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There are growing concerns about quantum computers eventual ability to circumvent commonly used encryption. That could still be decades away, but 20 Members of the European Parliament, led by Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis, want organizations to start preparing themselves. The Dutch intelligence service AIVD shares the concerns, NOS reports.

Cryptographic keys are currently the most used way to prevent unauthorized persons from reading communications, from sensitive communications between governments to text messages on WhatsApp. The encryption mathematically scrambles the data. Regular computers cannot crack that key in practice because the number of possible mathematical combinations is so high. But there are growing fears that quantum computers, which work fundamentally differently, will eventually be able to do that.

Quantum computing has not reached that point yet, and Q-Day may still be decades away. But governments and critical organizations must already start protecting themselves. We see an enormous hunger for data in countries like China, the AIVD told the broadcaster. These countries are already intercepting data in the hope that theyll be able to crack the encryption at some point. It is, therefore, important that organizations whose data will still be sensitive in a few decades time to already implement quantum-safe protection. Software developers need to work on that urgently, the AVID said.

We must start this now, MEP Groothuis told the broadcaster. He initiated a public letter by 20 MEPs calling on governments and organizations to implement other ways to protect their data. We cannot take that risk. The most important organizations must start doing this now.

Switching to other algorithms that are more resistant to quantum computers will be a complicated process because both the sender and receiver must use the same technology. With a banking website, for example, both the banks web server and the web browser must support the same new technology.

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Growing concenrs about quantum computers' ability to break commonly used encryption - NL Times

This extreme fragility might make quantum computing sound hopeless. But in 1995, the applied mathematician Peter Shor discovered a clever way to store quantum information. His encoding had two key properties. First, it could tolerate errors that only affected individual qubits. Second, it came with a procedure for correcting errors as they occurred, preventing them from piling up and derailing a computation. Shors discovery was the first example of a quantum error-correcting code, and its two key properties are the defining features of all such codes.

The first property stems from a simple principle: Secret information is less vulnerable when its divided up. Spy networks employ a similar strategy. Each spy knows very little about the network as a whole, so the organization remains safe even if any individual is captured. But quantum error-correcting codes take this logic to the extreme. In a quantum spy network, no single spy would know anything at all, yet together theyd know a lot.

Each quantum error-correcting code is a specific recipe for distributing quantum information across many qubits in a collective superposition state. This procedure effectively transforms a cluster of physical qubits into a single virtual qubit. Repeat the process many times with a large array of qubits, and youll get many virtual qubits that you can use to perform computations.

The physical qubits that make up each virtual qubit are like those oblivious quantum spies. Measure any one of them and youll learn nothing about the state of the virtual qubit its a part ofa property called local indistinguishability. Since each physical qubit encodes no information, errors in single qubits wont ruin a computation. The information that matters is somehow everywhere, yet nowhere in particular.

You cant pin it down to any individual qubit, Cubitt said.

All quantum error-correcting codes can absorb at least one error without any effect on the encoded information, but they will all eventually succumb as errors accumulate. Thats where the second property of quantum error-correcting codes kicks inthe actual error correction. This is closely related to local indistinguishability: Because errors in individual qubits dont destroy any information, its always possible to reverse any error using established procedures specific to each code.

Zhi Li, a postdoc at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada, was well versed in the theory of quantum error correction. But the subject was far from his mind when he struck up a conversation with his colleague Latham Boyle. It was the fall of 2022, and the two physicists were on an evening shuttle from Waterloo to Toronto. Boyle, an expert in aperiodic tilings who lived in Toronto at the time and is now at the University of Edinburgh, was a familiar face on those shuttle rides, which often got stuck in heavy traffic.

Normally they could be very miserable, Boyle said. This was like the greatest one of all time.

Before that fateful evening, Li and Boyle knew of each others work, but their research areas didnt directly overlap, and theyd never had a one-on-one conversation. But like countless researchers in unrelated fields, Li was curious about aperiodic tilings. Its very hard to be not interested, he said.

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Never-Repeating Patterns of Tiles Can Safeguard Quantum Information - WIRED

Tokyo, March 15, 2024

A Japanese consortium of research partners including RIKEN, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka University, Fujitsu Limited, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) have been recognized with the prestigious Prime Ministers Award as part of the 53rd Japan Industrial Technology Awards for the successful development of a high-performance computing platform that leverages Japan's second domestically-made superconducting quantum computer.

The platform leverages Japan's second domestically-made 64-qubit superconducting quantum computer, which has been offered on the cloud since October 2023 to promote its use for commercial industrial research and development, and jointly developed by Fujitsu and RIKEN based on the know-how for the development of the first domestically-made 64-qubit superconducting quantum computer released in March 2023 by the joint research group.

The research group offered Japan's first superconducting quantum computer under a joint research agreement for non-commercial use for the purpose of promoting and developing research and development in quantum computation and other fields. RIKEN and Fujitsu also unveiled Japan's second superconducting quantum computer, based on the technology of the first superconducting quantum computer, on the cloud for industrial research and development in 2021, two and a half years after they established the RIKEN RQC-Fujitsu Collaboration Center.

These milestones highlight the rapid progress and innovative potential of Japans original quantum technologies, which are now demonstrating the ability to withstand the demands of the first stages of industrial application. One particularly promising technology is the superconducting quantum bit chip design proposed by RIKEN, which uses a unique three-dimensional mounting layout with scalability that can support expansion to the 1,000-qubit level.

RIKEN and Fujitsus superconducting quantum computer is provided as part of a hybrid quantum computing platform that also supports Fujitsu's 40-qubit quantum simulator, which remains one of the largest scale simulators in the world (1). This platform implements a scalable cloud architecture that allows seamless operation of both quantum computers and quantum simulators to promote and accelerate adoption and collaboration between various companies.

The platform was highly praised at the 53rd Japan Industrial Technology Awards for its technological capabilities (originality and advancement), and for marking an important step toward the industrial use of quantum computers based on Japan's unique quantum technology, and for its connection to efforts to expand the search for practical applications for quantum technology in various fields such as materials, finance, and drug discovery by providing a combination of quantum computing and quantum simulators to companies to engage in joint research projects. In the future, the platform is anticipated to stimulate further research and development of quantum applications and accelerate the practical application of quantum computing technologies for both hardware and software, offering access to companies engaged in research in various fields.

The joint research group will continue to promote the social implementation of quantum computing by leveraging the strengths of each organization.

The Japan Industrial Technology Awards, sponsored by the Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun newspaper, honors companies and organizations that have contributed to industry and society over the year through the development and practical application of innovative large-scale industrial equipment and structures, and cutting-edge technology. It was established in 1972 to celebrate achievements that have contributed to the development of society and to encourage technological development. This marks the 53rd time that the award has been given to recognize achievements that bring together comprehensive technology, an increasingly relevant distinction for today's era of industrial sophistication and systemized technology.

This work was supported by Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technologys Quantum Leap Flagship Program (MEXT Q-LEAP) "Research and Development of Superconducting Quantum Computers (Team Leader: Yasunobu Nakamura; Grant No. JPMXS 0118068682)

Fujitsus purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen (US$28 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: http://www.fujitsu.com.

RIKEN is Japan's largest comprehensive research institution renowned for high-quality research in a diverse range of scientific disciplines. Founded in 1917 as a private research foundation in Tokyo, RIKEN has grown rapidly in size and scope, today encompassing a network of world-class research centers and institutes across Japan. https://www.riken.jp/en/about/

AIST, one of the largest public research organizations in Japan, focuses on the creation and practical realization of technologies useful to Japanese industry and society, and on bridging the gap between innovative technological seeds and commercialization. AIST, as a core and pioneering existence of the national innovation system, has about 2300 researchers doing research and development at 12 research bases across the country, based on the national strategies formulated bearing in mind the changing environment regarding innovation. https://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html

As Japans sole National Research and Development Agency specializing in the field of information and communications technology, NICT is charged with promoting ICT sector as well as research and development in ICT, which drives economic growth and creates an affluent, safe and secure society. For more information, please visit https://www.nict.go.jp/en/.

Osaka University was founded in 1931 as one of the seven imperial universities of Japan and is now one of Japan's leading comprehensive universities with a broad disciplinary spectrum. This strength is coupled with a singular drive for innovation that extends throughout the scientific process, from fundamental research to the creation of applied technology with positive economic impacts. Its commitment to innovation has been recognized in Japan and around the world, being named Japan's most innovative university in 2015 (Reuters 2015 Top 100) and one of the most innovative institutions in the world in 2017 (Innovative Universities and the Nature Index Innovation 2017). Now, Osaka University is leveraging its role as a Designated National University Corporation selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to contribute to innovation for human welfare, sustainable development of society, and social transformation. Website: https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/en

NTT believes in resolving societal issues through our business operations by applying technology for good. We help clients accelerate growth and innovate for current and new business models. Our services include digital business consulting, technology and managed services for cybersecurity, applications, workplace, cloud, datacenter and networks all supported by our deep industry expertise and innovation. As a top 5 global technology and business solutions provider, our diverse teams operate in 80+ countries and regions and deliver services to over 190 of them. We serve over 80% of Fortune Global 100 companies and thousands of other clients and communities around the world. For more information on NTT, visit http://www.global.ntt/.

Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Division Inquiries

RIKEN RIKEN Global Communications Phone: +81-(0)48-462-1225 E-mail: pr@riken.jp

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Media Relations Office, Branding and Public Relations Department E-mail: hodo-ml@aist.go.jp

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Press Office, Public Relations Department E-mail: publicity@nict.go.jp

Osaka University Dr. Makoto Negoro (Associate Professor, Vice Director of the Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology at Osaka University) E-mail: negoro.sec@qiqb.osaka-u.ac.jp

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) NTT Service Innovation Laboratory Group Public Relations E-mail: nttrd-pr@ml.ntt.com

All company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

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Japanese joint research group win Prime Minister's Award with ultra high-performance computing platform using jointly ... - Fujitsu

BERKELEY, Calif., March 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI) (Rigetti or the Company), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Highlights

Business Updates

Wins Innovate UK Competition to Deliver 24-Qubit Quantum Computing System to NQCC In February 2024, Rigetti was awarded a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) grant from Innovate UK and funded by the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) to develop and deliver a quantum computer to the NQCC. As part of the project, Rigetti proposes to develop and deploy a 24-qubit quantum computer based on the Companys Ankaa-class architecture. The proposed system is planned to be deployed at NQCCs Harwell Campus, which is expected to open later this year and will serve as NQCCs landmark facility to support quantum computing research in the UK.

Since deploying our first UK-based quantum computer in 2022, we have had the privilege of collaborating with the UKs talented quantum computing research community. We believe building a system at the NQCC could enable even more innovative discoveries to deepen our understanding of how to improve superconducting quantum computers with the goal of solving practical problems currently intractable by classical resources alone, said Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO.

On-Premise QPU Capabilities Mature with Novera QPU Launch In December 2023, Rigetti launched the Novera QPU (quantum processing unit), a 9-qubit QPU based on the Companys Ankaa-class chip architecture. The Novera QPU is Rigettis first commercially available QPU. After identifying an emerging market of researchers needing hands-on access to a quantum computer with high performing qubits, Rigetti made the strategic decision to meet the anticipated growing demand with its in-house quantum foundry capabilities and years of experience building 9-qubit QPUs for internal R&D. Rigetti designs and manufactures its QPUs at Fab-1, the industrys first dedicated and integrated quantum device and manufacturing facility, located in Fremont, California. Rigetti has now completed two Novera QPU sales, both to leading national labs. The first sale was to the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) led by Fermilab in the second quarter of 2023 as part of the Companys partnership with SQMS as its lead industry partner.

QPU Sales Grow with Delivery of Novera QPU to AFRL In the third quarter of 2023, Rigetti delivered its second Novera QPU to the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Information Directorate as part of the Companys Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The IDIQ contract enables AFRL to harness Rigettis fabrication capabilities for quantum networking hardware research and development.

A key objective of AFRL's Information Directorate quantum networking program is to develop interfaces between leading quantum technologies to enhance the functionality, scalability, and application space of quantum networking hardware. This includes innovating new interfaces to enable the operation of superconducting qubit platforms with telecom light," said Matthew LaHaye, Senior Research Physicist at AFRL Information Directorate. AFRL researchers plan to utilize the Novera QPU, in conjunction with photonic integrated circuitry, for novel investigations of light delivery and collection in the control and measurement of superconducting quantum processors. This work will entail fundamental studies of light-matter interactions and engineering of new, reduced-footprint techniques for cryogenic optical i/o, LaHaye added.

Awarded Innovate UK Grant to Advance Quantum Machine Learning Techniques for Finance Rigetti is continuing its efforts to develop quantum computing solutions for financial institutions. Rigetti was awarded an Innovate UK grant with the aim to develop quantum machine learning techniques to enable financial institutions to more effectively process, interpret, and make decisions with complex data streams. Joining Rigetti in this project is Amazon Web Services (AWS), Imperial College London, and Standard Chartered.

Awarded Phase 2 of DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Program Building on the work completed in Phase 1 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Quantum Benchmarking program aiming to develop a resource estimation framework to provide insight into the requirements of a superconducting quantum computing system necessary for solving large-scale, complex problems, Rigetti was awarded Phase 2, the goal of which is refining and optimizing the estimates for selected utility-scale problems, delivering new upper bounds on these requirements. Phase 2 is expected to be heavily focused on researching fault-tolerant quantum applications. Of particular interest are dynamical chemistry simulations and modeling the dynamics of quantum systems. The University of Technology Sydney, Aalto University, and the University of Southern California will continue to be project partners in Phase 2.

Partners with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Riverlane to Integrate and Benchmark Rigetti Quantum Computers with ORNLs Summit Supercomputer Recently, Rigetti announced that it is partnering with Riverlane and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to work to improve HPC-quantum integration. To develop the integration of quantum computers into HPC environments, the project partners plan to build the first-ever benchmarking suite for measuring the performance of a joint HPC + quantum system, to be run on ORNLs Summit supercomputer. For the quantum components, researchers plan to use simulated hardware based on key elements of Riverlanes quantum error correction stack and real remote hardware located at Rigettis headquarters in California.

Technology Roadmap and QPU Performance Milestones

Deploys 84-Qubit Ankaa-2 System with a 2.5X Increase in Error Performance Following the internal deployment of the 84-qubit Ankaa-1 system in March 2023, Rigettis 84-qubit Ankaa-2 system was made publicly available in December 2023 making it the Companys highest qubit count QPU available to the public. In addition to the new chip architecture that features a square lattice and tunable couplers, Rigetti implemented several technology updates to the system, including a new chip fabrication process, new printed circuit board technology, and electronics improvements, that contributed to Ankaa-2 achieving a 98% median 2-qubit gate fidelity a 2.5X increase in error performance compared to the Companys previous QPUs.

Building on Performance Success of Ankaa-2; Announces Ankaa-3 Launch Plan The Company plans to develop and deploy its anticipated 84-qubit Ankaa-3 system with the goal of achieving a 99% median 2-qubit gate fidelity by the end of 2024, and to develop the 336-qubit Lyra system thereafter.

We are confident in our ability to build better performing QPUs, as evidenced by our impressive Ankaa-2 performance. We believe we have laid the groundwork for building scalable, high performing QPUs with our proven modular chip architecture and the innovative Ankaa chip design that resulted in a 98% median 2-qubit gate fidelity. We are excited for the anticipated development and deployment of our Ankaa-3 system, which we believe will demonstrate the excellence and ingenuity of our engineering, software, and hardware teams, said David Rivas, Rigetti CTO.

We believe our leadership and expertise in full-stack quantum systems paired with our strong collaborations with researchers around the world across academia, industry, and government, puts us in a unique position to tackle the challenges of building a quantum computer capable of addressing real-world problems. With Rigetti QPUs now in two research labs internationally, we are even more optimistic that practical quantum computing is in reach, said Dr. Kulkarni.

Conference Call and Webcast Rigetti will host a conference call later today, March 14, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET, or 2:00 p.m. PT, to discuss its fourth quarter 2023 and full year 2023 financial results.

You can listen to a live audio webcast of the conference call at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/5yuqcscr/ or the Events & Presentations section of the Companys Investor Relations website at https://investors.rigetti.com/. A replay of the conference call will be available at the same locations following the conclusion of the call for one year.

To participate in the live call, you must register using the following link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI50b5aaacc3644ccfad45c9fcfbb1bb2e. Once registered, you will receive dial-in numbers and a unique PIN number. When you dial in, you will input your PIN and be routed into the call. If you register and forget your PIN, or lose the registration confirmation email, simply re-register to receive a new PIN.

About Rigetti Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The Companys proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industrys first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industrys first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at http://www.rigetti.com.

Contacts Rigetti Computing Investor Contact: IR@Rigetti.com

Rigetti Computing Media Contact: press@rigetti.com

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements with respect to the Companys expectations with respect to the commercialization of the Novera 9-qubit QPU, customer adoption of the Novera 9-qubit QPU and use and research by customers of the Novera 9-qubit QPU, expectations related to the Innovate UK SBRI award to develop and deliver a 24-qubit quantum computer to the NQCC and NQCCs expected use of the system and potential to enable even more innovative discoveries to deepen understanding of how to improve superconducting quantum computers with the goal of solving practical problems currently intractable by classical resources alone, expectations related to the Innovate UK grant to work with AWS, Imperial College London and Standard Chartered to develop quantum machine learning techniques to enable financial institutions to more effectively process, interpret, and make decisions with complex data streams, expectations related to the DARPA Benchmarking Program with respect to Rigettis Phase 2 award to refine and optimize the estimates for selected utility-scale problems and deliver new upper bounds on those requirements, expectations related to the collaboration with Riverlane and ORNL to work to improve HPC-quantum integration, expectations related to the Companys ability to achieve milestones including developing the Ankaa-3 84-qubit system with at least 99% median 2-qubit fidelity and the 336-qubit Lyra system on the anticipated timing or at all; the Companys expectations with respect to its engineering, software, and hardware teams; the Companys expectations with respect to its unique position to tackle the challenges of building a quantum computer capable of addressing real-world problems and practical quantum computing; the Companys expectations with respect to the timing of next generation systems; the Companys expectations with respect to the anticipated stages of quantum technology maturation, including its ability to develop a quantum computer that is able to solve a practical, operationally relevant problem significantly better, faster, or cheaper than a current classical solution and achieve quantum advantage on the anticipated timing or at all. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the Companys ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its technology roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the ability of the Company to obtain government contracts successfully and in a timely manner and the availability of government funding; the potential of quantum computing; the ability of the Company to expand its QPU sales; the success of the Companys partnerships and collaborations; the Companys ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or others; the ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and attract and retain management and key employees; costs related to operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; the Companys estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which the Company competes; the ability of the Company to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; the expected use of proceeds from the Companys past and future financings or other capital; the sufficiency of the Companys cash resources; unfavorable conditions in the Companys industry, the global economy or global supply chain, including financial and credit market fluctuations and uncertainty, rising inflation and interest rates, disruptions in banking systems, increased costs, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare (such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions and the state of war between Israel and Hamas and related threat of a larger conflict), and terrorist attacks; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled Risk Factors and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

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Rigetti Computing Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results - GlobeNewswire

USC has a new agreement with IBM that boosts quantum research by scientists and students and will reinforce the universitys status as a leader in quantum research and a top trainer of the nations tech workforce.

Our new partnership with IBM to expand quantum computing at USC will boost research and innovation in this field and marks a major milestone for our Frontiers of Computing initiative, USC President Carol Folt said. By opening the first IBM Quantum Innovation Center on the West Coast, USC is inviting top researchers and game-changers in industry to join us in shaping the future of quantum computing.

The agreement also accelerates the universitys efforts to achieve the research and education objectives of Folts Frontiers of Computing moonshot, amore than $1 billion initiative that supports ethical advancement in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing.

USC started official operations as an IBM Quantum Innovation Center on Feb. 1, giving the universitys researchers cloud access to IBM quantum systems.

We are excited to collaborate with USC, not only to help advance their research interests, but to prepare their students to join a rapidly growing quantum workforce, said Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and vice president, IBM Quantum. And with increasing industry interest, USC will play an important connector role as an IBM Quantum Innovation Center, providing a path for organizations to jointly develop algorithms and use cases for practical applications of quantum computing.

Across the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, researchers note that the collaboration greatly increases USCs quantum capabilities for research. The powerful computational system of IBMs quantum computers could help them manage complex calculations that may soon be too difficult for ordinary, classical computers that use traditional silicon processors.

The new IBM Quantum Innovation Center at USC will be a pillar in our ability to do cutting-edge research in the area of quantum computing and to train future scientists who will be making exciting discoveries, said Daniel Lidar, the director of the USC Center for Quantum Information Science and Technology who will also direct USCs IBM Quantum Innovation Center.

Until recently, USC had been using IBMs open access plan.

Anyone in the world can run experiments via the cloud using a limited set of IBMs quantum computers, said Lidar, a professor of multiple disciplines electrical and computer engineering, chemistry, physics and astronomy at USC Viterbi and USC Dornsife, and the holder of the Viterbi Professorship. Now, thanks to the IBM Quantum Innovation Center, we can run our experiments on a wider array of the cutting-edge quantum computers that IBM makes available.

The partnership is another plus in USCs favor for students aspiring to enter the field of quantum information science and for Big Tech companies, government contractors and agencies that are recruiting for the specialty. Several dozen students enrolled in the USC Dornsife and USC Viterbi masters program this academic year have been given immediate access to the IBM quantum machines.

The remarkable innovation that underpins quantum computing is the result of decades of knowledge exchange between industry leaders like IBM and academic researchers at universities like USC, USC Dornsife Dean Amber Miller said. Building on this long tradition of collaboration, we will work together to accelerate the quantum revolution and deepen our fundamental understanding of the world.

Quantum computing shows promise as a revolutionary technology because, in theory, its processing speeds far exceed those of classical computers, particularly in solving especially difficult computational problems. Although the technology has not yet crossed the threshold where it demonstrates an overwhelming advantage, many scientists think that day will soon come.

The quantum realm is an exciting and intriguing next frontier in computing, communications and sensing. USC has anticipated this emergence and has been at its forefront for more than a decade with the assembly of a strong group of faculty who advanced academic quantum computing and communications both on campus and at our own Information Sciences Institute, said Yannis C. Yortsos, dean of USC Viterbi.

Today, we are taking another significant step with the partnership with IBM Quantum, Yortsos added. It will further catalyze our pioneering research in leveraging quantum phenomena for technology and in educating the next generation of engineering and science students in the fascinating quantum world.

When it happens, the development of applications with a quantum advantage could affect multiple industries. With quantum computing, scientists expect to achieve potential breakthroughs in drug discovery, energy-efficient electronics and energy storage. Quantum also may be the key to breakthrough advancements in machine learning that could address issues in areas such as sustainability and image processing.

With the proliferation of artificial intelligence and machine learning problems, and the need to assemble training data for those areas, we are going to have to deal with larger and larger datasets, said Mahta Moghaddam, vice dean of research for USC Viterbi and a Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Current computers are going to have limitations as the size and diversity of datasets grow, so eventually we are going to need the quantum solutions to make those AI problems solvable, said Moghaddam, who holds the Ming Hsieh Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering-Electrophysics.

The IBM agreement is the latest milestone for the university in its quantum journey. The university is already a proven leader in quantum, ranked among the top five programs in quantum information systems, as reported by The Quantum Insider, with particular strength in quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum information theory. Its other strength is quantum error correction, an essential aspect in the quest to enable quantum computers to realize their computational advantage despite their susceptibility to errors due to external disturbances.

This agreement reinforces USCs leadership in quantum information science, said Moh El-Naggar, the USC Dornsife divisional dean of the physical sciences and mathematics who helped facilitate the agreement. Our faculty experts were ahead of their time in applying emerging quantum computers to address grand challenges in health and energy. We strategically designed this agreement to now position USC as a hub for future industry partnerships that benefit from our expertise and prioritized access to quantum hardware.

Some scientists believe it is not long perhaps less than 10 years before quantum computers are used to solve some computational problems that are unsolvable for CPUs or GPUs. Last summer, IBM reported a crucial breakthrough in a Nature paper, demonstrating the ability of todays quantum systems to operate at utility scale the point at which quantum computers can serve as scientific tools to explore new classes of problems beyond brute-force, classical simulation of quantum mechanics.

The universality of the IBM quantum systems means that they are designed to support running any calculation just like you can on an ordinary laptop or desktop of course, with added quantum power, Lidar said. For example, last year, a former student (now at IBM) and I reported the first example of an algorithmic quantum speedup: We used IBMs quantum computers to solve a guessing problem faster than is possible using any classical computer.

When quantum computers surpass classic computers in the ability to solve certain complex problems, this may be accompanied not just by revolutionary computational speedups, but also by massive reductions in energy consumption, Lidar said.

Once you cool everything down, the computation expends little energy, and that is very different from the way that ordinary classical computers operate, said Lidar, who envisions a solution soon. Combining this with quantum speedup means that a large-scale quantum computer will eventually consume far less energy than a classical supercomputer.

The IBM agreement provides USC with access to tools to conduct advanced research and train students at the vanguard of computing advancement and research. Access to IBMs quantum systems invigorates the work of 20 or so faculty across USC Dornsife and USC Viterbi, said Stephen Bradforth, USC Dornsife Dean Millers senior advisor for research strategy and development.

The new quantum center at USC also includes opportunities for jobs and innovations, as well as new business opportunities for students who graduate from the university, particularly in STEM.

This resource positions our doctoral students and postdocs in math, physics, chemistry and computational biology at the leading edge in designing algorithms to tackle hard computational problems in each of these disciplines in totally new ways, Bradforth said.

More employers, including government agencies, are seeking graduates with quantum science and technology degrees in both the public and private sectors, and the matter of educating and training the quantum workforce is a concern highlighted in recent federal reports. The White House and National Quantum Initiative in 2022 mapped a path to building a quantum workforce, and the federal government continues to seek input from research and higher education industries to create a pipeline that can meet the rising national need for quantum.

Quantum technology is valued in the billions of dollars and its potential is even greater. A report by McKinsey & Co. last April noted that annual quantum technology startup investments hit $2.35 billion before it issued the report. The company then estimated that the quantum technology sector could reach $106 billion in value by 2040.

With foresight in 2020, USC spearheaded the launch of a masters program in quantum information systems. Two cohorts have graduated and landed jobs at tech giants, including Amazon, Google and, of course, IBM. USC graduate students and postdocs also have landed research positions at national laboratories and faculty positions at Duke University, Cornell University and the University of New Mexico, as well as many other universities worldwide.

Students who graduate from our programs tend to do very well in terms of being placed in either industry or academia, Lidar said.

USC Dornsife and USC Viterbi leaders expect even more interest in quantum coursework and scholarship now that the university is an IBM Quantum Innovation Center. And they are ready for a new wave of students and research.

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IBM agreement boosts USC's quantum computing leadership - University of Southern California