Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

Enjoy a nice cup of freshly brewed quantum news ☕️ 

Today’s issue includes:

• SBQuantum secures contracts with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency to evaluate and test its advanced quantum sensor technology.

• NTT DOCOMO reduced signal congestion at base stations by 15% using a hybrid quantum computing solution in partnership with D-Wave.

• Diraq achieves over 99% fidelity in two-qubit gates within its SiMOS quantum dot chip. 

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

🌍 SBQuantum's Quantum Magnetometers Gain Momentum in Space Exploration with ESA and CSA Contracts

QUICK BYTE: SBQuantum has secured contracts with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency to evaluate and test its advanced quantum sensor technology in space as an opportunity to confirm the reliability, accuracy, and potential applications of SBQuantum’s technology in space exploration and Earth monitoring.

DETAILS: 

• SBQuantum, a quantum sensing company based in Sherbrooke, Canada, secured contracts with the ESA and CSA to test quantum diamond magnetometers in space and high-altitude conditions.

• The technology offers precise, reliable data at a fraction of the cost of traditional sensors and can be used for various applications such as monitoring magnetic storms, guiding planetary rovers, and mapping the Earth’s magnetic field.

• ESA will evaluate the magnetometers' space viability, while CSA will test them at an altitude of 40km in extreme conditions, focusing on their resilience to temperature, pressure, and radiation.

• These advancements could provide cost-effective, accurate solutions for monitoring and mapping magnetic fields, with potential applications on Earth as well as other planets.

• Traditional sensors rely on heavy infrastructure like GPS, which is susceptible to jamming; SBQuantum's magnetometers offer a lightweight, jam-resistant alternative.

📶 NTT DOCOMO Improves Mobile Network Performance Using D-Wave's Quantum Optimization

QUICK BYTE: NTT DOCOMO has partnered with D-Wave to incorporate a hybrid quantum computing solution for network performance optimization, resulting in a 15% reduction in signal congestion at base stations. 

DETAILS: 

• NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s largest mobile operator, and D-Wave Quantum Inc. completed a successful pilot using D-Wave's hybrid quantum computing to optimize network performance, reducing congestion by 15% at base stations.

• The technology enables more efficient signal transmission during peak times, leading to expanded bandwidth, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced infrastructure costs.

• Quantum optimization was applied to base station tracking areas, significantly reducing processing time from 27 hours (classical methods) to 40 seconds (quantum), and reducing paging signals, allowing for more device connections during high call volumes.

• DOCOMO plans to implement this quantum solution across its branch offices in Japan, with potential expansion into other business units such as finance, retail, and logistics.

🚀 Diraq’s 99% Fidelity in Silicon-Based Two-Qubit Gates

QUICK BYTE: Diraq has successfully demonstrated over 99% fidelity in two-qubit gates within its silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (SiMOS) quantum dot platform as an effort towards scalable and error-corrected quantum processors. 

DETAILS: 

• Diraq, a quantum computing company focused on silicon-based quantum technologies, achieved above 99% fidelity in two-qubit gates within the SiMOS (silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor) quantum dot platform.

• Through rigorous testing and analysis, Diraq identified strategies for improving qubit operation reliability, including careful gate recalibration, pulse engineering, and addressing noise sources.

• This is the first time a silicon-CMOS platform has achieved the 99% fidelity milestone, setting a new standard in the field and demonstrating clear advantages over other quantum computing approaches.

• This supports the scalability and cost-efficiency of silicon-based qubits as it can leverage existing semiconductor manufacturing techniques, essential for a future with practical quantum computing.

🧪 SandboxAQ announced a partnership with Nvidia the previous fall. A recent interview on the collaboration celebrated a major milestone in computational chemistry through the combination of SandboxAQ’s LQMs with Nvidia’s CUDA-accelerated DMRG quantum simulation algorithm that resulted in an 80x speedup in high-accuracy chemistry calculations. By integrating SandboxAQ’s LQMs with Nvidia’s H100 GPUs and quantum platform, the partnership has doubled the size of computable catalysts and enzyme active sites, allowing for more precise chemical simulations and faster data generation.

🍃 InfinityQ Technology Inc. has partnered with Siemens Energy Ventures to apply quantum-inspired algorithms to optimize and accelerate the green energy transition as part of a collaboration to demonstrate the potential of advanced optimization solutions in addressing complex challenges in the energy sector.

🧬 Researchers from the Ulm University have developed a quantum algorithm that improves the efficiency of finding attractors in gene regulatory networks by using quantum superposition and interference techniques. The algorithm exactly identifies all attractors with over 99% fidelity, even in the presence of noise, with potential for use in systems biology and other fields such as bioinformatics and medicine.

⚙️ Researchers from Fraunhofer Institute, Forschungszentrum Jülich, and RWTH Aachen University put together a framework that can be used to evaluate the potential of quantum computing in manufacturing simulations, specifically focusing on the milling dynamics of thin-walled aerospace components. Initial tests using a hybrid quantum-classical routine on IBM's quantum computers indicate potential for quantum-enhanced simulations, though current quantum hardware limitations exist.

🖥️ From the Columbia Quantum Initiative, Jesse Balgley, a Columbia postdoc and Brooklyn native, is working on the SuperVan project to shrink superconducting qubits using 2D crystalline materials like molybdenum ditelluride to create more compact and efficient quantum processors. Balgley emphasizes the importance of reassessing projects to avoid burnout and encourages aspiring scientists to stay flexible and explore new directions when needed.

🎮️ In a recent interview, Laurentiu Niță, founder of Quarks Interactive, discusses how Quantum Odyssey makes quantum computing concepts accessible to learners of all backgrounds. With recent funding and partnerships, the company is expanding the game to handheld devices and Steam. While Quarks Interactive faced challenges in securing funding, particularly in the Eastern European venture capital landscape, the company has rigorously tested the software in educational settings, showing that even beginners can grasp quantum fundamentals and is positioned to become a key tool in global quantum education.

LISTEN

On the most recent edition of The Superposition Guy’s Podcast, Yuval Boger, CMO of QuEra, interviews Chris, a quantum computing expert at an HPC center. But Chris is no ordinary man. In fact, he’s not a man at all. After interviewing over 100 humans, it's time to try interviewing a machine. They discuss the integration of quantum computing into HPC environments, the unique needs of quantum users, and the future of quantum technology in solving business problems. Chris highlights the importance of hybrid classical-quantum models, user education, and the evolving quantum ecosystem. The conversation also covers the challenges of scaling quantum resources and the potential impact of quantum computing on fields like optimization, cryptography, and machine learning, and much more.

PONDER

As Moore’s Law reaches its limits, the future of high-performance computing seems to rest in the hands (err, qubits) of quantum computing. Just as past powerhouses like the integration of CPUs and GPUs revolutionized computing, the fusion of quantum and HPC systems could solve complex, once classically intractable problems, transforming fields such as drug discovery and materials science. After all, systems rarely exist in isolation—it’s always a harmony of many parts operating as a sum. 

WATCH

techUK interviews Richard Murray, Co-Founder and CEO at ORCA Computing:

• 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).

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