Welcome to the Quantum Realm. 

Sundays are for sipping coffee, light reads, laid-back listens, and community endeavors.

Clearly the community has been busy this week. Never have I felt more inspired by the many unique perspectives and efforts of the creators around us. Hope you all are taking a break — you deserve it.

🗓️ THIS WEEK

Monday, July 1 | TQN Quantum Safe Transition Working Group

Sunday, July 7 | QTM-X Quantum Education Series 6 of 10

📰 WEEKEND BYTES

Fun news & community contributions.

📜 The hero we needed: Amara Graps, dedicated the past 6 months to reading 500 quantum computing papers, saving us quite a bit of time and uncovering trends and real-world applications in the field. Using a meticulous system of tracking, filtering, and analyzing, she identified 100 practical use cases, highlighting the role of quantum computing in diverse areas such as quantum chemistry, optimization, and cryptography. Her process underscores the importance of comprehensive research to guide investments and technological advancements in quantum computing. I HIGHLY recommend giving her article a thorough read if you have interests in and around quantum (which surely you do because you’re here).

🚧 Building quantum tunnel to sustainability: One area of positive impact we envision with the development of quanch technology is the potential to replace current practices in various industries with more sustainable ones. On that note, quantum tunneling is actively being explored as a potential application within the mineral extraction industry. This approach could allow for precise and efficient access to minerals without the environmentally disruptive methods we use current-state. Though still theoretical, this approach holds promise for environmental conservation in mining. From Samer Toukan, Mining Manager at Caterpillar.

➗ Empowering STEM professionals to become quantum: I love this initative — big thanks to Tarlan Mammadov to bringing it to my feed this week. Quantum Formalism is a non-profit from Zaiku Group and offers accessible online courses in advanced mathematics to help STEM professionals enter quantum computing and deep-tech fields. With mostly free courses, including the annual ‘Abstract Mathematics 101 Bootcamp,’ and new paid specialization courses, QF is on a mission to empower future tech innovators. Soon to be celebrating its fifth anniversary, QF looks back on the impact of its free courses and financially-supported community projects. Future plans include launching paid courses, continuing free bootcamps, and developing local learning hubs. From the Quantum Formalism Substack.

🐲 The Quantum Dragon is playing games: Look, I love promises that deliver. The Quantum Dragon promised fun, and it absolutely delivers. This past week’s edition features educational quantum computing games, the excitement of neutral atom quantum computing, and a pink-colored cryogenic system, amongst others. I can’t distill it into words — you have to add it to your weekly perusals. From Brian Siegelwax’s Substack. 

🧬 Quantum’s business is your business if you’re in quantum business: At Qubits 2024, POLARISqb's CTO Bill Shipman and Principal Engineer B. Maurice Benson showcased the use of D-Wave's quantum annealing computer to revolutionize drug discovery. Inspired, Quantum’s Business explores how quantum technologies are making significant strides in areas such as biological simulations, quantum sensing, and secure medical data communication, despite facing challenges in scalability and interdisciplinary collaboration. From Brian Lenahan’s Substack.

📸 A picture is worth a million qubits: Born out of a thesis from Saasha Joshi, piQture is a Python and Qiskit-based toolkit designed to simplify the development of quantum machine learning models for image processing. The thesis and toolkit are available online, and contributions from quantum enthusiasts, ML practitioners, and Python developers are welcome. Check out the repo here.

📚️ Community book resources I’m excited about: Two more chapters for Building Quantum Software” are now available online, covering integral concepts such as Grover’s algorithm and the quantum Fourier transform. Three chapters of “Quantum Programming in Depth” are online as well — preparing quantum states and implementing quantum operations.

💼 Plus, check out this quantum-only job board if you’re in the market or need to post a job.

🚀 TDQ Exchange

Laurentiu Nita

In the ever-evolving world of quantum computing, Laurentiu Nita stands out for his significant contributions and the passionate dedication reminiscent of “on the shoulders of giants” scientists. As the CEO of Quarks Interactive and the creator of Quantum Odyssey, an award-winning no-code, no-math quantum information science platform, Laur's mission is the definition of honorable — to make quantum literacy accessible to all.

As it is with all scientific pursuits that ultimately changed the course of our history, quantum computing began shrouded in mystery and general skepticism. It was in this forge that Laur made the decision (and we are so grateful for it) to switch direction during his educational career from AI to quantum computing. When he turned in his thesis to his advisor, he was met with shock. While the initial response felt like a loss, later his work would be published in Springer.

Despite the skepticism that abounded then as it does now, Laur's passion for quantum computing is more than skin-deep. "What kept me going with quantum computing? Well, first and foremost, its beauty, its elegance. The equations, the answers...It almost sounds magical and this means there are many interesting things that can be taught, that can be discovered further," he shared. This profound appreciation for the science and mathematics behind quantum computing fuels his relentless pursuit of making the field accessible and engaging for everyone.

Laur's professional career at IBM further drove his curiosity when he encountered problems that traditional computing couldn't solve. This led to the creation of QViz, a precursor to Quantum Odyssey that drew on the power of visualization in learning. It was this belief in visual learning that drove him to create a tool where others could more easily visualize qubits and gates. This approach has since proved successful, with demonstrations of students with no background in linear algebra understanding and manipulating quantum states through Quantum Odyssey, demonstrating that complex quantum concepts can be taught without the complications of math and code.

As I reflect on Laur's journey and his unwavering commitment, I find his candid and transparent reflections on the magic of quantum deeply resonant. What also stands out in equal measures is his genuine mission to help those around him.

“I always had an affinity for mathematics. When I was a kid, I could do like second degree equations in my head and just put the answers…And linear algebra was like fun for me. It was a form of meditation, so to say.” Despite his innate talent for mathematics, he recognized that this was a barrier to many and felt strongly compelled to create something that meets anyone where they were.

Looking ahead, Laur envisions expanding Quantum Odyssey to include a website with a coding interface alongside the visuals, and continuing to gather data on how people learn and use quantum algorithms. The quantum computing space will need Laur and many more like him to bring forth tools and resources that contribute to equity and the availability of knowledge for all.

Is there someone within the community you’d like to see highlighted?

🔊 VOLUME ON

UNTIL TOMORROW.