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In the Barz groups experiment with a two-stage interferometer auxiliary photons are used to generate distinct measurement patterns for all four Bell states, increasing the efficiency beyond the traditional limit of 50%. Credit: Jon Heras, Cambridge Illustrators

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have demonstrated that a key ingredient for many quantum computation and communication schemes can be performed with an efficiency that exceeds the commonly assumed upper theoretical limit thereby opening up new perspectives for a wide range of photonic quantum technologies.

Quantum science not only has revolutionized our understanding of nature, but is also inspiring groundbreaking new computing, communication, and sensor devices. Exploiting quantum effects in such quantum technologies typically requires a combination of deep insight into the underlying quantum-physical principles, systematic methodological advances, and clever engineering. And it is precisely this combination that researchers in the group of Prof. Stefanie Barz at the University of Stuttgart and the Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST) have delivered in recent study, in which they have improved the efficiency of an essential building block of many quantum devices beyond a seemingly inherent limit.

One of the protagonists in the field of quantum technologies is a property known as quantum entanglement. The first step in the development of this concept involved a passionate debate between Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. In a nutshell, their argument was about how information can be shared across several quantum systems. Importantly, this can happen in ways that have no analog in classical physics.

The discussion that Einstein and Bohr started remained largely philosophical until the 1960s, when the physicist John Stewart Bell devised a way to resolve the disagreement experimentally. Bells framework was first explored in experiments with photons, the quanta of light. Three pioneers in this field Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger were jointly awarded last years Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking works toward quantum technologies.

Bell himself died in 1990, but his name is immortalized not least in the so-called Bell states. These describe the quantum states of two particles that are as strongly entangled as is possible. There are four Bell states in all, and Bell-state measurements which determine which of the four states a quantum system is in are an essential tool for putting quantum entanglement to practical use. Perhaps most famously, Bell-state measurements are the central component in quantum teleportation, which in turn makes most quantum communication and quantum computation possible.

The experimental setup consists exclusively of so-called linear components, such as mirrors, beam splitters, and waveplates, which ensures scalability. Credit: La Rici Photography

But there is a problem: when experiments are performed using conventional optical elements, such as mirrors, beam splitters, and waveplates, then two of the four Bell states have identical experimental signatures and are therefore indistinguishable from each other. This means that the overall probability of success (and thus the success rate of, say, a quantum-teleportation experiment) is inherently limited to 50 percent if only such linear optical components are used. Or is it?

This is where the work of the Barz group comes in. As they recently reported in the journal Science Advances, doctoral researchers Matthias Bayerbach and Simone DAurelio carried out Bell-state measurements in which they achieved a success rate of 57.9 percent. But how did they reach an efficiency that should have been unattainable with the tools available?

Their outstanding result was made possible by using two additional photons in tandem with the entangled photon pair. It has been known in theory that such auxiliary photons offer a way to perform Bell-state measurements with an efficiency beyond 50 percent. However, experimental realization has remained elusive. One reason for this is that sophisticated detectors are needed that resolve the number of photons impinging on them.

Bayerbach and DAurelio overcame this challenge by using 48 single-photon detectors operating in near-perfect synchrony to detect the precise states of up to four photons arriving at the detector array. With this capability, the team was able to detect distinct photon-number distributions for each Bell state albeit with some overlap for the two originally indistinguishable states, which is why the efficiency could not exceed 62.5 percent, even in theory. But the 50-percent barrier has been busted. Furthermore, the probability of success can, in principle, be arbitrarily close to 100 percent, at the cost of having to add a higher number of ancilla photons.

Also, the most sophisticated experiment is plagued by imperfections, and this reality has to be taken into account when analyzing the data and predicting how the technique would work for larger systems. The Stuttgart researchers therefore teamed up with Prof. Dr. Peter van Loock, a theorist at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and one of the architects of the ancilla-assisted Bell-state measurement scheme. Van Loock and Barz are both members of the BMBF-funded PhotonQ collaboration, which brings together academic and industrial partners from across Germany working towards the realization of a specific type of photonic quantum computer. The improved Bell-state measurement scheme is now one of the first fruits of this collaborative endeavor.

Although the increase in efficiency from 50 to 57.9 percent may seem modest, it provides an enormous advantage in scenarios where a number of sequential measurements need to be made, for example in long-distance quantum communication. For such upscaling, it is essential that the linear-optics platform has a relatively low instrumental complexity compared to other approaches.

Methods such as those now established by the Barz group extend our toolset to make good use of quantum entanglement in practice opportunities that are being explored extensively within the local quantum community in Stuttgart and in Baden-Wrttemberg, under the umbrella of initiatives such as the long-standing research partnership IQST and the recently inaugurated network QuantumBW.

Reference: Bell-state measurement exceeding 50% success probability with linear optics by Matthias J. Bayerbach, Simone E. DAurelio, Peter van Loock and Stefanie Barz, 9 August 2023, Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf4080

The work was supported by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the Centre for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, projects SiSiQ and PhotonQ), and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK, project PlanQK).

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Breaking the Quantum Limit: From Einstein-Bohr Debates to Achieving Unattainable Efficiency - SciTechDaily

LONDON, October 31, 2023 Multiverse Computing, a global leader in value-based quantum computing and machine learning solutions, along with Moodys Analytics and Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), have won funding from Innovate UK to use quantum methods to develop large-scale flood prediction models and remove limitations of traditional modeling methods.

The UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is overseeing the project and will be the first customer to use this new solution in computational fluid dynamics in an effort to help the country better adapt to extreme weather events linked to climate change.

The three companies won a place in Phase 1 of this competitive process from the UK governments Quantum Catalyst Fund for their joint project, Quantum-Assisted Flood Modeling: Pioneering Large-Scale Analysis for Enhanced Risk Assessment. The project team will use quantum computing to address the computational challenges in large-scale flood modeling studies and to make flood risk assessment and management more accurate and efficient.

Multiverse Computing is the lead contractor and software provider for the project and will deliver the technical formulation of the problem and algorithm development. OQC will supply the quantum hardware and ancillary resources, while industry partner Moodys Analytics, a global risk management firm, will contribute industry expertise, data requirements, and insights on computational efficiency.

This is the first time Multiverse proposes to apply quantum algorithms to assess potential flood damage. The improvements to accuracy and effectiveness gained by the quantum approach to computational fluid dynamics problems could contribute to climate change adaptation efforts, according to Enrique Lizaso Olmos, founder and CEO of Multiverse Computing.

Understanding the changes in flood risk will help everyone prepare for extreme weather events, from government agencies working to mitigate those risks to homeowners trying to protect their homes and properties, as well as insurance agencies quantifying these new risks, said Lizaso Olmos.

Flood modelling involves running two-dimensional hydrodynamical models that numerically solve Shallow Water Equations (SWE), which describe the flow of water in all relevant scenarios such as dam breaks, storm surges, or river flood waves. The computational cost of running simulations with sophisticated models over large areas and high-resolution is a limiting factor for current methods. To counteract these limitations, parallel computing and GPU-based computing have been employed to expedite the simulation process.

The advent of new technologies, such as quantum computing, offers an exciting avenue for advancement, said Sergio Gago, Moodys Managing Director of Quantum and GenAI. Specifically, there is promising potential in the application of quantum machine learning (QML) to develop emulators as alternatives to traditional physics-based models.

Moodys RMS estimates that regardless of societys capacity to decrease carbon emissions, by 2050 average cost of flood risk in the UK will increase by at least 20%, with some strong variability by region, season and future emission scenario. RMS flood models estimate there are greater than 700 million ($850M USD) in losses each year in the country due to inland flooding, with large year-over-year volatility. The flood risk modeling work funded by Innovate UK could help to further improve our understanding of flood risk landscape across geographies and time of the year.

We recognise the urgency of addressing escalating flood risks which is why this project is so important to us, says Dr. Ilana Wisby, OQC CEO. By harnessing the power of OQCs quantum computing, were not only breaking free from the constraints of classical computing, together we are redefining the future of flood management and helping to create a safer, more resilient world for future generations.

The project team will use a Quantum Physics-Informed Neural Network (QPINN) algorithm to improve these risk assessment methods. The algorithm combines classical data processing with quantum processing using a Variational Quantum Circuit (VQC). The data is encoded into the quantum gate parameters of the VQC, and as the algorithm progresses, these parameters are adjusted to improve the accuracy of target function predictions. Phase 1 lasts three months and ends Nov. 30, 2023. The second phase of the project will last up to 15 months and starts in January 2024. Approval for Phase 2 is based on a successful completion of Phase 1.

This Small Business Research Initiative competition is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Innovate UK (IUK). The aim of this competition is to explore the benefit of using quantum technologies in various areas of interest for the UK Government, accelerating the adoption of quantum solutions by the public sector and for the public benefit. Thirty projects were awarded funding in Phase 1.

Part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) government organization, Innovate UK supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and regions of the country to help develop and commercialize new products, processes and services that enhance business growth.

About Moodys Analytics

Moodys (NYSE: MCO) is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With approximately 14,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Moodys combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets. Learn more at moodys.com/about.

About Oxford Quantum Circuits

OQC is a world-leading quantum computing company. It brings enterprise ready quantum solutions to its customers fingertips and enables them to make breakthrough discoveries. The companys quantum computers are available via data centres, private cloud and on Amazon Braket. For more information, visit http://www.oxfordquantumcircuits.com.

About Multiverse Computing

Multiverse Computing is a leading quantum software company that applies quantum and quantum-inspired solutions to tackle complex problems in finance, banking, manufacturing, energy, and cybersecurity to deliver value today and enable a more resilient and prosperous economy. The companys expertise in quantum algorithms and quantum-inspired algorithms means it can secure maximum results from current quantum devices as well as classical high-performance computers. Its flagship product, Singularity, allows professionals across all industries to leverage quantum computing to speed up and improve the accuracy of optimization and AI models with existing and familiar software tools. The company also has developed CompactifAI, a compressor which uses tensor networks to make large language models more efficient and portable. In addition to finance and AI, Multiverse serves enterprises in the mobility, energy, life sciences and industry 4.0 sectors. The company is based in San Sebastian, Spain, with branches in Toronto, Paris and Munich.

Source: Multiverse Computing

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Multiverse Computing Wins UK Funding to Improve Flood Risk Assessment with Quantum Algorithms - HPCwire

At the end of last week, the FT published a guest article on quantum computing.

For those unfamiliar with quantum computing, it is the technology that will be capable of harnessing the powers of quantum mechanics to solve problems which are too complex for classical computers (the computers of today).

Classical computing employs streams of electrical impulses to encode information: an electrical impulse may be only 1 or 0 (i.e. on or off) a classical 'bit. In quantum mechanics particles can exist in more than one state at a time. In binary terms, this means that a quantum bit (known as a "qubit") can be both 1 and 0 at the same time. If a computer can be built that harnesses this quantum mechanical phenomena, then it should be able to solve complex problems much faster than classical computers or problems too complex for classical computers to solve.

In 1994, Peter Shor (a mathematician) wrote an algorithm (known as Shor's Algorithm) that could crack the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) algorithm. RSA is a suite of cryptographic algorithms that are used for systems security purposes it secures huge amounts of sensitive data from national security to personal data within a firms systems and as it is being sent externally. Shors Algorithm is not capable of running on classical computers: it requires quantum computing to be effective.

Quantum computing is not a pipe dream: there are myriad firms working on developing it; and there are firms which do produce hardware with limited quantum computing capability at the moment (which works alongside classical computers). It may be decade before quantum computing becomes a reality (and many more years before it is commoditised), however, when it does, it will change the way in which we all need to secure our data. The security of both previous and future communications/storage will be at risk (or non-existent). In 2020, the UKs National Cyber Security Centre published a white paper Preparing for Quantum-Safe Cryptography. In its conclusions, it stated that there is unlikely to be a single quantum-safe algorithm suitable for all applications. In 2021, the NCSC announced its first quantum-safe algorithm. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerces National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced its first four quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms.

The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum bringing together four leading regulators in the UK published its Quantum Technologies Insights Paper earlier this year (June 2023). The paper considers the potential of quantum computing and the issues that need to be considered now as in now to prepare the world for this next big chapter in computing technology.

There are a few things to note:

The author of the FT article ended with a limerick written by Shor himself. We will end with an idiom. In binary.

01101001 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110111 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01010011 01100101 01110010 01100111 01100101 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01000101 01110011 01110100 01100101 01110010 01101000 01100001 01110101 01110011 00111010 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01110010 01100101 01100110 01110101 01101100 00100000 01101111 01110101 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00101110

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Tackling the challenges of quantum computing seriously - Shoosmiths

Quantum computing will be one of the most defining technologies of the century. It will intersect and enhance capabilities across sectors such as climate change, manufacturing, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

China is ranked second to the United States in terms of research about this technology, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institutes Critical Technology Tracker, and the race to achieve quantum supremacy is intensifying.

In particular, the United States must work to mitigate the risks that quantum computers pose to national and economic security. These computers will be able to surpass existing cybersecurity encryption standards in minutes, even in situations that would take a conventional computer years to solve, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the security used for everything from banking to data storage and internet communication.

Preparations for such a scenario are already being undertaken in the United States by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has released its first batch of four cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand decryption by a future quantum computer.

However, the United States cant safeguard its leadership on quantum computing by acting alone. In a similar situation to the semiconductor industry, there is a limited global talent pool of expertise in the sector, and Washington needs to coordinate the human capital, research and development, and the advanced manufacturing capabilities needed to bring quantum computing online in a time frame conducive to the pacing threat that China poses.

The United States has already acknowledged the pressing need to secure advanced technology supply chains through the passing of the CHIPS and Science Act in August 2022. As the country looks to place similar export controls on advanced technologies such as quantum computing, it must not cut its allies out.

Instead, Washington needs to leverage the complementary strengths of each nations advanced technology ecosystems. That collaboration must begin with semiconductors.

Conversations on the security of advanced semiconductor supply chains and the importance of investment in quantum computing often occur independently. Yet, Washingtons ability to maintain global leadership in the quantum computing industry hinges on secure access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Advanced semiconductors serve as the processors of quantum computers. They contain qubits (short for quantum bits) that enable these computers to process algorithms and equations significantly faster than standard computers. The more qubits that a quantum computer contains, the more powerful it is. In the global race to develop a useful quantum computer that is commercially scalable, access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing will be a determining factor in winning.

China is being forced into domestic manufacturing of advanced semiconductors due to U.S. export controls imposed under the CHIPS and Science Act. However, in August, Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei released its latest smartphone, containing an advanced, Chinese-manufactured 7 nanometer chip, which suggests that Chinas semiconductor industry is adapting to the export controls designed to slow its advancements. China is also developing its advanced foundry capabilities, which are used in the chip manufacturing process, and this will further aid its quantum computing industry.

Australia is a natural partner for the United States on quantum computing. Despite having only 0.3 percent of the global population, Australia is home to 10 percent of the worlds quantum scientists; these scientists are supported by a national quantum strategy. Announced in May, the strategy lays out the ambitious goal of building the worlds first error-corrected quantum computer and the importance of collaboration with trusted partners in the private sector to create it.

Collaboration between the United States and Australia in quantum computing sciences dates to the late 1990s, when there was engagement between the U.S. Army Research Office and Australian quantum computing research centers. In 2021, a landmark statement of intent was signed between the two governments to cooperate and share the benefits of quantum information and science technologies.

But commitment must continue to go beyond government-to-government engagement and involve academia and industry, as well. One example of these partnerships was made in September 2023, when Australia-based companies Q-CTRL, a quantum infrastructure software developer, and Diraq, a leading innovator in silicon-based quantum computing, announced a joint venture in pursuit of projects funded by both the U.S. and Australian governments, with the shared goal of accelerating the commercial adoption of quantum computing.

Alongside the U.S.-Australia bilateral relationship, the AUKUS security arrangement offers the two nations an endorsed pathway to deepen innovation ties and achieve scalability alongside the United Kingdom. Quantum computing has been identified as a priority for AUKUS partners under their technology-sharing agreement as one of eight specified areas of advanced capability collaboration. While global collaboration should not be limited to AUKUS partners, it provides a starting framework for coordinating strategic investment between the three nations.

U.S.-based quantum computing company PsiQuantum is a prime example of partnerships between the quantum industry and semiconductor manufacturers within an alliance ecosystem. With Australian origins and a presence in the U.K. quantum computing industry, PsiQuantum has established a strategic partnership with the U.S. semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries.

Investment from the U.S. semiconductor industry alongside the Australian and U.K. quantum computing industry can facilitate access to the advanced manufacturing capabilities needed to develop quantum computing technologies. The collaboration utilizes otherwise disparate talent pools, provides U.S. industry with access to additional advanced research and development, and has the dual benefit of diversifying advanced manufacturing supply chains for the United States.

The United Kingdom and Australia host a range of quantum organizations that could be grown through similar partnerships with U.S. semiconductor foundries. In the U.K., the National Quantum Computing Centre is backed by government support. Similarly in Australia, there are several global quantum front-runners.

Beyond AUKUS, the United States can also look to other nations for examples of successful public-private partnerships, such as that of Canadian quantum company Xanadu, which has partnered with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea to develop a quantum workforce pipeline. The institute also undertakes advanced semiconductor research, and South Korea is, of course, a key player in global advanced chip manufacturing supply chains.

While industry players understand the technical needs of their technologies, support from government is key to accelerating these activities. It provides access to capital and markets that encourage industry growth where, under natural market conditions, it might have been slower.

The United States and allied governments therefore need to collaborate to provide investment incentives to encourage public-private partnership between quantum computing companies and mature U.S.-based chip manufacturers. Collaboration will require relationship building, infrastructure investment, and research and development coordination that should begin now.

Moreover, as global leaders in quantum computing, the United States and allies also can shape the industry as it develops through the establishment of international standards and norms, ensuring that the technology is brought online responsibly. This includes the ability to shape strategic supply chain development and ensure that infrastructure such as specialized data centers and a highly skilled workforce are built and cultivated within a trusted alliance ecosystem that can withstand geostrategic competition.

The United States is already throwing everything it can at slowing down Chinas access to the technology and the expertise it needs to gain a competitive advantage in key technology areas. Access to talent, research and innovation, and advanced semiconductor manufacturing are vital ingredients in achieving quantum computing leadership. As global technology competition continues to intensify, a strong history of allied partnership is an advantage that the United States holds over adversaries, and it needs to be bullish about leveraging it.

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After Australian State Visit to D.C., Washington and Canberra Must ... - Foreign Policy

SHERBROOKE, Qubec, Oct. 31, 2023 PASQAL, a global leader company in neutral atom quantum computing, is proud to announce its support to the Faculty of Engineering, Universit de Sherbrooke (UdeS), a leader in education and applied research in Canada, to open a Professor Position in Applied Quantum Computing. The creation of this Chair is part of PASQALs strategy to delivering real-world applications to the industry and quantum advantage in the short term.

PASQAL is setting up a facility to manufacture quantum processors at Espace Quantique 1 of DistriQ Quantum Innovation Zone in Sherbrooke, Canada. In this new flagship installation, PASQAL-Canada will produce hardware for the North American market to accelerate the adoption of neutral atom quantum computing in the region.

Within this framework, PASQAL is contributing with $500,000 CAD to a full-time non-tenure-track position at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering. This contribution is to be used as a match with Canadian federal and/or provincial granting agencies, such as Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Alliance program; and Regroupements sectoriels de recherche industrielle au Qubec.

The selected Chair holder will lead the development of neutral atom quantum software solutions for industry, by finding the most direct paths to deliver business value and quantum advantage.

About UdeS The Faculty of Engineering

The UdeS Faculty of Engineering is a leader in education and applied research. Recognized for its dynamism in collaborative research, it stands out particularly in terms of technology transfer and concrete impacts on society. It is also a faculty on a human scale, which favours rigorous and complete training of its students, particularly through the alternating study and internship program. In a friendly and highly collaborative environment, discovery and innovation are strongly encouraged. To foster its long-term growth, the Faculty of Engineering is particularly focused on interdisciplinary initiatives and emerging fields. The Faculty of Engineering has several research centers as well as the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), apart of the Integrated Innovation Chain along with the Institut quantique (IQ)and the Centre de collaboration MiQro Innovation (C2MI).

About PASQAL

PASQAL is a major player in the global race for quantum computing. The company is the leading manufacturer of neutral atom quantum computers and offers complete solutions for end-users. PASQALs products and services include quantum computers, cloud access and software solutions for the energy, mobility, healthcare, high-tech, aerospace and financial sectors. By leveraging the dual analog/digital nature of its quantum computers, PASQAL is propelling neutral-atom quantum technology with the aim of delivering a practical quantum advantage on early use cases within the next five years.

About the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

The faculty members of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department are active in the fields of classical and quantum embedded systems engineering, autonomous vehicles, robotics, embedded artificial intelligence, neuromorphic systems, instrumentation and digital communications. The Department has seven research chairs and offers masters and doctoral programs that allow students to work in infrastructures that bring together numerous cutting-edge research laboratories under the direction of internationally recognized researchers. The Departments facilities include clean rooms for microfabrication, development and characterization laboratories for integrated circuit packaging, smart antennas and software-defined radio, medical devices, instruments for particle physics, power electronics and electric vehicles, embedded systems and robotics, as well as a platform for the design, development and fabrication of printed electronic circuits, a 1MW solar infrastructure, and a space and immersive audio room. Of the Universitys six institutes, the Departments faculty members are notably involved at 3IT, IQ and the Research Center on Aging (CDRV).

Source: PASQAL

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PASQAL and Universit de Sherbrooke Forge Partnership to ... - HPCwire