Quantum-Computing REPORTING
Quantum-Computing REPORTING
Speaker Notes Welcome everyone, and thank you for joining us today. In this presentation, we
will explore the exciting world of quantum computing, a revolutionary technology poised to
transform various fields. We will delve into the fundamental concepts, explore its potential
applications, and discuss the current state of this groundbreaking technology.
Speaker Notes Let's begin by revisiting the technology we're familiar with: classical computing.
Classical computers have been the backbone of our digital revolution, using bits (0 or 1) to
perform calculations and run programs. While incredibly powerful for everyday tasks, classical
computers face limitations when dealing with highly complex problems.
Speaker Notes Quantum computing offers a revolutionary approach, harnessing the bizarre
laws of quantum mechanics. Unlike classical bits, qubits can be in a superposition of 0 and 1 at
the same time. Additionally, qubits can exhibit entanglement, where linked qubits share a
connection regardless of distance, allowing for powerful parallel processing. This combination of
superposition and entanglement allows quantum computers to tackle problems that would take
classical computers years, if not centuries, to solve.
Speaker Notes Let's delve deeper into the heart of quantum computing: the qubit. Qubits are
not limited to just 0 or 1. They can exist in a superposition of both states at the same time.
Imagine flipping a coin and it lands on heads and tails simultaneously! This superposition allows
quantum computers to explore many possibilities concurrently, leading to a massive speedup
for specific tasks. As the number of qubits increases, the processing power of a quantum
computer grows exponentially.
● Image: Graph showing the exponential speedup of quantum computers over classical
computers for certain problems
● Quantum supremacy refers to the ability of a quantum computer to outperform any classical
computer for a specific task.
● This has been achieved in experiments, demonstrating the potential of quantum computing.
● While not a replacement for classical computers, quantum computers excel at specific
problems.
Speaker Notes Quantum supremacy is a pivotal milestone in quantum computing. It signifies the
point where a quantum computer can outperform any classical computer for a specific task.
While not a blanket replacement, quantum computers excel at tackling problems with vast
amounts of variables, such as drug discovery or materials science simulations.
Superposition
Superposition states that, much like waves in classical physics, you can add two or more quantum
states and the result will be another valid quantum state. Conversely, you can also represent every
quantum state as a sum of two or more other distinct states. This superposition of qubits gives
quantum computers their inherent parallelism, allowing them to process millions of operations
simultaneously.
Entanglement
Quantum entanglement occurs when two systems link so closely that knowledge about one gives you
immediate knowledge about the other, no matter how far apart they are. Quantum processors can
draw conclusions about one particle by measuring another one. For example, they can determine that
if one qubit spins upward, the other will always spin downward, and vice versa. Quantum
entanglement allows quantum computers to solve complex problems faster.
When a quantum state is measured, the wavefunction collapses and you measure the state as either
a zero or a one. In this known or deterministic state, the qubit acts as a classical bit. Entanglement is
the ability of qubits to correlate their state with other qubits.
Decoherence
Decoherence is the loss of the quantum state in a qubit. Environmental factors, like radiation, can
cause the quantum state of the qubits to collapse. A large engineering challenge in constructing a
quantum computer is designing the various features that attempt to delay decoherence of the state,
such as building specialty structures that shield the qubits from external fields.
A gate-based quantum computer is a device that takes input data and transforms it according to a
predefined unitary operation. The operation is typically represented by a quantum circuit and is
analogous to gate operations in traditional electronics. However, quantum gates are totally different
from electronic gates.
Trapped ion quantum computers implement qubits using electronic states of charged atoms called
ions. The ions are confined and suspended above the microfabricated trap using electromagnetic
fields. Trapped-ion based systems apply quantum gates using lasers to manipulate the electronic
state of the ion. Trapped ion qubits use atoms that come from nature, rather than manufacturing the
qubits synthetically.
Superconductivity is a set of physical properties that you can observe in certain materials like mercury
and helium at very low temperatures. In these materials, you can observe a characteristic critical
temperature below which electrical resistance is zero and magnetic flux fields are expelled. An
electric current through a loop of superconducting wire can persist indefinitely with no power source.
Photonic processors
A quantum photonic processor is a device that manipulates light for computations. Photonic quantum
computers use quantum light sources that emit squeezed-light pulses, with qubit equivalents that
correspond to modes of a continuous operator, such as position or momentum.
Neutral atom qubit technology is similar to trapped ion technology. However, it uses light instead of
electromagnetic forces to trap the qubit and hold it in position. The atoms are not charged and the
circuits can operate at room temperatures
A Rydberg atom is an excited atom with one or more electrons that are further away from the
nucleus, on average. Rydberg atoms have a number of peculiar properties including an exaggerated
response to electric and magnetic fields, and long life. When used as qubits, they offer strong and
controllable atomic interactions that you can tune by selecting different states.
Quantum annealers
Quantum annealing uses a physical process to place a quantum system's qubits in an absolute
energy minimum. From there, the hardware gently alters the system's configuration so that its energy
landscape reflects the problem that needs to be solved. The advantage of quantum annealers is that
the number of qubits can be much larger than those available in a gate-based system. However, their
use is limited to specific cases only.
How do companies use quantum computing?
Quantum computing can revolutionize industries. We give some example use cases below:
ML
Machine learning (ML) is the process of analyzing vast quantities of data to help computers make
better predictions and decisions. Research in quantum computing studies the physical limits of
information processing and is breaking new ground in fundamental physics. This research leads to
advances in many fields of science and industry, such as chemistry, optimization, and molecular
simulation. It is also a growing area of interest for financial services to predict market movements and
for manufacturing to improve operations.
Optimization
Quantum computing can improve research and development, supply-chain optimization, and
production. For example, you could apply quantum computing to decrease manufacturing process–
related costs and shorten cycle times by optimizing elements such as path planning in complex
processes. Another application is the quantum optimization of loan portfolios so that lenders can free
up capital, lower interest rates, and improve their offerings.
Simulation
The computational effort required to simulate systems accurately scales exponentially with the
complexity of drug molecules and materials. Even using approximation methods, current
supercomputers cannot achieve the level of accuracy that these simulations demand. Quantum
computation has the potential to solve some of the most challenging computational problems faced in
chemistry, allowing the scientific community to do chemical simulations that are intractable today. For
example, Pasqal built their QUBEC computational software to run chemistry simulations. QUBEC
automates the heavy lifting necessary to run quantum computational tasks from automatic
provisioning of the computing infrastructure to running pre- and post-processing classical calculations
and performing error mitigation tasks.
Slide 6: Applications of Quantum Computing: A Glimpse into the Future