Tuesday, September 10th, 2024

Enjoy a nice cup of freshly brewed quantum news ☕️ 

Today’s issue includes:

• Oxford Ionics announced a new record in quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelities of 99.9993%.

• Quantinuum, in collaboration with Microsoft, announced a milestone of 12 logical qubits and fault-tolerance by 2030.

• Boeing announced the 2026 launch of its Q4S satellite to for quantum entanglement swapping in space.

• Plus, superconducting qubits operating above 200 mK, a quantum data bus, quantum-resilient cybersecurity for space, and more.

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

🏆️ Oxford Ionics Sets Quantum Record with 99.9993% SPAM Fidelity, Achieving 13x Reduction in Errors

QUICK BYTE: Oxford Ionics announced a new record in quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelities of 99.9993%, achieving a 13x reduction in SPAM errors through a protocol validated at the University of Oxford.

DETAILS: 

• Oxford Ionics, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, set a new record for quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM) fidelities, achieving an unprecedented 99.9993% accuracy, marking a 13x reduction in SPAM errors compared to other approaches.

• The team developed a protocol that detects and discards qubits in incorrect states, which was validated through experimental work conducted at the University of Oxford.

• These results, combined with Oxford Ionics’ previously set records in single- and two-qubit gate fidelities, highlight that the company now leads the industry in all three critical quantum computing metrics: SPAM, single-qubit, and two-qubit gate errors.

• Oxford Ionics’ patented "Electronic Qubit Control," which relies on electronics rather than lasers for quantum gates, provides a scalable advantage as it may be able to deliver quantum computers using the existing semiconductor manufacturing supply chain.

🔥 Quantinuum Releases 2030 Roadmap for Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing & Achieves Milestone with 12 Logical Qubits in Collaboration with Microsoft

QUICK BYTE: Quantinuum, in collaboration with Microsoft, revealed its roadmap to achieving universal fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2030 and announced a milestone of demonstrating 12 logical qubits and an end-to-end workflow integrating AI, high-performance computing, and quantum technology.

DETAILS: 

• At today’s Quantum World Congress conference, Quantinuum unveiled its roadmap to achieving universal, fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2030, with its fifth-generation quantum computer, Apollo, intended to deliver millions of gates, scientific advantage, and commercial impact.

• In collaboration with Microsoft (more on that here as well), Quantinuum achieved a milestone of 12 logical qubits on its System Model H2 quantum computer, an improvement from the four logical qubits announced in April, and demonstrated the first chemistry simulation using logical qubits combined with AI and high-performance computing.

• Quantinuum's roadmap is built around its scalable quantum charge-coupled device architecture, which supports reliable logical qubits and universal gate sets, with a focus on solving large-scale scientific problems in areas like finance, chemistry, and computational biology.

🛰️ Boeing to Launch Q4S Satellite in 2026 to Demonstrate Quantum Entanglement and Build Global Quantum Internet

QUICK BYTE: Boeing announced the 2026 launch of its Q4S satellite, designed to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping in space, as a first step in building a secure, global quantum internet.

DETAILS: 

• Boeing announced the 2026 launch of its Q4S satellite, which is designed to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping in space. The mission will explore how quantum networks can be built across vast distances and remain synchronized.

• Boeing's collaboration with HRL Laboratories has led to advancements in space-hardened technology, with the Q4S mission intending to prove that scalable quantum networks can overcome current limitations such as decoherence and data loss.

• Large-scale quantum networks could improve how information is processed and secured across various sectors, with applications in industries such as agriculture, climate science, and secure communication.

🔥 University of Chicago and Stanford Achieve Breakthrough in High-Frequency Superconducting Qubits for Scalable Quantum Computing

QUICK BYTE: In a recent study, researchers from the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory demonstrated superconducting qubits operating above 20 GHz and 200 mK, relevant for improving scalability and heat dissipation for quantum computing systems.

DETAILS: 

• Researchers from the University of Chicago, Stanford, and SLAC have developed superconducting qubits operating at higher frequencies (up to 24 GHz) and temperatures (above 200 mK), which represent significant improvements in qubit performance and thermal resilience.

• These qubits use niobium-trilayer Josephson junctions, which provides greater resistance to quasiparticle decoherence and thermal noise compared to traditional aluminum-based qubits.

• The study demonstrates that these qubits maintain coherence and dephasing times at higher temperatures, expanding the possibilities for quantum computing scalability and hybrid quantum experiments that require higher heat dissipation.

• Niobium-based qubits may be used to create more efficient quantum processors, especially in systems with large qubit counts.

In a recent study, researchers from the University of Innsbruck presented a flexible quantum data bus to improve the efficiency of quantum networks using a two-dimensional cluster state. A zipper scheme simultaneously generates multiple Bell states while preserving the entanglement structure, improving both local and large-scale quantum networks. Since it includes advanced techniques for diagonal routing, merging, and turning, it may be used to scalable and reliable quantum communication systems.

Aliro has entered into an agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory to provide its Aliro Simulator software and services, allowing AFRL to simulate and test entanglement-based quantum networks, including heterogeneous qubit platforms. This collaboration will help AFRL evaluate network components, protocols, and configurations for quantum networks, using Aliro’s experience in classical and quantum networking to support scalable and flexible quantum infrastructure development. Aliro's software-defined architecture approach will make room for AFRL to explore use cases for quantum secure communications, networking of quantum computers, and advanced secure networks.

Quantum Source, a photonic quantum computing company, has raised $50M in a Series A round led by Eclipse, with contributions from Standard Investments, Level VC, and others, bringing its total funding to over $77M. The company will use the funds to put towards its engineering and commercialization efforts for its quantum computing technology, which uses single atoms on a proprietary photonic chip to generate entangled photons.

Researchers from Google Quantum AI, MIT, and Ruhr University Bochum introduced Qualtran, an open-source library designed to express and analyze quantum algorithms, automating resource estimations and diagram generation. By using modular subroutines and architecture-independent cost models, Qualtran simplifies quantum algorithm development and may facilitate collaboration in the quantum computing community, particularly for applications in Hamiltonian simulation, chemistry, and cryptography.

Xiphera, a company specializing in hardware-based security solutions, announced a project to develop quantum-resilient Authenticated Boot and Hardware Root of Trust solutions for space-grade semiconductor architectures, combining traditional and post-quantum cryptography. This project, partially funded by the European Space Agency, is being developed in collaboration with Frontgrade Gaisler and will be integrated into their GR765 processor to provide cybersecurity for space infrastructures.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced $65 million in funding for 10 quantum computing projects, comprising 38 separate awards, to advance quantum computing software, control systems, and algorithms for scientific research. This investment is intended to improve the software stack and develop scalable quantum systems that can address complex scientific challenges, aligning with the goals of the National Quantum Initiative. The projects, supported by this five-year funding, are expected to drive breakthroughs in quantum information science and improve the resilience and performance of quantum systems.

LISTEN

On the most recent episode of the Quantum Podcast, Jay Shah sits down with Amir Rasool, Divisional Director at Orion Technology and a quantum recruiter with 27+ years of recruitment experience. They discuss quantum careers, desirable skillsets, and invaluable advice for those looking to pursue a career in quantum technology.

ENJOY

As the news is saturated with talk of logical qubits, an exploration further into the topic seems reasonable. Put simply, logical qubits address the vulnerability of physical qubits. As physical qubits are terribly prone to errors from noise and interference, combining several physical qubits into a more stable unit—the logical qubit—provides more reliable quantum error correction. Although creating logical qubits requires more physical qubits, their stability is thought among many to be the key to scaling quantum computers. If my summary leaves more to be desired or has caused more damage than it’s resolved, Matt Swayne at the Quantum Insider does a much more thorough job in recent blog post, here. 

WATCH

Beautiful, shiny, quantum computers amidst an inspirational 60 seconds dedicated to today’s news:

• On Tuesday, September 10th, Quantum Machines is hosting a webinar on Low Latency Imaging for Next-Gen Mid-Circuit Quantum Measurements—virtual