperature requirements, making them a more practical option for quantum computing.

We have beautiful ways of probing anyons using charge, but the question has been how do you detect them in the insulating systems that would be useful in whats known as topological quantum computing, said Dima Feldman, a physics professor at Brown and study co-author. We show that it can be done using heat conductance. Essentially, this is a universal test for anyons that works in any state of matter.

Anyons are of interest because they dont follow the same rules as particles in the everyday, three-dimensional world.In three dimensions, there are only two broad kinds of particles: bosons and fermions. Bosons follow whats known as Bose-Einstein statistics, while fermions follow Fermi-Dirac statistics. Generally speaking, those different sets of statistical rules mean that if one boson orbits around another in a quantum system, the particles wave function the equation that fully describes its quantum state does not change. On the other hand, if a fermion orbits around another fermion, the phase value of its wave function flips from a positive integer to a negative integer. If it orbits again, the wave function returns to its original state.

Anyons, which emerge only in systems that are confined to two dimensions, dont follow either rule. When one anyon orbits another, its wave function changes by some fraction of an integer. And another orbit does not necessarily restore the original value of the wave function. Instead, it has a new value almost as if the particle maintains a memory of its interactions with the other particle even though it ended up back where it started.

That memory of past interactions can be used to encode information in a robust way, which is why the particles are interesting tools for quantum computing. Quantum computers promise to perform certain types of calculations that are virtually impossible for todays computers. A quantum computer using anyons known as a topological quantum computer has the potential to operate without elaborate error correction, which is a major stumbling block in the quest for usable quantum computers.

But using anyons for computing requires first being able to identify these particles by probing their quantum statistics. Last year, researchers did that for the first time using a technique known as charge interferometry. Essentially, anyons are spun around each other, causing their wave functions to interfere with each other occasionally. The pattern of interference reveals the particles quantum statistics. That technique of probing anyons using charge works beautifully in systems that conduct electricity, the researchers say, but it cant be used to probe anyons in non-conducting systems. And non-conducting systems have the potential to be useful at higher temperatures than conducting systems, which need to be near absolute zero. That makes them a more practical option of topological quantum computing.

For this new research, Feldman, who in 2017 was part of a team that measured the heat conductance of anyons for the first time, collaborated with Brown graduate student Zezhu Wei and Vesna Mitrovic, a Brown physics professor and experimentalist. Wei, Feldman and Mitrovic showed that comparing properties of heat conductance in two-dimensional solids etched in very specific geometries could reveal the statistics of the anyons in those systems.

Any difference in the heat conductance in the two geometries would be smoking gun evidence of fractional statistics, Mitrovic said. What this study does is show exactly how people should set up experiments in their labs to test for these strange statistics.

Ultimately, the researchers hope the study is a step toward understanding whether the strange behavior of anyons can indeed be harnessed for topological quantum computing.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation (DMR-1902356, QLCI-1936854, DMR-1905532).

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Researchers show new strategy for detecting non-conformist particles called anyons - Brown University

International Business Machines (IBM)is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) that provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company has transformed its focus into data and cloud, but still provides advanced information technology solutions, computer systems, quantum computing and super computing solutions, enterprise software, storage systems and microelectronics.

The stock has been hot since the beginning of the year, at one point up over 20%. However, after making a move over $150, the stock traded sideways until it fell off a cliff last week.

The reason was a big miss on earnings. Now investors are worried that it might be another lost year for IBM.

About the Company

IBM is headquartered in Armonk, NY and employs over 345,000 people. The company was founded in 1911 and is a leader in patent wins. In fact, 2020 theymaintained the lead spot for the 28th year, with 9,130 patents.

IBM is valued at $115 billion and has a Forward PE of 12. The company holds a Zacks Style Score of D in Growth, but B in both Value and Momentum. The company also pays a 5% dividend.

Q3 Earnings

The company reported earnings last week, seeing EPS at $2.52 v the $2.49 expected. Revenues came in below expectations after legacy computer services disappointed. Guidance also was a drag, with the company expectation mid-single-digit growth and lower margins.

The stock had a severe sell off, gapping lower and closing lower by almost 10%. Investors might be in store for more pain, as analysts are dropping estimates.

Estimates

The recent quarter was followed a drop in estimates across all time frames. Over the last 7 days, the current quarters numbers have fallen from $4.22 to $3.80, or 10%. For the current year, estimates have fallen about 9% over that same time frame.

The momentum the company saw earlier this year is now gone, so investors should be cautious with the stock into next year.

Technical Take

IBM is trading well below its 200-day moving average after the earnings move lower. Now over 15% off its 2021 highs, the stock is threatening to go red on the year.

Story continues

Considering the S&P is up over 20% this year, investors might start to give up on IBM if the stock falls below $125.

The dividend will offer support and the $120 level is a long-term support area. However, if this spot fails, look for a move to the $100 level.

In Summary

Expect IBM to struggle after this recent earnings report. After losing its 2021 gains, investors now look at another lost year and negative returns.The 5% plus dividend will bring in buyers as the stock goes lower, but there are plenty of places to put money that offer more opportunity.

For those looking for a company in this sector, Agilysys (AGYS) might be a better bet. Last quarter the company saw a 40% EPS beat and the bulls are hanging onto the 200-day moving average.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportInternational Business Machines Corporation (IBM) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAgilysys, Inc. (AGYS) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.

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Bear of the Day: International Business Machines (IBM) - Yahoo Finance