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The U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA) is now four years old and the second World Quantum Day 4.14.23 is on Friday. Yes, it was chosen because the date 4.14 is a rounding of Plancks constant which is so foundational in quantum mechanics. While WQD activities are only loosely coordinated and lean heavily towards educational outreach, there are a few reports being issued to commemorate the day and demonstrate value.

WQD describes itself as, an initiative from quantum scientists from 65+ countries. It is a decentralized and bottom-up initiative, inviting all scientists, engineers, educators, communicators, entrepreneurs, technologists, historians, philosophers, artists, museologists, producers, etc., and their organisations, to develop their own activities, such as outreach talks, exhibitions, lab tours, panel discussions, interviews, artistic creations, etc., to celebrate the World Quantum Day around the World.

Its tough to get a bead on WQD activities because they are so diverse and self-directing. That said, at least one of the five National Quantum Information Sciences (NQIS) Centers created by the NQIA the Quantum System Accelerator (QSA) based at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories posted an article recapping its progress to date, following closely on the heels of a formal QSA Impact Report issued in March.

Both the article and report provide glimpse into the scope of activities being undertaken by the NQIS centers. QSA is highlighting five of its efforts. Here are three:

Other NQIS centers have periodically released similar kinds of reports and the WQD activities perhaps present a good moment to check out what the centers are up to. Listed below are brief descriptions of the NQIS centers, excerpted from DoE web site:

Q-NEXT Next Generation Quantum Science and Engineering

Director:David AwschalomLead Institution:Argonne National Laboratory

Q-NEXT will create a focused, connected ecosystem to deliver quantum interconnects, to establish national foundries, and to demonstrate communication links, networks of sensors, and simulation testbeds. In addition to enabling scientific innovation, Q-NEXT will build a quantum-smart workforce, create quantum standards by building a National Quantum Devices Database, and provide pathways to the practical commercialization of quantum technology by embedding industry in all aspects of its operations and incentivizing start-ups.

C2QA Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage

Director:Andrew HouckLead Institution:Brookhaven National Laboratory

C2QA aims to overcome the limitations of todays noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) computer systems to achieve quantum advantage for scientific computations in high-energy, nuclear, chemical and condensed matter physics. The integrated five-year goal of C2QA is to deliver a factor of 10 improvement in each of software optimization, underlying materials and device properties, and quantum error correction, and to ensure these improvements combine to provide a factor of 1,000 improvement in appropriate computation metrics.

SQMS Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center

Director:Anna GrassellinoLead Institution:Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

The primary mission of SQMS is to achieve transformational advances in the major crosscutting challenge of understanding and eliminating the decoherence mechanisms in superconducting 2D and 3D devices, with the goal of enabling construction and deployment of superior quantum systems for computing and sensing. In addition to the scientific advances, SQMS will target tangible deliverables in the form of unique foundry capabilities and quantum testbeds for materials, physics, algorithms, and simulations that could broadly serve the national QIS ecosystem.

QSA Quantum Systems Accelerator

Director: Rick MullerLead Institution: Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryLead Partner: Sandia National Laboratories

QSA aims to co-design the algorithms, quantum devices, and engineering solutions needed to deliver certified quantum advantage in scientific applications. QSAs multi-disciplinary team will pair advanced quantum prototypesbased on neutral atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting circuitswith algorithms specifically constructed for imperfect hardware to demonstrate optimal applications for each platform in scientific computing, materials science, and fundamental physics. The QSA will deliver a series of prototypes to broadly explore the quantum technology trade-space, laying the basic science foundation to accelerate the maturation of commercial technologies.

QSC The Quantum Science Center

Director:Travis HumbleLead Institution:Oak Ridge National Laboratory

QSC is dedicated to overcoming key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability, and ultimately scalability of quantum technologies. This goal will be achieved through integration of the discovery, design, and demonstration of revolutionary topological quantum materials, algorithms, and sensors, catalyzing development of disruptive technologies. In addition to the scientific goals, integral to the activities of the QSC are development of the next generation of QIS workforce by creating a rich environment for professional development and close coordination with industry to transition new QIS applications to the private sector.

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World Quantum Day A Chance to Look in on NQIS Centers - HPCwire

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A quantum property dubbed "magic" could be the key to explaining how space and time emerged, a new mathematical analysis by three RIKEN physicists suggests. The research is published in the journal Physical Review D.

It's hard to conceive of anything more basic than the fabric of spacetime that underpins the universe, but theoretical physicists have been questioning this assumption. "Physicists have long been fascinated about the possibility that space and time are not fundamental, but rather are derived from something deeper," says Kanato Goto of the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS).

This notion received a boost in the 1990s, when theoretical physicist Juan Maldacena related the gravitational theory that governs spacetime to a theory involving quantum particles. In particular, he imagined a hypothetical spacewhich can be pictured as being enclosed in something like an infinite soup can, or "bulk"holding objects like black holes that are acted on by gravity. Maldacena also imagined particles moving on the surface of the can, controlled by quantum mechanics. He realized that mathematically a quantum theory used to describe the particles on the boundary is equivalent to a gravitational theory describing the black holes and spacetime inside the bulk.

"This relationship indicates that spacetime itself does not exist fundamentally, but emerges from some quantum nature," says Goto. "Physicists are trying to understand the quantum property that is key."

The original thought was that quantum entanglementwhich links particles no matter how far they are separatedwas the most important factor: the more entangled particles on the boundary are, the smoother the spacetime within the bulk.

"But just considering the degree of entanglement on the boundary cannot explain all the properties of black holes, for instance, how their interiors can grow," says Goto.

So Goto and iTHEMS colleagues Tomoki Nosaka and Masahiro Nozaki searched for another quantum quantity that could apply to the boundary system and could also be mapped to the bulk to describe black holes more fully. In particular, they noted that black holes have a chaotic characteristic that needs to be described.

"When you throw something into a black hole, information about it gets scrambled and cannot be recovered," says Goto. "This scrambling is a manifestation of chaos."

The team came across "magic," which is a mathematical measure of how difficult a quantum state is to simulate using an ordinary classical (non-quantum) computer. Their calculations showed that in a chaotic system almost any state will evolve into one that is "maximally magical"the most difficult to simulate.

This provides the first direct link between the quantum property of magic and the chaotic nature of black holes. "This finding suggests that magic is strongly involved in the emergence of spacetime," says Goto.

More information: Kanato Goto et al, Probing chaos by magic monotones, Physical Review D (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.106.126009

Journal information: Physical Review D

Link:
Quantum 'magic' could help explain the origin of spacetime - Phys.org

Quantum eMotion Corp (TSX-V:QNC, OTCQB:QNCCF) has filed a patent application for a new method to operate a blockchain wallet that benefits from the protection provided by the QeM Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG2), the company announced.

A hardware wallet is a physical device used to securely store private keys to access and manage cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. The wallets are designed to keep private keys offline, thus making them less vulnerable to cyber-attacks than software-based wallets that are connected to the internet.

"We continue to deploy our patent-protected technology based on quantum electron tunneling in a multitude of applications, CEO Francis Bellido said in a statement. Our quantum-protected blockchain wallet will be the first application of the program funded by Mitacs in collaboration with Dr. Kaiwen Zhang at ETS (cole de technologie suprieure, Montreal, Canada) for Blockchain applications of its QRNG technology.

The market for hardware wallets has taken off in recent years as demand has risen for secure cryptocurrency storage solutions.

However, even hardware wallets are susceptible to sophisticated cybercriminal activities and future quantum-computer attacks. Last year alone, hackers stole a record $3.8 billion worth of cryptocurrency globally according to a blockchain analytics firm that tracks cybercrime.

Future quantum computers could even break the encryption algorithms currently used to secure many online communications, including those used for financial transactions, government communications, and personal data storage.

Thats where Quantum eMotions patent filing comes in.

Our quantum crypto-wallet will eventually be considered one of the safest ways to store and manage cryptocurrencies, and they will become indispensable for anyone who wants to keep their digital assets highly secure, Bellido said.

Quantum eMotions technology addresses the growing demand for affordable hardware security for connected devices. The patented solution for a Quantum Random Number Generator exploits the built-in unpredictability of quantum mechanics and promises to provide enhanced security for protecting high-value assets and critical systems.

Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel

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Quantum eMotion files patent application for quantum-protected ... - Proactive Investors USA

Kenji Maeda, a second-year engineering physics major, was named a 2023 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. This is the fifth consecutive year that a UMass Boston student has been selected to receive the esteemed award, and the third time in the last five years that a student from the Physics Department has been chosen.

The Goldwater Scholarship Program is designed to foster and encourage outstanding college sophomores and juniors to pursue research careers in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering. Undergraduate students who receive the award demonstrate a passion for doing research and also exhibit the creative spark that can lead to becoming leaders in their fields.

We are extremely proud of Kenji Maeda and also of the support for research excellence that is a hallmark of the UMass Boston Physics Department, said Chancellor Marcelo Surez-Orozco. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the preeminent scholarship in the nation for undergraduates planning to pursue PhDs in science and mathematics fields. This is a highly impressive achievement.

Maedas path in quantum physics began last summer when he noticed a poster advertising Assistant Professor of Physics Akira Sones Quantum Information course. He took the class, along with a class on the fundamentals of quantum physics with Professor and Physics Department Chair Rahul Kulkarni. Mid-semester, Sone invited Maeda to join his quantum thermodynamics research team and encouraged him to develop a strong foundation by reading a wide range of literature on quantum physics.

Kenji is a remarkable student, Sone said. Earning a Goldwater scholarship is a result of his dedication to his work in quantum information theory, his love and intuition for physics, and his exceptional mathematical skill in analytics and numerics.

Our faculty are humbled and thrilled that the rigorous research in quantum physics taking place at UMass Boston provides opportunities and support for students to achieve the highest levels of academic excellence and sets them up for exciting futures in the field.

Maeda explained he is working on a project about quantum thermodynamics to explain the laws of thermodynamics from the perspective of quantum information science.

In our research group, we are examining how the application of our special measurement scheme on quantum systems would yield informative results compared to using other measurement schemes, Maeda said.

He is looking forward to taking advanced physics courses and upper-level engineering courses during his junior and senior yearsespecially Quantum Information II & IV. Once he completes his undergraduate degree, he intends to pursue a PhD in physics.

In the future, I would like to contribute to the development of quantum-related technology such as quantum computer, sensing, and communication, Maeda said.

Deeply appreciative of the inspiration, guidance, and spirit of collaboration from faculty such as Sone and Kulkarni, along with Assistant Professor Sumientra Rampersad, and Assistant Professor Olga Goulko, and his classmates and physics graduate students, Maeda said, I have earned this honor with everyone.

Goldwater scholarships are awarded annually by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, an organization established by Congress in 1986 to honor the lifetime work of the late Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. From an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1,267 natural science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 427 academic institutions to compete for the 2023 Goldwater scholarships. This year, 413 scholarships were awarded.

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College of Science and Mathematics Student Named a Goldwater ... - University of Massachusetts Boston

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by Ingrid Fadelli , Phys.org

Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) in Vienna recently devised a universal mechanism to invert the evolution of a qubit with a high probability of success. This protocol, outlined in Physical Review Letters, can propagate any target qubit back to the state it was in at a specific time in the past.

The introduction of this protocol builds on a previous paper published in 2020, where the same team presented a series of time translating protocols that could be applied in uncontrolled settings. While some of these protocols were promising, in most tested scenarios their probability of success was found to be too small. In their new study, the researchers thus set out to create an alternative protocol with a higher probability of success.

"Our newly developed protocol inverts the unitary evolution of a qubit," David Trillo, one of the researchers who carried out the study together with Benjamin Dive and Miguel Navascus, told Phys.org. "A qubit (or quantum bit) is a two-level quantum system that serves as the quantum equivalent of bits used in quantum computers. Any quantum system has some natural evolution in time that needs to be controlled or at least accounted for when designing physical processes around them (e.g., when building a quantum computer). Our protocol takes a qubit and outputs the same system, but in the state that it would be in if it had evolved backwards in time."

The protocol created by Trillo and his colleagues is universal, which means that it can be applied to any qubit, irrespective of its natural time evolution or what state it is when the protocol is used. Universal protocols are inherently probabilistic, meaning that they cannot succeed all the time, but rather have a certain probability of success.

In initial evaluations, the researchers found that their universal quantum rewinding mechanism has a high probability of success, namely of 1. Essentially, the protocol works by setting a target qubit on a superposition of flight paths and then performing a series of quantum operations on it.

"Our protocol works for uncontrolled systems, or in other words qubits on which we don't know how to apply particular transformations," Trillo explained. "Its cool new feature is that, whenever it fails, we can correct the failure and drive the system to the desired state. By adaptively performing these corrections, we can make the probability of success as high as we want, at the cost of increasing the running time of the protocol."

The new universal protocol introduced by Trillo and his colleagues allows researchers to rewind any given qubit in an uncontrolled setting with a high probability of success. While protocols that could achieve this in controlled settings already existed, unlocking the ability to propagate individual qubits in uncontrolled environments to a previous state could open new valuable possibilities for research.

"One wonders what other phenomena from the controlled setting we can transfer to an uncontrolled one," Trillo added. "Ideally, we would like to generalize this protocol to higher dimensional systems. This seems to be quite challenging though, as new ideas are needed for this. We are also looking into improving the success probability of the other protocols in the original paper, particularly SWAP protocols."

More information: D. Trillo et al, Universal Quantum Rewinding Protocol with an Arbitrarily High Probability of Success, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.110201

Journal information: Physical Review Letters

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A universal protocol that inverts the evolution of a qubit with a high probability of success - Phys.org