Monday, August 19th, 2024

Enjoy a nice cup of freshly brewed quantum news ☕️ 

Today’s issue includes:

• Quantinuum scientists complete the first experimental implementation of single-shot quantum error correction with 4D surface code, showing comparable or better performance than the 2D surface code.

• Penning traps can be used to create bilayer crystal configurations of hundreds of trapped ions, overcoming the previous restrictive configurations for trapped-ion quantum computers.

• A team of universities & the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory find erasure qubits improve quantum sensing and metrology performance beyond the capabilities of standard qubits.

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

📐 Quantinuum takes QEC to another dimension

QUICK BYTE: Quantinuum scientists implemented a [[33, 1, 4]] 4D surface code on a trapped-ion quantum computer, demonstrating the first single-shot quantum error correction with bare ancilla qubits and showing comparable or better performance than the 2D surface code.

DETAILS: 

• This was the first experimental implementation of single-shot quantum error correction with bare ancilla qubits using the 4D surface code. It demonstrates that single-shot codes can potentially speed up quantum computations by reducing error correction overhead.

• Previous methods required multiple rounds of syndrome extraction, scaling with code distance, and increasing time overhead. Single-shot codes, in contrast, require only one round of noisy stabilizer measurements.

• Memory experiments compared 2D and 4D surface codes using hardware tests and simulations. The 4D surface code matched or outperformed the 2D surface code in both fault-tolerant and single-shot regimes.

• Comparing fault-tolerant implementations of the codes showed that the 4D surface code outperformed the fault-tolerant 2D surface code by nearly an order of magnitude.

• Ion-trap quantum computers have had lengthier gate times as compared to superconducting quantum computers. Single-shot code effects on clock-speed may level the playing field for the two modalities.

💎 Bilayer ion crystals unlock new dimension (today’s theme) in quantum simulation

QUICK BYTE: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, NIST, and JILA demonstrate that Penning traps can be used to create bilayer crystal configurations of hundreds of trapped ions, overcoming the previous restrictive configurations for trapped-ion quantum computers.

DETAILS: 

• Where trapped-ion quantum information processing was previously constrained to 1D and 2D arrays in Paul or Penning traps, restricting scalability and quantum model simulation, this research provides a path to overcome those limitations through the use of Penning traps with anharmonic potentials to create bilayer ion crystals. Using the additional spatial dimension opens up the door for new capabilities for quantum sensing, and simulation.

• Using the aforementioned bilayer ion crystals enables important quantum properties and interactions, such as tunable Ising and spin-exchange interactions. Optical dipole forces allow dynamic control of interlayer coupling strength, which enables the simulation of complex quantum phenomena like chiral interactions and synthetic gauge fields.

• Future work will focus on experimentally realizing bilayer crystals, developing cooling techniques, exploring multilayer crystals, and investigating the quantum phenomena enabled by this geometry.

🕰️ Erasure qubits improve precision in atomic clocks

QUICK BYTE: A team of scientists from the University of Maryland, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Princeton University, and the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory find that erasure qubits provide higher Fisher information and tighter Cramér-Rao bounds for parameter estimation, improving quantum sensing and metrology performance beyond the capabilities of standard qubits. 

DETAILS: 

• There may be a simpler way to improve quantum sensing precision without relying on complex error correction schemes, which are impractical for current devices. By demonstrating that erasure errors are less detrimental than other types of noise, the study provides a new approach to improving the performance of quantum sensors and atomic clocks.

• Erasure errors and dephasing errors were compared in a differential optical lattice clock using 87Sr atoms. Results showed that erasure errors, which can be detected, offer higher precision and stability than undetectable errors like dephasing, found in standard qubits.

• In atomic clocks, atom loss (an erasure error) led to better stability than dephasing errors. Experiments confirmed improved precision with erasure errors.

• Future research could explore converting other error types into erasures in atomic clocks, extending the approach to different quantum sensing platforms, and applying the concept to spectator qubits in quantum computers. This has implications for improving quantum sensors and clocks without full-scale quantum error correction.

🏔️ Oxford Ionics has officially opened its first international office in Boulder, Colorado, a growing hub for quantum innovation with access to top-tier talent, research facilities, and a vital supply chain. The new office will be led by Professor David Allcock who has a background in Atomic & Laser Physics from the University of Oxford as well as previous research efforts alongside NIST.

🧬 Researchers from Texas A&M University demonstrate the potential of quantum annealing-based QUBO for feature selection in single-cell RNA sequencing data, as well as its potential to outperform traditional methods such as LASSO in identifying genes with nonlinear expression patterns during cell differentiation. The QUBO method captures complex gene interactions, providing a more comprehensive and biologically meaningful understanding of gene expression dynamics.

🌙 Aqarios will publicly launch its quantum computing platform, Luna, on November 4, 2024. Luna simplifies the adoption and development of quantum applications through tools that support faster innovation and reduced development costs. The platform uniquely integrates quantum, hybrid, and classical algorithms, and caters to both beginners and experts. Aqarios has partnered with Q-CTRL to enhance Luna’s performance with automated error suppression. Pre-registration for early access to Luna is now available here.

🧭 Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are working towards a compact quantum compass for GPS-free navigation through the development of a highly precise motion sensor using silicon photonic microchip components. This effectively miniaturizes atom interferometry, traditionally requiring large equipment, into a cost-effective platform with potential applications in LIDAR, quantum computing, and national security.

🐝 The Bees Optimization Algorithm may just be the thing for quantum neural networks, effectively overcoming the challenge of barren plateaus that hinder optimization. Compared to the commonly used Adam algorithm, BOA achieves faster convergence, higher accuracy, and greater computational efficiency across various QNN configurations.

🧪 A Centre for Quantum Technologies team has demonstrated the potential of hexagonal boron nitride flakes for quantum sensing by precisely controlling and manipulating spins at defects in the material. h-BN can achieve high nuclear spin polarization using a technique called ground state level anti-crossing, which suggests that h-BN could be used for sensitive quantum sensors in applications like biological sample analysis and material property measurement.

🕊️ EeroQ is sponsoring the Joel Tendler Quantum Responsibility Scholarship, a $5,000 prize to undergraduate and graduate students studying quantum technologies, encouraging them to explore the ethical implications of quantum computing. Applicants must submit a two-page essay on creating a global framework for responsible quantum computing by August 31st.

LISTEN

To this entire newsletter. For a new, super high-tech experience (though not quite on par with quantum technology), access the online version of this newsletter via the “Listen Online” link at the top to listen to this post instead. As a bonus, I specifically chose an ethereal NPC-sounding voice so you may pretend you’re actually on a quantum quest within your favorite MMORPG. You’re so welcome.

PONDER

Colorado has rapidly become the epicenter of quantum technology in the US, recently securing significant federal funding, as well as partnerships with major companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Lockheed, and local startups and research institutions. The state’s unique ecosystem of national labs, academic excellence, and government support could teach other regions a thing or two about the collaborative approach required to become a quantum tech leader.

WATCH

The Quantum Podcast with host Jay Shah is back with a new episode. Check out his interview with Sreekuttan L S, CEO and Co-founder of Bloq where they discuss the quantum software ecosystem, hiring practices of quantum startups, quantum entrepreneurship, and more.

• 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

• On Monday, August 26th, WOMANIUM is hosting Unlocking the Future: Research and Quantum Computing Innovations at Utility—virtual

• On Tuesday, August 27th, qAIntum.ai is hosting another installment in the Quantum Gen AI lecture series, the History of Quantum Computing —in-person (Menlo Park, CA).

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