Category Archives: Quantum Computing

Research from the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis has found a missing piece in the puzzle of optical quantum computing.

Jung-Tsung Shen, associate professor in the Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, has developed a deterministic, high-fidelity two-bit quantum logic gate that takes advantage of a new form of light. This new logic gate is orders of magnitude more efficient than the current technology.

In the ideal case, the fidelity can be as high as 97%, Shen said.

His research was published in May 2021 in the journal Physical Review A.

The potential of quantum computers is bound to the unusual properties of superposition the ability of a quantum system to contain many distinct properties, or states, at the same time and entanglement two particles acting as if they are correlated in a non-classical manner, despite being physically removed from each other.

Where voltage determines the value of a bit (a 1 or a 0) in a classical computer, researchers often use individual electrons as qubits, the quantum equivalent. Electrons have several traits that suit them well to the task: they are easily manipulated by an electric or magnetic field and they interact with each other. Interaction is a benefit when you need two bits to be entangled letting the wilderness of quantum mechanics manifest.

But their propensity to interact is also a problem. Everything from stray magnetic fields to power lines can influence electrons, making them hard to truly control.

For the past two decades, however, some scientists have been trying to use photons as qubits instead of electrons. If computers are going to have a true impact, we need to look into creating the platform using light, Shen said.

Photons have no charge, which can lead to the opposite problems: they do not interact with the environment like electrons, but they also do not interact with each other. It has also been challenging to engineer and to create ad hoc (effective) inter-photon interactions. Or so traditional thinking went.

Less than a decade ago, scientists working on this problem discovered that, even if they werent entangled as they entered a logic gate, the act of measuring the two photons when they exited led them to behave as if they had been.The unique features of measurement are another wild manifestation of quantum mechanics.

Quantum mechanics is not difficult, but its full of surprises, Shen said.

The measurement discovery was groundbreaking, but not quite game-changing. Thats because for every 1,000,000 photons, only one pair became entangled. Researchers have since been more successful, but, Shen said, Its still not good enough for a computer, which has to carry out millions to billions of operations per second.

Shen was able to build a two-bit quantum logic gate with such efficiency because of the discovery of a new class of quantum photonic states photonic dimers, photons entangled in both space and frequency. His prediction of their existence was experimentally validated in 2013, and he has since been finding applications for this new form of light.

When a single photon enters a logic gate, nothing notable happens it goes in and comes out. But when there are two photons, Thats when we predicted the two can make a new state, photonic dimers. It turns out this new state is crucial.

Mathematically, there are many ways to design a logic gate for two-bit operations. These different designs are called equivalent. The specific logic gate that Shen and his research group designed is the controlled-phase gate (or controlled-Z gate). The principal function of the controlled-phase gate is that the two photons that come out are in the negative state of the two photons that went in.

In classical circuits, there is no minus sign, Shen said. But in quantum computing, it turns out the minus sign exists and is crucial.

Quantum mechanics is not difficult, but its full of surprises.

When two independent photons (representing two optical qubits) enter the logic gate, The design of the logic gate is such that the two photons can form a photonic dimer, Shen said. It turns out the new quantum photonic state is crucial as it enables the output state to have the correct sign that is essential to the optical logic operations.

Shen has been working with the University of Michigan to test his design, which is a solid-state logic gate one that can operate under moderate conditions. So far, he says, results seem positive.

Shen says this result, while baffling to most, is clear as day to those in the know.

Its like a puzzle, he said. It may be complicated to do, but once its done, just by glancing at it, you will know its correct.

The McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis promotes independent inquiry and education with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation and collaboration without boundaries. McKelvey Engineering has top-ranked research and graduate programs across departments, particularly in biomedical engineering, environmental engineering and computing, and has one of the most selective undergraduate programs in the country. With 140 full-time faculty, 1,387 undergraduate students, 1,448 graduate students and 21,000 living alumni, we are working to solve some of societys greatest challenges; to prepare students to become leaders and innovate throughout their careers; and to be a catalyst of economic development for the St. Louis region and beyond.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, ECCS grants nos. 1608049 and 1838996. It was also supported by the 2018 NSF Quantum Leap (RAISE) Award.

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A new piece of the quantum computing puzzle - Washington University in St. Louis Newsroom

Dublin, June 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Technology Themes 2021 - Tracking Development of 3 Key Trends, 5G, Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

5G, Quantum Computing and AI have been discussed at length for a number of years and the hype that surrounds them can lessen the understanding of real world impacts these themes are already having. This report aims to track their present position, explain their potential benefits and see where any issues have arisen. 2021 promises to be a significant year for all three industries.

Key Highlights

5G consists of the fifth generation of cellular technology and is built to enable faster mobile data speeds than previous 4G LTE and earlier technologies, providing the potential for revenue growth and lower customer churn. 5G will allow networks to be virtually sliced to provide a range of different service characteristics for different use cases. For example, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) will support use cases including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), automated and remotely operated robotics, and many others. Meanwhile, massive machine-type communications (mMTC) will eventually support millions, and eventually billions, of sensors and meters that can provide value through data analytics and automation in use cases such as agriculture, healthcare, and public safety.

While widespread enterprise use remains years away, the hype around quantum computing (QC) continued to build in 2020, and with good reason. More people than ever are getting to grips with QC, with many companies now offering quantum cloud experiences for beginners and developers alike. Two separate organizations, Google and the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), have claimed the quantum advantage, but practical use cases need to be proven in 2021 for the field to continue to attract investment.

AI is ubiquitous today. It can be found everywhere, from wearable tech to automated home devices, smart cities, cars, offices, and more. The technology is embedded in a range of systems, making it challenging to identify revenue explicitly generated by AI. GlobalData forecasts that the market for AI platforms will reach $52bn in 2024, up from $29bn in 2019. AI is one of the most hyped technologies, with reality often falling short of vendors' world-altering promises.

Scope

Story continues

Learn how AI is developing

See how quantum computing is becoming more mainstream

See how 5G is now ubiquitious

Understand what the major technology themes are and how they are developing

Reasons to Buy

What are the major themes developing in the technology sector?

How developed is the 5G network now?

Is quantum computing having a major impact?

What sectors has AI now developed into?

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology

Mobile network operator deployments are patchy

Mobile 5G subscription evolution

Mobile 5G revenue evolution

5G capabilities and use cases

Ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC)

Massive machine-type communications (mMTC)

Quantum Computing

Artificial Intelligence

Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7qp3yw

About ResearchAndMarkets.comResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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5G, Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Development Trends Report 2021 - Yahoo Finance

Polaris Quantum Biotech is reinventing drug discovery, reducing the time it takes to find candidate molecules for drug development from the typical three years to just four months. As with other successful efforts to redesign established processes, Polaris is betting on scalability and automation. The startup, co-founded by Shahar Keinan and Bill Shipman, came out of stealth a year ago, revealing the first-ever drug discovery platform using a quantum computer, cost-efficiently scanning billions of molecules from a large chemical space.

Dr. Shahar Keinan, CEO, Polaris Quantum Biotech

Having worked in the drug development industry for years, Polaris founders decided to try and address the two major challenges they identified: The technology used and the business model. We wanted to solve both of these problems together, says Polaris CEO, Shahar Keinan.

The technology-related part of their solution was to use quantum computing, rather than classical computers, to speed-up the process. In terms of the business model, in contrast to the research labs (or Contract Research Organizations) that provide molecular discovery as a service to large pharmaceutical companies, Polaris is licensing their discoveries. With this business model, says Keinan, you need a diverse portfolio in order to diversify your risk. Diversity here is defined as the target disease, the specific protein targeted, and even the delivery mechanism.

Based on industry benchmarks, out of 100 assets (i.e., drug blueprints, lead compounds), between 1 to 5 will be used in a drug that will be sold commercially. Between 75 to 80 may reach clinical testing but typically this number could be reduced to no more than 25 over subsequent testing phases. Polaris is paid at each stage in the drugs journey to the market, and increasingly more as each hurdle is passed successfully.

The lead compounds Polaris develops target specific biological processes that are known to be the cause of a specific disease and are designed to get involved in the process in a way that arrests its further development or eliminates it altogether. We take this big biological machine and put a wrench into it, says Keinan. The trick is to find a molecule that will do exactly what it is expected to do but will not do other, not useful or potentially harmful, things to other biological processes in the human body.

Polaris is developing an ecosystem around its drug discovery platform, enlisting various hardware and software resources to assist it. Last year, it partnered with Fujitsus quantum-inspired Digital Annealer technology, initially targeting dengue fever, a mosquito-borne condition that is present in over 100 countries worldwide, killing as many as 22,000 people each year. Another quantum computing provider Polaris is working with is D-Wave Systems, accessing its quantum annealing technology through the AWS cloud service.

Yet another Polaris partnership was announced recently, collaborating with Auransa to discover treatments for neglected diseases disproportionately affecting women.An example is endometriosis, an incurable condition affecting millions of women caused when tissue that lines the womb grows elsewhere in the abdomen. Auransa is using AI to develop precision medicine solutions in areas of unmet medical needs, and in this partnership, Auransa finds the biological target and Polaris finds the arrow (the lead compound) that will hit the targets bullseye.

Over the last decade, there has been a growing application of AI (or machine/deep learning) to drug discovery and pharmaceutical company executives expect it to be the emerging technology that will have the greatest impact on their industry in 2021. Last year, a survey of life science organizations found that 31% were set to begin quantum computing evaluation in 2020 and a further 39% were planning to evaluate it in 2021 or have quantum computing on their radar. Polaris Quantum Biotech could well be at the center of a perfect storm that will accelerate the pace of drug discovery.

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This Startup Is Using Quantum Computing And AI To Cut Drug Discovery Time From 3 Years To 4 Months - Forbes

June 24, 2021 In August 2021, the Academy of Finland will open a special funding call aimed at supporting the use of the EuroHPC supercomputing infrastructure, the introduction of quantum computers and the application of high-performance computing. The call opens on 11 August and closes on 6 October 2021.

The aim of the funding is to support the development of a diverse future computing ecosystem and the expansion of computing expertise into new sectors. The funding will support high-quality research related to the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, high-performance computing or the introduction of quantum computers as well as the utilisation of high-performance computing in various fields of research.

The funding can be applied for by multidisciplinary research teams and consortia composed of several teams. The total funding budget is 6 million euros for three years, starting in 2022. The funding is designed to promote scientific renewal and diversity, the quality of research and scientific impact as well as impact beyond academia. The development of skills and competences is a key cross-cutting theme in the call.

Applications are encouraged from different fields of research. In this way, the goal is to support the development of a diverse future computing ecosystem. The Academy encourages researchers from different fields to consider what new opportunities high-performance computing could offer and what skills should be developed in the fields concerned.

Inquiries and more information availableon the website of Academy of Finland.

Source: CSC

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Academy of Finland Call for Research into Use of HPC, Quantum Computers Opening in August - HPCwire

Nippon Steel has concluded that, despite the current hardware limitations of quantum computers, the technology holds a lot of promise when it comes to optimizing complex problems.

From railways and ships all the way to knives and forks: the number of products that are made of steel is too high to list and to ensure a steady supply of the sought-after material, Japanese steel manufacturer Nippon Steel is now looking at how quantum computing might help.

The company, which produced a hefty 50 million tons of steel in 2019 (that is, 40% of the total production in Japan) has partnered with Cambridge Quantum Computing (CQC) and Honeywell to find out whether quantum computers have the potential to boost efficiencies in the supply chain.

And after over a year of testing and trying new algorithms, the company has concluded that,despite the current hardware limitations of quantum computers, the technology holds a lot of promise when it comes to optimizing complex problems.

"The results Nippon Steel and Cambridge Quantum Computing were able to achieve indicate that quantum computing will be a powerful tool for companies seeking a competitive advantage," said Tony Uttley, the president of Honeywell Quantum Solutions.

SEE: Building the bionic brain (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

The steel manufacturing process is a highly elaborate affair, involving many different steps and requiring various raw materials before the final product can be built.

Plants start by pre-treating and refining iron ore, coal and other minerals to process them into slabs of steel, which are then converted into products like rails, bars, pipes, tubes and wheels.

In the case of Nippon Steel, where millions of tons of material are at stake, finding the best equation to make sure that the right products are in the right place and at the right time is key to delivering orders as efficiently as possible.

Toss in strict deadlines, and it is easy to see why industry leaders are looking for the most advanced tools possible to model and optimize the whole system, and at the same time reduce operating costs.

For this reason, the use of pen and paper has long been replaced by sophisticated software services, and Nippon Steel has been a long-time investor in advanced computing but even today's most powerful supercomputers can struggle to come up with optimal solutions to such complex problems.

Classical computers can only offer simplifications and approximations. The Japanese company, therefore, decided to try its hand at quantum technologies, andannounced a partnership with quantum software firm CQC last year.

"Scheduling at our steel plants is one of the biggest logistical challenges we face, and we are always looking for ways to streamline and improve operations in this area," said Koji Hirano, chief researcher at Nippon Steel.

Quantum computers rely on qubits tiny particles that can take on a special, dual quantum state that enables them to carry out multiple calculations at once. This means, in principle, that the most complex problems that cannot be solved by classical computers in any realistic timeframe could one day be run on quantum computers in a matter of minutes.

The technology is still in its infancy: quantum computers can currently only support very few qubits and are not capable of carrying out computations that are useful at a business's scale. Scientists, rather, are interested in demonstrating the theoretical value of the technology, to be prepared to tap into the potential of quantum computers once their development matures.

In practice, for Nippon Steel, this meant using CQC's services and expertise to discover which quantum algorithms could most effectively model and optimize the company's supply chain.

To do so, the two companies' research teams focused on formulating a small-scale problem, which, although it does not bring significant value to Nippon Steel, can be resolved using today's nascent quantum hardware.

The researchers developed a quantum algorithm for this "representative" problem and ran it on Honeywell's System Model H1 the latest iteration of the company's trapped-ion quantum computing hardware, which has 10 available qubits and a record-breaking quantum volume of 512. After only a few steps, say the scientists, the System Model H1 was able to find an optimal solution.

"The results are encouraging for scaling up this problem to larger instances," said Mehdi Bozzo Rey, the head of business development at CQC. "This experiment showcases the capabilities of the System Model H1 paired with modern quantum algorithms and how promising this emerging technology really is."

What's more: an optimization algorithm such as the one developed by CQC and Nippon Steel can be applied to many other scenarios in manufacturing, transport and distribution.

Earlier this year, for example, IBM and energy giant ExxonMobil revealed that they had been working together tobuild quantum algorithms that could one day optimize the routing of tens of thousands of merchant shipscrossing the oceans to deliver everyday goods a $14 trillion industry that could hugely benefit from operational efficiencies.

The results from Nippon Steel are the first to emerge followingthe announcement of a partnership between Honeywell and CQC earlier this month. CQC's quantum software capabilities are planned to merge with Honeywell's quantum hardware services in a deal that is expected to make waves in the industry.

By joining forces, the two companies are effectively set to become leaders in the quantum ecosystem. The early results from the trials with Nippon Steel, therefore, are likely to be only the start of many new projects to come, as the two firms apply their complementary expertise to global issues affecting various different industries.

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Quantum computers just took on another big challenge. And this one is as tough as steel - ZDNet

Research led by Kent and theSTFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratoryhas resulted in the discovery of a new rare topological superconductor, LaPt3P. This discovery may be of huge importance to the future operations of quantum computers.

Superconductors are vital materials able to conduct electricity without any resistance when cooled below a certain temperature, making them highly desirable in a society needing to reduce its energy consumption.

They manifest quantum properties on the scale of everyday objects, making them highly attractive candidates for building computers that use quantum physics to store data and perform computing operations, and can vastly outperform even the best supercomputers in certain tasks. As a result, there is an increasing demand from leading tech companies like Google, IBM and Microsoft to make quantum computers on an industrial scale using superconductors.

However, the elementary units of quantum computers (qubits) are extremely sensitive and lose their quantum properties due to electromagnetic fields, heat, and collisions with air molecules. Protection from these can be achieved by making more resilient qubits using a special class of superconductors called topological superconductorswhich in addition to being superconductors also host protected metallic states on their boundaries or surfaces.

Topological superconductors, such as LaPt3P, newly discovered through muon spin relaxation experiments and extensive theoretical analysis, are exceptionally rare and are of tremendous value to the future industry of quantum computing.

To ensure its properties are sample and instrument independent, two different sets of samples were prepared in theUniversity of Warwickand inETH Zurich. Muon experiments were then performed in two different types of muon facilities: in the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source in the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and inPSI, Switzerland.

Dr. Sudeep Kumar Ghosh, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at KentsSchool of Physical Sciencesand Principle Investigator said: This discovery of the topological superconductor LaPt3P has tremendous potential in the field of quantum computing. Discovery of such a rare and desired component demonstrates the importance ofmuonresearch for the everyday world around us.

Reference: Chiral singlet superconductivity in the weakly correlated metal LaPt3P by P. K. Biswas, S. K. Ghosh, J. Z. Zhao, D. A. Mayoh, N. D. Zhigadlo, Xiaofeng Xu, C. Baines, A. D. Hillier, G. Balakrishnan and M. R. Lees, 4 May 2021, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22807-8

The paper is published inNature Communications(University of Kent: Dr. Sudeep K. Ghosh; STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory: Dr. Pabitra K. Biswas, Dr. Adrian D. Hillier; University of Warwick Dr. Geetha Balakrishnan, Dr. Martin R. Lees, Dr. Daniel A. Mayoh; Paul Scherrer Institute: Dr. Charles Baines; Zhejiang University of Technology: Dr. Xiaofeng Xu; ETH Zurich: Dr. Nikolai D. Zhigadlo; Southwest University of Science and Technology: Dr. Jianzhou Zhao).

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Rare Superconductor Discovered May Be Critical for the Future of Quantum Computing - SciTechDaily

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., June 24, 2021 The IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE21), a multidisciplinary event bridging the gap between the science of quantum computing and the development of an industry surrounding it, reveals its full keynote lineup. Taking place 18-22 October 2021 virtually, QCE21 will deliver a series of world-class keynote presentations, as well as workforce-building tutorials, community-building workshops, technical paper presentations, stimulating panels, and innovative posters. Register here.

Also known as IEEE Quantum Week, QCE21 is unique by integrating dimensions from academic and business conferences and will reveal cutting edge research and developments featuring quantum research, practice, applications, education, and training.

QCE21s Keynote Speakers include the following quantum groundbreakers and leaders:

Alan Baratz D-Wave Systems, President & CEOJames S. Clarke Intel Labs, Director of Quantum HardwareDavid J. Dean Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Director Quantum Science CenterJay Gambetta IBM Quantum, IBM Fellow & VP Quantum ComputingSonika Johri IonQ, Senior Quantum Applications Research ScientistAnthony Megrant Google Quantum AI, Lead Research ScientistPrineha Narang Harvard University & Aliro Quantum, Professor & CTOBrian Neyenhuis Honeywell Quantum Solutions, Commercial Operations LeaderUrbasi Sinha Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, ProfessorKrista Svore Microsoft, General Manager Quantum Systems

Through participation from the international quantum community, QCE21 has developed an extensive conference program with world-class keynote speakers, technical paper presentations, innovative posters, exciting exhibits, technical briefings, workforce-building tutorials, community-building workshops, stimulating panels, and Birds-of-Feather sessions.

Papers accepted by QCE21 will be submitted to the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and the best papers will be invited to the journals IEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering (TQE) and ACM Transactions on Quantum Computing (TQC).

QCE21 is co-sponsored by IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Communications Society, IEEE Council of Superconductivity, IEEE Future Directions Committee, IEEE Photonics Society, IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society, IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, IEEE Signal Processing Society (SP), and IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS).

The inaugural 2020 IEEE Quantum Week built a solid foundation and was highly successful over 800 people from 45 countries and 225 companies attended the premier event that delivered 270+ hours of programming on quantum computing and engineering.

The second annual 2021 Quantum Week will virtually connect a wide range of leading quantum professionals, researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, champions, and enthusiasts to exchange and share their experiences, challenges, research results, innovations, applications, and enthusiasm, on all aspects of quantum computing, engineering and technologies. The IEEE Quantum Week schedule will take place during Mountain Daylight Time (MDT).

Visit IEEE QCE21 for all event news including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.

QCE21 Registration Package provides Virtual Access to IEEE Quantum Week Oct 18-22, 2021 as well as On-Demand Access to all recorded events until the end of December 2021 featuring over 270 hours of programming in the realm of quantum computing and engineering.

About the IEEE Computer Society

TheIEEE Computer Societyis the worlds home for computer science, engineering, and technology. A global leader in providing access to computer science research, analysis, and information, the IEEE Computer Society offers a comprehensive array of unmatched products, services, and opportunities for individuals at all stages of their professional career. Known as the premier organization that empowers the people who drive technology, the IEEE Computer Society offers international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, a unique digital library, and training programs.

Source: IEEE

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Keynotes Announced for IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering - HPCwire

This commentary was issued recently by money managers, research firms, and market newsletter writers and has been edited by Barrons.

June 24: Does monetary policy have things backward in this highly unusual cycle? Markets suffered only a fleeting blow from the Feds slight step back from uber-dovishness last week, as the bigger picture is that almost all central banks still have easy policies cranked to 11. The Bank of Mexicos shock rate hike this week is an exception that proves the rule. The fact that 10-year Treasury yields are planted at 1.5%, even as core inflation spikes above 3%, and equities are again testing all-time highs speaks to the lack of fear of the Fed among market participants. And, while Chair Powell flashed a hint of concern about the persistence of inflation at this weeks testimony, his main message is that we still have a long way to go in the recovery, particularly on the jobs front.

But the opening question is aimed at whether monetary policy is the proper vehicle to get us to the full-employment destination. As widely covered here and elsewhere, 9 million U.S. job openings do not suggest that there is a demand problem. It is becoming increasingly obvious that supply issues are the constraint on growth, whether its hesitant workers, bottlenecks, shortages, or backlogs. Yet, policy is still set at maximum support for demand, with fiscal policy now poised to add yet another leg, via an infrastructure deal. Those central banks that are now gingerly stepping backNorway, Mexico, and even Canadaare the few that seem to openly recognize this new reality.

Douglas Porter

The McClellan Market Report

McClellan Financial Publications

mcoscillator.com

June 24: Anyone can look at the VIX [ CBOE volatility index] to get sentiment indications about the stock market. Thats beginner stuff, although still pretty good. The real fun lies in going deeper into data that no one else looks at to find the fun insights.

This week [well look at] the total open interest in VIX futures. VIX futures first traded in 2004, but didnt really get going as a trading vehicle until around 2012. Normally, total open interest moves up and down with stock prices. It gets interesting when open interest moves too far in one direction or the other, or when the behavior changes.

In 2021, we are seeing a change in behavior. Total open interest has been falling since the peak in February, and is now down to the 200-day moving average, even though prices are continuing higher. This is the change in behavior that is so important to note. Since VIX futures first started trading in 2004, the important price tops for the S&P 500 have appeared when VIX open interest was well above its 200-day MA. I should clarify further that just being well above the 200-day MA isnt enough to put in a top. Prices can keep going up despite such a condition.

Rather, having VIX open interest below the 200-day MA is useful for ruling out the possibility that prices are now at a major top. It is a missing-topping condition. So we have some assurance that there should still be a lot more [room] for prices to run higher. When we see hedge funds getting excited again about trading the VIX futures, and open interest numbers rising to well above the 200-day MA, then we can worry about a meaningful top for stock prices.

Tom McClellan

Economic Update

Regions Financial

regions.com

June 22: Total existing home sales fell to an annualized rate of 5.80 million units in May from Aprils sales rate of 5.85 million units, a bit better than the 5.73 million unit pace we and the consensus expected. While the May headline sales number may have been a bit better than expected, the real May sales number is much worse than the headline number implies.

As our regular readers know, when it comes to the data on residential construction and sales, we have no use for the seasonally adjusted annualized headline numbers and even less use for any attempts at analysis based on these numbers, with our sole focus on the not-seasonally-adjusted data. The unadjusted data show that there were 528,000 existing homes sold in May, far below our forecast of 561,000 sales. While this is up from 513,000 sales in April, the 2.9% increase is much smaller than the typical increase for the month of May.

As has been the case for years, not months, lean inventories were once again a drag on sales in May. Listings of existing homes rose to 1.23 million units in May, a touch higher than our forecast of 1.22 million units, but this nonetheless left listings down 20.7% year-on-year. The median existing-home sales price rose to $350,300, the highest on record and a year-on-year increase of 23.6%, though the median sales price is being skewed higher by the mix of sales being increasingly weighted toward the higher price ranges given the dearth of inventory in the lower price ranges. While we do look for some relief on the supply front over the back half of 2021 to help blunt the pace of house price appreciation, affordability will remain an issue, particularly for prospective first-time buyers.

Richard F. Moody

Blog

William Blair

williamblair.com

June 21: There is at least one emerging technology with the potential to be highly disruptive: quantum computing. At some point, leading-edge semiconductors (the tiniest and best performing) will reach a physical limitchips cant get much smaller.

Computers using quantum physics instead of traditional semiconductor architectures have performance capabilities and processing power thats far greater than classical computers.

While it probably wont become mainstream for at least another five years, quantum computing has the potential to transform everything from technology to healthcare.

Greg Scolaro

Market Commentary

Texas Capital Bank

texascapitalbank.com

June 21: Remember that June is one of the worst months of the year for stock performance. Somebody must be in last place. Fridays [June 18] triple-witching day put the exclamation mark on stock performance for the month. Quarter-end portfolio positioning along with options expiration jolted most stocks lower by a percent or two. Each of the three Dow indices is in the red for June, with the recovery-oriented Transports faring the worst, -7% at Fridays close. One quarter of the S&P 500 consists of growth-oriented technology stocks, and the sector helped the big index stay above water for the month.

The late June jolt may stick around. Most index charts in the very short term are in downtrends, but all remain in their consolidation areas that date back to mid-April. Year 2 of a Bull cycle should see bumps along the way. Stocks are less than 4% below all-time highs, and earnings forecasts are improving. Any summer correction should be a buying opportunity.

Steve Orr, Greg Kalb

To be considered for this section, material, with the author's name and address, should be sent to MarketWatch@barrons.com.

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Monetary Policy Around the World Is Too Loose - Barron's

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The thing that really attracted me to Formula 1 is that its always been about data and technology, says Graeme Hackland, Williams Group IT director and chief information officer of Williams Racing.

Since joining the motorsport racing team in 2014, Hackland has been putting that theory into practice. He is pursuing what he refers to as a data-led digital transformation agenda that helps the organizations designers and engineers create a potential competitive advantage for the teams drivers on race day.

Hackland explains to VentureBeat how Williams F1 is looking to exploit data to make further advances up the grid and how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, might help in that process.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

VentureBeat: Whats the aim of your data-led transformation process?

Graeme Hackland: Ten years ago, we might have been putting four major package upgrades on the car a year. Were now able to do that much more quickly, and we dont have to wait for big packages of changes. Our digital transformation has been focused on shortening that life cycle. Thats about getting something from a designers brain onto the car as quickly as possible. Test it on a Friday; if its good, it stays. If its not, we refine it, and just keep doing that through the season. And that process has gone really well.

VentureBeat: What kind of data technology are you using to support that process?

Hackland: Some of it is what you would in some industries consider standard data warehousing and business intelligence tools. Some of that is written in-house. At the moment, I dont have a piece of middleware that lies across the whole layer. But thats where we want to head to, so that absolutely everything is feeding into that.

VentureBeat: What would that piece of middleware look like?

Hackland: We originally thought of three main domains: design, manufacturing, and race engineering. And you would have these three bubbles that would all talk to each other. But what weve realized is trying to create data lakes just hasnt worked. It hasnt given us the actual intelligence that we wanted, so we often refer to data puddles. Its much better to have many of these puddles that are well-structured and the data is well understood. And then, through a middleware layer, we can get to the graphical user interfaces.

VentureBeat: What does that layer of information mean for the Williams F1 teams engineers?

Hackland: Were covering everything, from what they look at through to the data structure. And the data structure has been one of our biggest challenges. We relied heavily on Microsoft Excel, and pulling data from all these other sources into Excel was very manual it took too long. So thats the piece of work that weve been doing. Weve not made it public who were working with in that area. Talking publicly about some of the stuff were doing around data and computation, were just not ready yet.

VentureBeat: How do you work out the build vs. buy question?

Hackland: When I got to Williams, we were largely buy-only. We built an in-house capability across three groups: manufacturing, aerodynamics, and race engineering. So they have embedded development groups, and I think thats really important. We considered whether we were going to create a centralized development function. But actually, we feel having them in those three groups is really important. And then as you build those groups, the pendulum swings from buy-only because youve got the capability in-house. The default now is that we will always develop our own if we can. Where theres a genuine competitive advantage, wed develop it ourselves.

VentureBeat: Where might you choose to buy data technologies?

Hackland: Some of the tools that we use trackside are off-the-shelf. Its not all in-house-written, because it doesnt make sense to write your own in some areas. But if you dont write your own applications, youre also accepting that these applications are used by multiple teams. If its a race-engineering application, its probably used across Formula 1 and maybe in other formulas as well. So then you cant customize it and you cant get competitive advantage out of it because everyone else has access to it too. So sometimes well use those as maybe a front end and then well be doing other things in the background. When you start to combine that data with other information, thats when theres a real competitive advantage, and thats where weve put our internal resources.

VentureBeat: What about AI? Is that a technology youre investigating?

Hackland: None of the teams are talking about AI except in passing; theyre just mentioning that AI is being used. None of us want to talk about it yet, and where were applying it. But what weve said publicly is that there are some really interesting challenges that AI can logically be applied to and you get benefits straightaway. So pit stops, the rulebook there are roles that AI can play.

VentureBeat: Can you give me a sense of how AI might be applied in F1?

Hackland: Initially, to augment humans to give engineers more accurate data to work with, or to shortcut their decision-making process so that they can make the right decision more frequently. I felt, even five years ago, that it would be possible that AI could make a pit stop decision without any human intervention. So that is possible, but I dont believe any of the teams will be doing it this year, and we wont. The engineers are not ready, and the humans are not ready to be replaced by AI. So that might take a little bit of time to show them that we can. I think theres still that reluctance to completely hand over the decision-making process, and I can understand that.

VentureBeat: What about other areas of emerging technology?

Hackland: From my perspective, quantum computing is a really exciting opportunity to take computation to a whole new level. And if we can get in there early before the other teams, I think well have a real advantage. There are interesting things happening with some [racing] organizations around that. Once again, were not talking about it publicly, but quantum is completely awesome. I think quantum will take a while. I dont want to be sitting here saying that in the next two years that were going to be developing, designing, and running the car and doing the race analytics on a quantum computer. But a hybrid computer that has quantum elements to it? Absolutely, and within a couple of years. Im really excited about what were doing already.

See more here:

Williams F1 drives digital transformation in racing with AI, quantum - VentureBeat

"IEEE is now at the center of a global conversation to understand the power and promise of quantum computing." Travis Humble, Oak Ridge National Labs

Also known as IEEE Quantum Week, QCE21 is unique by integrating dimensions from academic and business conferences and will reveal cutting edgeresearch and developments featuring quantum research, practice, applications, education, and training.

QCE21's Keynote Speakersinclude the following quantum groundbreakers and leaders:

Throughparticipation from the international quantum community,QCE21 has developed an extensive conference program withworld-class keynote speakers, technical paper presentations,innovative posters, excitingexhibits, technical briefings, workforce-building tutorials, community-building workshops,stimulating panels,and Birds-of-Feather sessions.

Papers accepted by QCE21 will be submitted to the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and the best papers will be invited to the journalsIEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering(TQE)andACM Transactions on Quantum Computing(TQC).

QCE21 is co-sponsored by IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Communications Society, IEEE Council of Superconductivity, IEEE Future Directions Committee, IEEE Photonics Society, IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society, IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, IEEE Signal Processing Society (SP), and IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS).

The inaugural 2020 IEEE Quantum Week built a solid foundation and was highly successful over 800 people from 45 countries and 225 companies attended the premier event that delivered 270+ hours of programming on quantum computing and engineering.

The second annual 2021 Quantum Week will virtually connect a wide range of leading quantum professionals, researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, champions, and enthusiasts to exchange and share their experiences, challenges, research results, innovations, applications, and enthusiasm, on all aspects of quantum computing, engineering and technologies. The IEEE Quantum Week schedule will take place during Mountain Daylight Time (MDT).

VisitIEEE QCE21for all event news including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.

QCE21 Registration PackageprovidesVirtual Accessto IEEE Quantum Week Oct 18-22, 2021 as well asOn-Demand Accessto all recorded events until the end of December 2021 featuringover 270 hours of programming in the realm of quantum computing and engineering.

Register hereto be a part of IEEE Quantum Week 2021.

About the IEEE Computer SocietyTheIEEE Computer Societyis the world's home for computer science, engineering, and technology. A global leader in providing access to computer science research, analysis, and information, the IEEE Computer Society offers a comprehensive array of unmatched products, services, and opportunities for individuals at all stages of their professional career. Known as the premier organization that empowers the people who drive technology, the IEEE Computer Society offers international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, a unique digital library, and training programs.

About the IEEE Communications SocietyTheIEEE Communications Societypromotes technological innovation and fosters creation and sharing of information among the global technical community. The Society provides services to members for their technical and professional advancement and forums for technical exchanges among professionals in academia, industry, and public institutions.

About the IEEE Council on SuperconductivityTheIEEE Council on Superconductivityand its activities and programs cover the science and technology of superconductors and their applications, including materials and their applications for electronics, magnetics, and power systems, where the superconductor properties are central to the application.

IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS)The IEEE Electron Device Societyfosters professional growth of its members by satisfying their needs for easy access to and exchange of technical information, publishing, education, and technical recognition and enhancing public visibility in the field of Electron Devices. The IEEE EDS promotes excellence in the field of electron devices for the benefit of humanity The EDS field-of-interest includes all electron and ion based devices, in their classical or quantum states, using environments and materials in their lowest to highest conducting phase, in simple or engineered assembly, interacting with and delivering photo-electronic, electro-magnetic, electromechanical, electro-thermal, and bio-electronic signals.

About the IEEE Electronics Packaging SocietyTheIEEE Electronics Packaging Societyis the leading international forum for scientists and engineers engaged in the research, design, and development of revolutionary advances in microsystems packaging and manufacturing.

About the IEEE Future Directions Quantum InitiativeIEEE Quantumis an IEEE Future Directions initiative launched in 2019 that serves as IEEE's leading community for all projects and activities on quantum technologies. IEEE Quantum is supported by leadership and representation across IEEE Societies and OUs. The initiative addresses the current landscape of quantum technologies, identifies challenges and opportunities, leverages, and collaborates with existing initiatives, and engages the quantum community at large.

About the IEEE Photonics SocietyTheIEEE Photonics Societyforms the hub of a vibrant technical community of more than 100,000 professionals dedicated to transforming breakthroughs in quantum physics into the devices, systems, and products to revolutionize our daily lives. From ubiquitous and inexpensive global communications via fiber optics, to lasers for medical and other applications, to flat-screen displays, to photovoltaic devices for solar energy, to LEDs for energy-efficient illumination, there are myriad examples of the Society's impact on the world around us.

IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS)The IEEE Signal Processing Societyis an international organization whose purpose is to: advance and disseminate state-of-the-art scientific information and resources; educate the signal processing community; and provide a venue for people to interact and exchange ideas. The Signal Processing Society is a dynamic organization that is the preeminent source of signal processing information and resources to a global community. We do this by: being a one-stop source of signal processing resources; providing a variety of high-quality resources to a variety of users in formats customized to their interests; adapting to a rapidly changing technical community; and being intimately involved in the education of signal processing professionals at all levels.

About the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management SocietyIEEE TEMSencompasses the management sciences and practices required for defining, implementing, and managing engineering and technology. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to: technology policy development, assessment, and transfer; research; product design and development; manufacturing operations; innovation and entrepreneurship; program and project management; strategy; education and training; organizational development and human behavior; transitioning to management; and the socioeconomic impact of engineering and technology management.

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Keynotes Announced for IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE21) - PRNewswire