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The advent of the computer in the 20th century brought an explosion of innovation, productivity and economic development. But so-called classical computers are limited by their physical properties, and have seen a relative deceleration in technological progress in recent years. However, a new generation of computers leveraging phenomena from quantum physics promises exponentially greater power that, at least in certain areas, can enable a new era of transformative innovation. In this edition of From the Future, three Notre Dame researchers give their perspectives on the powers and applications of quantum computers, describe the cutting-edge research they are conducting and consider the future of quantum computing here on campus.

Zhiding Liang, PhD student, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Zhiding Liang, PhD student in computer science and engineering, did his undergraduate studies in electrical engineering and is trained in the world of classical devices and circuits.

However, in pursuing graduate education, Liang decided to take a leap into quantum computing, a field he thinks has great potential.

Liang explained that the potential of quantum computing lies in the basic processing unit for these systems: the quantum bit, or the qubit. Classical binary computer transistors can only be in one of two states, zero or one, representing off or on switches for electrical signals. Leveraging quantum properties, qubits can represent zero or one, or any proportion of zero and one at the same time a phenomenon called superposition.

Superposition enables quantum computers to wield immense computational power since the amount of information a system can process grows exponentially with each additional qubit.

However, quantum computers have limitations. In terms of hardware, qubits are incredibly fragile devices. To maintain a state of superposition, qubits require particular environmental conditions (temperature, noise, etc.). If such conditions are not maintained, qubits could experience decoherence, or losing their power of superposition, and, in effect, devolving into classical binary bits.

Liang focuses on solving problems on the software side of things. His research looks at ways to optimize quantum computer architecture to improve the performance of algorithms. The difficulty of maintaining superposition and avoiding decoherence often limits the time in which quantum computation is possible. So, decreasing the latency of these systems (the time it takes to send data) is important for making quantum computers usable.

When he isnt programming quantum computers, Liang works on a different kind of programming: educational lectures about quantum computing for fellow students.

As an electrical engineer, Liang came to quantum computing without background knowledge in physics, which is necessary even for software-focused researchers like himself.

Liang said that his first semester as a PhD student involved extensive studies outside of class to get up to speed on fundamental physics concepts. This was frustrating due to the lack of resources online and even from other universities.

Liang was inspired to create the Quantum Computer System Lecture Series to make the transition to quantum computing easier for students like himself who do not have a physics background.

I think theres not enough open source resources online, Liang said. I hope to offer a platform to let students who are interested in quantum computing have a pathway to get in touch with this area.

The lecture series has featured 33 talks from quantum computing students and researchers from around the world. Topics range from introductions to basic quantum concepts to state-of-the art research outcomes.

Liang hopes that his lecture series will spark interest in quantum computing at Notre Dame. He recognizes that this field can be intimidating due to the high knowledge bar and uncertainty about when this technology will arrive. But he is optimistic about quantum computers and the opportunities for Notre Dame and its students.

I want to contribute to building a quantum computing community at Notre Dame, Liang said. Quantum computing is still a really young area. Theres lots of things you can do theres a lot of opportunities.

Mariya Vyushkova, Quantum Computing Research Specialist at the Notre Dame Center for Research Computing, Visiting Scientist at IBM Research

While the quantum community in South Bend is still in its infancy, members of the Notre Dame community are forming connections with some of the worlds premier hubs for quantum computing research.

Dr. Mariya Vyushkova is a quantum computing research specialist with the Notre Dame Center for Research Computing, but she is currently a visiting scientist at IBM Research in San Jose, California studying applications for quantum computing.

Vyushkovas research focuses on the possibilities of using quantum computers for simulations in spin chemistry, a field at the intersection of chemistry and physics that deals with magnetic and spin effects in chemical reactions.

Spin chemistry is closely connected to the development of quantum computers. One type of qubit (called the spin qubit) uses spin chemistry phenomena to create quantum properties like superposition and enable powerful computation.

However, spin chemistry simulations have other practical applications, like studying the manipulation of reactions in biological systems, solar energy technology or organic semiconductors. Overall, Vyushkova said many experts believe that chemistry is the field where quantum computing has the most promising applications and will make the most immediate impact.

In discussing future applications for quantum computing, Vyushkova made a point to clarify a common misconception that quantum computers will replace classical computers.

This is not the case. Even when quantum computers reach their full potential, they will only have an advantage over classical computers for certain applications. And at the moment, for reasons of unreliability and fragility discussed above, quantum computers are no match for classical computers.

However, Vyushkova said that we still need to be quantum ready: i.e., prepared for the day when quantum computers become reliable enough to be used for their unique advantages.

We cannot just sit here and wait for 10 years for the engineers to build an ideal quantum computer, Vyushkova said. We need to learn to use those devices right now.

Vyushkova compared the current state of quantum computers to that of classical computers in the mid-20th century. At that time, computers were huge, slow, noisy, expensive and generally impractical machines. However, early computer scientists were still able to develop techniques and applications so that when the technology became cheaper, faster and more viable, we as a society could leverage computers to the fullest.

Its possible quantum computers would provide a similar advantage [as classical computers have], Vyushkova said. They will never replace classical computers, but in certain fields they are capable of potentially solving problems which are exponentially harder, just unimaginable.

Vyushkova noted that countries like China and Russia are investing significant resources into quantum computing with the belief that this technology will give them a strategic advantage in the future. In this sense, the relatively lower investment into quantum computing in the United States could have serious consequences.

We are at the very beginning; this field is still in its infancy, Vyushkova said. If you miss this opportunity, then you wont be competitive in the future.

Laszlo Forro, Aurora and Thomas Marquez Professor of Physics of Complex Quantum Matter, Director of Stavropoulos Center for Complex Quantum Matter

Back on Notre Dames campus, a new research center aims to provide the physical hardware needed to facilitate the opportunities and applications discussed above.

Located on the fourth floor of the Nieuwland Hall of Science, the Stavropoulos Center for Complex Quantum Matter was established in 2019 as a home for research on new materials for next-generation technologies like quantum computing.

Dr. Laszlo Forro came to Notre Dame from Switzerland in July 2021 to serve as a professor of physics and director of the Stavropoulos Center, bringing a mindset of doing research that leads to practical applications at least eventually.

In this branch of condensed matter physics, the goal is always to do something useful, Forro said. But I believe that every serious research, sooner or later, will be applied. Its just a question of different timescales could be applied in two years, five years or 50.

Quantum computing is one key area of research for the Stavropoulos Center. According to Forro, an important unaddressed issue with quantum computers is longevity: being able to sustain quantum states (i.e., avoid decoherence) long enough to operate the computer and process information.

New quantum materials can help solve this issue. Researchers at the Stavropoulos Center are experimenting with different atomic structures and creating pure materials that can extend the lifetime of quantum states, and therefore improve the usability of quantum. computers.

As noted, quantum computers cant do everything better or faster than a classical computer. However, once quantum materials are improved, Forro sees a multitude of applications for quantum technology. Potential uses include cryptography in banking or data transferring, drug discovery and AI or machine learning research.

Forro also thinks that quantum computing could be a commercially available technology. He suggested that, in the future, we could have USB stick devices that plug into classical computers and enable quantum computation.

However, Forro said that these applications are far off, and there is significant uncertainty about timelines for viable quantum computers. For now, Forrs immediate goals are to expand his team, grow the Stavropoulos center and produce research.

We have hired high-level scientists, and I hope that, based on our performance, we can ask the school to give us a few more positions to extend our research profile and to be more productive, Forro said.

Forro believes that Notre Dame has his back in this effort to build the Stavropoulos Center into a world-class quantum research facility.

If it runs well, I have no doubt that the school will support us to extend the number of [project leaders], Forro said. I have a strategic plan and vision for the center, which is supported by the college of science Dean [Santiago Schnell] and also by the Provost [John McGreevy] today. This is a very nice feeling for me as a director that I will have the full support of the school.

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From the Future: Quantum Computing // The Observer - Observer Online

If you thought all generative AI could do was produce text and images, think again. It can do far more about way more serious and complex problems all it needs is a quantum boost. This new field of learning called quantum generative AI is a perfect marriage between the very buzzy area of generative AI and quantum computing and brings together the benefits of both.

In an exclusive chat with Prateek Jain, Lead Researcher and Architect of Quantum Computing at Fractal, we discuss the applications of quantum generative AI in critical sectors like healthcare, the associated challenges and how to get around them.

Fractal: Quantum generative AI (QGAI) is a subfield of quantum computing that focuses on developing algorithms and models that can generate new data with the help of quantum computers.

The main difference between QGAI and classical generative AI is the underlying computational platform. While classical generative AI relies on classical computers, QGAI is a novel approach which relies on quantum computers to perform operations on quantum bits (qubits) to generate new data. QGAI algorithms are designed to exploit the quantum mechanical properties of qubits to generate data with unique and potentially useful features.

Some examples of QGAI applications include:

Fractal: Quantum generative AI can be used to optimize drug and material properties by generating new compounds with specific characteristics that are required for various applications. Here are some ways in which QGAI can be used to optimize drug and material properties:

Drug Optimization: QGAI can be used to optimize the properties of existing drugs to enhance their efficacy and reduce side effects. By simulating the behaviour of molecules on quantum computers, QGAI algorithms can predict the binding affinity of a molecule to a target protein, which is a key factor in determining drug efficacy. QGAI can also be used to optimize drug properties, such as solubility and bioavailability, to improve their pharmacokinetics.

You can find some of our research at Fractal.ai here https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.07826

Material Optimization: QGAI can be used to optimize the properties of materials for specific applications, such as energy storage or catalysis. By simulating the behaviour of atoms and molecules on quantum computers, QGAI algorithms can predict the properties of materials, such as their conductivity or reactivity, malleability, radioactivity etc.

Chemical Reaction Optimization: QGAI can also be used to optimize chemical reactions by predicting the optimal conditions and reactants required for a specific reaction. This can lead to more efficient and sustainable chemical processes, such as the production of pharmaceuticals or materials.

Fractal: Quantum generative AI has the potential to revolutionize drug and material design by helping researchers to generate new and innovative compounds that could not be discovered using traditional methods. QGAI algorithms use quantum computers to simulate the behaviour of molecules and atoms and help researchers to predict their properties and generate new structures that meet specific criteria.

Here are some examples of how QGAI can be applied to drug and material design:

Drug Discovery: QGAI can be used to generate new compounds that are more effective at targeting specific diseases than existing drugs.

Material Design: QGAI can be used to design new materials with unique properties, such as superconductors or catalysts. By simulating the behaviour of atoms and molecules on quantum computers, QGAI algorithms can predict the properties of new materials, such as their conductivity or reactivity. This can help researchers design materials with specific properties that are required for various applications, such as energy storage or catalysis.

The potential benefits of using QGAI for drug and material design are significant. QGAI can accelerate the drug discovery and material design process by reducing the time and cost required to synthesize and test new compounds. QGAI can also enable researchers to discover compounds that would be difficult or impossible to discover using classical methods, leading to new treatments for diseases and innovative materials for a variety of applications. Additionally, QGAI can enable researchers to design compounds with specific properties that are required for various applications and pave the way for more effective drugs and materials.

There have been several research projects that have already applied quantum generative AI (QGAI) to drug and material design.

For instance, in 2019, researchers from IBM used QGAI to design a new molecule that could potentially be used to create more efficient potential drug molecules. The designed molecule was then synthesized and tested and was found to have high drug-like properties.

These examples demonstrate the potential of QGAI to accelerate the drug and material design process by generating new compounds that have desirable properties. While these projects are still in the early stages of development, they provide a glimpse into the exciting possibilities of QGAI in the field of drug and material design.

Fractal: Even though the emerging fields of quantum machine learning & newer quantum generative modelling are in their infancy, fast-moving research will push these areas to the fore. For starters, organizations can ensure that their quantum generative AI models are accurate and reliable by following some established approaches:

Data quality control: High-quality data is crucial for models to produce accurate results, especially in the healthcare sector. Organizations can ensure data quality by validating and cleaning up the data before using it to train QGAI models. They can also use statistical methods to identify and remove any outliers or irrelevant data points.

Model validation and testing: Organizations should validate their models by testing them on independent data sets. This can help identify any errors or biases in the models and provide insights into how they can be improved.

Explainability and transparency: Organizations should ensure that their models are transparent and explainable, which means that the models should be able to provide a clear explanation of their decision-making process. This can help identify any potential biases ahead and reduce them before they pop up in the predictions.

Regular updates and maintenance: Models should be regularly updated and maintained to ensure their accuracy and reliability.

In addition to these measures, organizations can also take the following steps to mitigate any potential errors or biases in their models:

Diversity and inclusivity: Organizations should ensure that their QGAI models are trained on diverse and inclusive data sets to avoid any biases that may arise from underrepresented groups.

Robustness testing: Organizations can test the robustness of their models by intentionally introducing errors or biases into the data and observing how the models respond.

Ethical considerations: Organizations should consider the ethical implications of their QGAI models and ensure that they do not cause harm or discrimination to individuals or groups.

Fractal: Using quantum generative AI brings along several challenges:

Scalability: As the size of the molecule or material being designed increases, so does the complexity of the calculations required. This can limit the scalability of QGAI for designing larger and more complex materials and drugs especially when the quantum processors are very small in the NISQ era.

Noise and decoherence: The inherent noise and decoherence in quantum computing is a major problem & can affect the accuracy of the models by a wide margin. This can lead to several errors in the predictions made.

Data quality and quantity: QGAI models require high-quality and diverse data to accurately predict properties and generate new compounds. However, acquiring such data can be challenging and costly, especially for rare or newly discovered compounds.

Interpreting results: QGAI models may generate novel compounds that exhibit desired properties, but it can be challenging to interpret why these compounds have these properties, making it difficult to optimize their performance further.

To address these challenges, researchers are exploring various approaches, such as:

Developing more efficient algorithms: Researchers are developing new algorithms and techniques to improve the efficiency of QGAI calculations and reduce the computing resources required for large-scale designs.

Quantum error correction: Researchers are developing quantum error correction techniques to mitigate the impact of noise and decoherence in quantum computing.

Integration with classical computing: Hybrid quantum-classical computing approaches are being developed to address the current limitations by utilizing the strengths of classical computing to supplement quantum computing.

Enhanced data collection and processing: Researchers are exploring ways to improve data quality and quantity by leveraging advances in data collection and processing technologies, such as machine learning and high-throughput screening techniques.

By addressing these challenges, researchers can further advance the use of QGAI for drug and material design and unlock its full potential for revolutionizing these industries.

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Reaping the Synergies Between Quantum Computing and ... - Analytics India Magazine

The clamour around quantum just got another reason to grow louder. India is getting its first quantum computing-based telecom network that will be operational in the national capital. Although still far away from public use, the link opens the doors for testing quantum-based networks in the real world. Developed by C-DoT (Centre for Development of Telematics), the link serves as a proof of concept, validating the systems ability to function in real-world environments.

While research yields accurate results when conducted under controlled lab conditions (regulating factors like temperature, humidity, and other environmental variables), the deployment of the same research in the actual world presents a distinct set of challenges. The proof-of-concept aims to identify and address these challenges to ensure that the system performs optimally in real-world settings.

According to an official from C-DoT, deploying a system in the field exposes it to air pollutants, causing it to accumulate dirt and demand regular maintenance to prevent overheating. These issues provide valuable insights for designing better systems in the future.

In quantum communication, information is encoded in the properties of individual photons. Here, when someone tries to tap into the system, the property of the photon changes in an irreversible manner. This ensures that you can detect any type of tapping or any attempt to intercept, so the system remains secure. This is in contrast to what happens in present day communication. Today, if two parties are communicating and someone taps into the system to intercept data, it goes undetected most of the time in the current digital systems.

The quantum communication link has 2-3 verticals that researchers are working on, which will ultimately lead to the quantum internet, says the official from C-DoT.

The quantum internet will look similar to the Internet of Things (IoT) we know today. Similar to the sensors we use today to communicate between devices using the internet, quantum computers and quantum sensors will also be able to simulate reality with much wider applications. The highly-sensitive sensors will be unlocked in meteorology and other areas because of their ability to detect microgravity or, for that matter, any other parameter in a very accurate way.

Of all the verticals that will lead to such a realisation, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is the most practical application right now, since others are yet to be implemented due to challenges in technology and components. QKD will create a secure channel by utilising the principles of quantum mechanics to create an unbreakable key between two points. This is to negate the risks posed by quantum computing attacks, which have the potential to be able to break through all the cryptographic methods we currently employ based on public encryption keys.

Read: This Could Bring Our Digital World Crashing Down

There are three different types of QKD. The first is based on high-fidelity optical fibre technology, which allows long-distance communication with a stable 24/7 operation, unaffected by environmental factors. The second type utilises free-space communication and can cover short to moderate distances, typically within the same city, but may encounter turbulence, like say, solar radiations during the day. The third type employs satellite communication, enabling long-distance quantum key distribution over free space, using satellites as relays.

The communication link being established is based on optical fibre technology. Placed at the Sanchar Bhavan and NIC building, two nodes create a link and generate encryption keys utilising quantum mechanical properties. These keys are then employed to encrypt all traffic between the two nodes, ensuring secure communication.

Interestingly, prize money of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for ethical hackers. The C-DoT official said, If anyone tries to tap into our system and extract the 256-bit key, it will be considered as a successful break. Through this, they are trying to identify the loopholes in the implementation of the systems be it in the code, or the associated hardware.

The official said that C-DoT is trying to identify people who have the expertise so they can give access to some channels. For this, people need to bring their own hardware or software and tap into the channel with help from C-DoT. Based on a mutually agreed timeline, which can range from one to two months, they will be asked to sit in their lab and experiment with their system to extract any keys. If successful, they will be rewarded for it.

Furthermore, speaking of what C-DoT plans to do ahead, the official said they are eyeing a mass deployment in QKD and are forcing various government agencies to adopt it. C-DoT is also working on more secure QKD protocols. Currently, they are using the security protocol called DPS (differential-phase-shift) and COW (coherent one-way). But they are working on developing device-independent protocols because of claims of potential attacks on the current protocols.

Although this is certainly a positive step, it is important to acknowledge that India is still lagging in quantum by years. China, for instance, already launched the worlds first quantum network using satellite communication back in 2016, followed by the completion of a 2,000-kilometre-long optical fibre network for QKD in 2017. Moreover, other countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia, and several European nations have also made significant progress in this area. Therefore, India needs to accelerate its efforts and invest more resources to catch up.

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Inside India's First Quantum Computing-based Telecom Network - Analytics India Magazine

Boston, March 23, 2023 Quantum computing company QuEra Computing today announced a partnership with the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center giving NERSC access to QuEra neutral-atom technology. The partnership is intended to advance the centers development of quantum computers and address problems in quantum dynamics, chemistry, high-energy physics and other fields.

NERSC, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has about 9,000 scientific users accessing the centers HPC and data resources. QuEra said the partnership will begin this spring enabling NERSCs users to evaluate the companys Aquila quantum computer.

It is a privilege to provide NERSC with access to QuEras quantum computing resources and tocontribute to its ongoing efforts to increase its users computing capability. We believe the vast pool ofscientists who turn to NERSC for computing resources stand to benefit greatly from our technology. It isour hope that through this partnership, we can help accelerate scientific breakthroughs in an array ofdisciplines, said Alexander Keesling, CEO at QuEra Computing.

NERSC is acknowledged in more than 2,000 scientific publications annually, making it a world leader inenabling scientific discovery though large-scale computation and data analysis.

Adding quantum computing and quantum simulation capabilities of this kind has the potential toimpact a significant portion of NERSCs user base, whose work is in sectors where there are directapplications for this technology, said Richard Gerber, Senior Science Advisor and Head of the HPCDepartment at NERSC. Technology is evolving quickly in the HPC space. This project will increase ourcapacity to better serve our users in the future and reflects NERSCs commitment to providing thescientific community with new and advanced computational tools as they become available.

For QuEra, this new partnership signals the opportunity to partner with NERSC in support of its missionto accelerate scientific discovery at the DOE Office of Science through high performance computing anddata analysis. This not only allows QuEra to deliver value for users in the near-term, but also provides anopportunity to gain valuable insights into how users deploy the technology and enables the company tomake adjustments that would potentially unlock even greater value for users.

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QuEra Partnering with NERSC on Quantum Evaluation - High ... - insideHPC

March 21 (Reuters) - Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O), the computing company powering the bulk of artificial intelligence, is positioning itself as a key player in quantum computing with the launch of new software and hardware.

On Tuesday at its developer conference GTC, Nvidia unveiled CUDA Quantum, a platform for building quantum algorithms using popular classical computer coding languages C++ and python. The program would help run the algorithm across quantum and classical computers depending on which system is most efficient in solving the problem.

The new platform is named after CUDA, the software most AI developers use to access Nvidia's graphics processing unit (GPU) and which has given Nvidia chips a huge competitive edge.

"CUDA Quantum will do the same for quantum computing, enabling domain scientists to seamlessly integrate quantum into their applications and gain access to a new disruptive computing technology," said Tim Costa, Nvidia's director of HPC and quantum.

One difference, Costa said, is while CUDA is proprietary, CUDA Quantum is open source and was developed with input from many quantum computing companies.

Nvidia also launched a new hardware system called DGX Quantum to connect the quantum computer with classical computers. It was designed in partnership with Israeli-based startup Quantum Machines whose hardware communicates with quantum processors.

"We see more and more demand to integrate these quantum computers with standard computers," said Itamar Sivan, co-founder and CEO of Quantum Machines.

While quantum computers could potentially speed up some calculations millions of times faster than the fastest supercomputer, it is still uncertain when that would happen. And even when they become good enough to be useful, they would have to be paired with powerful digital computers to operate, said Sivan.

"All quantum today is research, not production, and that isn't going to change next week," said Costa. With DGX Quantum, researchers will be able to develop hybrid applications and critical methods for quantum computing's future, he added.

Reporting by Jane Lanhee Lee; Editing by Richard Chang

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Thomson Reuters

Reports on global trends in computing from covering semiconductors and tools to manufacture them to quantum computing. Has 27 years of experience reporting from South Korea, China, and the U.S. and previously worked at the Asian Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires and Reuters TV. In her free time, she studies math and physics with the goal of grasping quantum physics.

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Nvidia positions for quantum computing with new products - Reuters