Enjoy a nice cup of freshly brewed quantum news ☕️ 

Today’s issue includes:

• The sound of quantum — Moth’s quantum Actias synthesizer is headed to the Netherlands this weekend alongside quantum scientist & equally renowned musician Bob Coecke as well as Junior Eurovision winner Ralf Mackenbach. Plus, sample + test the sounds of quantum.

• A recent publication from Infleqtion and the University of Wisconsin-Madison sets a new standard for universal neutral-atom quantum computing.

• SandboxAQ’s AQNav successfully completed a real-world test and is further funded through an SBIR Phase 2B Tactical Funding Increase from the U.S. Air Force.

And even more research, news, & events within quantum.

🔑 IBM’s Quantum Safe Explorer & Remediator Are Proactively Securing Enterprise

QUICK BYTE: IBM is intensifying its efforts to protect information systems from future quantum threats by developing and implementing post-quantum cryptography across its quantum computing platform and broader hardware and software ecosystem.

DETAILS: 

• IBM has developed tools such as IBM Quantum Safe Explorer and Remediator to help enterprises secure their cryptographic systems against quantum threats.

• IBM is integrating quantum-safe protocols across its entire hardware and software stack, starting with the IBM Quantum Platform.

• IBM is actively contributing to the open-source community and has co-founded the Post-Quantum Cryptography Alliance to promote PQC standards.

• IBM's long-term plan involves making all its products quantum-safe, with ongoing efforts to engage and collaborate with the broader community to ensure the global adoption of PQC.

💻️ New Neutral-Atom Quantum Computing Standard

QUICK BYTE: A recent publication from Infleqtion and the University of Wisconsin-Madison demonstrates a universal neutral-atom quantum computer that sets a new standard for long-lived neutral-atom qubits and allows for faster computation.

DETAILS: 

• Individual optical addressing, non-destructive readout, and high gate fidelities (a controlled-Z fidelity of 99.35% and local single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.902%) set a new standard for long-lived neutral-atom qubits.

• Eliminating the need for physical qubit shuttling and relying instead on optical switching times allows for faster computation.

• The architecture supports fast, fault-tolerant operations, with the potential for scaling up to large qubit arrays.

🛩️ SandboxAQ’s Quantum Sensor-Equipped AQNav Passed Real-Life Test

QUICK BYTE: During a recent mission from Charleston Air Force Base, the United States Air Force successfully demonstrated SandboxAQ’s AQNav, an AI-based magnetic navigation system that uses quantum sensors.

DETAILS: 

• AQNav exceeded expectations by navigating without GPS in real-world scenarios and displayed adaptabilityby performing consistently across different aircraft type.

• AQNav was continuously refined for GPS-denied environments through collaboration with the Palmetto Spark Cell and support from the Air Force Research Laboratory.

• Moving forward, SandboxAQ will continue to work with the USAF and commercial partners to expand AQNav’s capabilities, with further developments supported by a recent TACFI contract. 👇️ 

💸 SandboxAQ Awarded SBIR Phase 2B Tactical Funding Increase to Further Develop Quantum Sensor-Equipped AQNav

QUICK BYTE: SandboxAQ has secured an SBIR Phase 2B Tactical Funding Increase from the U.S. Air Force to further develop its AQNav magnetic navigation system.

DETAILS: 

• With funding provided by the TACFI contract, SandboxAQ will be able to further develop AQNav, including new configurations for various aircraft platforms.

• AQNav provides unjammable, un-spoofable navigation using quantum sensors and AI-driven large quantitative models, independent of GPS. This is important for maintaining tactical superiority in environments where GPS signals may be compromised.

• The dual-use system is being tested across military and commercial platforms, including pod-based attachments for unmanned aerial systems.

• SandboxAQ will collaborate with aerospace leaders like Boeing and Acubed to test and develop AQNav for widespread deployment.

🎹 Quantum scientist Bob Coecke & Junior Eurovision winner Ralf Mackenbach are bringing quantum computing to the Netherlands’ Lowlands Festival this weekend via Moth’s Actias quantum synthesizer. If you’re nowhere near the Netherlands this weekend, you can use your imagination and the Moth web app to recreate the experience, minus most of the fun, of course.

📈 Google Quantum AI, Caltech, Stanford, and MIT designed Decoded Quantum Interferometry, a quantum algorithm designed to tackle combinatorial optimization problems by exploiting the structure in the Fourier spectrum of the objective function. The algorithm is relevant for problems such as the sparse max-XORSAT and Optimal Polynomial Intersection. The authors demonstrate that DQI can achieve better approximation ratios than known classical algorithms for certain problem instances.

📰 DARPA is hosting a Quantum Benchmarking Initiative proposers day on September 3, 2024, to engage with quantum computing companies focused on developing industrial-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. The event will introduce the QBI program's vision as well as offer individual sidebar discussions to encourage companies to apply for QBI funding. Selected performers will work on developing utility-scale quantum computer concepts and validating quantum applications.

⚠️ A recent Moody's report emphasizes the need for the fintech industry to transition to PQC to address the potential impact of quantum computing on current encryption methods. The report outlines the challenges and costs of this transition, comparing it to the shift from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. While the US National Institute of Standards and Technology has introduced new encryption standards designed to withstand quantum attacks, implementing these standards across all devices may take 10 to 15 years and could result in reduced performance.

LISTEN

PONDER

Back in 1896, Svante Arrhenius figured out that carbon dioxide traps heat, but the quantum reasons behind this phenomenon have remained elusive—until now. Recent studies have uncovered that CO2’s ability to trap heat, which drives global warming, hinges on a peculiar quantum quirk called Fermi resonance. This discovery links the way CO2 molecules vibrate to the broader impact on Earth’s climate, providing a fundamental explanation rooted in quantum mechanics. How lovely.

WATCH

Scott Aaronson on consciousness, quantum physics, and AI for your weekend watching pleasure — beats any Netflix binge, I’m sure of it.

• On Monday, August 19th, TQN is hosting TQN Quantum Safe Transition Working Group, a review of the newly released NIST standards —virtual

• On Tuesday, August 20th, Infleqtion is hosting A Different Kind of Quantum Circuit: Exploring Atomtronics with Oqtant, an explanation and demonstration on creating atomtronic circuits —virtual

• On Thursday, August 22nd, D-Wave is hosting Deeper Dive into the new Fast Anneal Feature, a webinar on how Fast Anneal is assisting in scientific discovery —virtual

• On Saturday, August 24th, Washington DC Quantum Computing Meetup is hosting PiQture - A Quantum Machine Learning Library for Image Processing, a discussion of the open-source Python and Qiskit-based library for QML models —virtual

Support Science

Waking up before the world to dive into the quantum realm isn't just our job—it's our calling. And we're dreaming big with exclusive content for our community. If our work lights up your day, consider showing some love. Your support unlocks worlds—seen and unseen.

Interested in collaboration or promoting your company, product, job, or event to the quantum computing community? Reach out to us at [email protected]