Doug Finke

IBM has issued a new release of Qiskit, version 2.2. The most significant feature of this new release is a continued increase in support for C that introduces a standalone transpiler function. IBM first introduced a C-language API with Qiskit 2.0 in April of this year that only provided interactions with a small number of Qiskit functions. But release 2.1 and this new release now greatly expands the C API and makes it possible for users to construct end-to-end quantum workflows that you can execute natively in C as well as other languages integrated via the C API. This C compatibility [...]

D-Wave Quantum Inc. has announced its foundational role in the newly established Q-Alliance in Lombardy, Italy. The alliance, defined in its founding Memorandum of Understanding as "The Birth of the World’s Most Powerful Quantum Hub," is a significant development for both D-Wave’s European footprint and Italy’s national digital strategy. Crucially, the "About" section of the release reveals that Q-Alliance is a joint initiative co-founded by D-Wave Inc. and IonQ Inc., along with independent scientists and Italian institutional authorities. This dual-vendor approach immediately positions the hub to leverage two distinct, commercial-stage quantum computing modalities: D-Wave’s annealing technology and IonQ's trapped-ion gate-model systems. [...]

Turning Quantum Potential into Strategic Plans Overview Government, business and innovation have always been intertwined and quantum tech is no exception. In this episode of The Quantum Spin by HKA, Petra Soderling, CEO of Petra Soderling and Company, explains how government investments in deep tech pay off for private companies that commercialize the inventions. Petra also shares the details of her unique career, from working at Nokia to launching her own startups to drafting quantum strategies for the EU. This episode covers the intricacies of quantum policy, the importance of standards in technology, and the role of government in fostering innovation. [...]

Qunnect announced that it has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance components of its quantum networking technology for national defense applications. The amount of the contract was not disclosed but the length of the contract extends for 18 months. Qunnect provides components for use in entanglement-based quantum networks and has demonstrated their use in quantum networks located in New York, Berlin and Montana. Their hardware can be used with standard telecom grade fiberoptic cable and operates at room temperature. The company asserts that their hardware provide best-in-class fidelity and uptime. A press release announcing [...]

Image of an EeroQ quantum device for single electron trapping and control. Credit: Eeroq EeroQ has reported a significant experimental breakthrough for its electron-on-helium quantum computing platform, publishing results this week in Physical Review X that could ease one of the biggest engineering challenges in building scalable quantum systems: extreme cooling requirements. In the paper, Sensing and Control of Single Trapped Electrons Above 1 Kelvin, EeroQ researchers describe the first demonstration of trapping, detecting, and controlling individual electrons on superfluid helium at temperatures exceeding 1 K. This marks an increase of more than two orders of magnitude over previous experiments, which [...]

by Doug Finke We are starting to hear more and more press releases that claim "Quantum Advantage". It is great to hear that researchers are making progress in successfully completing more and more complex calculations with a quantum computer. And even better to hear that some of these applications might be applicable to real world problems. But it is important to distinguish between Proof-of-Concept (POC) experiments that result in a Nature paper that never go any further versus something that will be used to provide real economic value. So here is the question we always ask when we hear a new [...]

Atlantic Quantum has announced it will be joining up with Google Quantum AI to accelerate the team's progress in creating fault tolerant quantum computers. It is not yet known right now what is exactly meant by "Joining Up" as it could indicate an acquisition, a development partnership, employee hire and asset purchase, or some other arrangement between the two companies, but we expect this to be clarified in the future. Atlantic Quantum, which was spun out from an MIT lab in 2022, has offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Gothenburg, Sweden. The company brings in some interesting technologies which could be quite [...]

By Rob Ford, 5WPR Managing Partner & EVP Quantum computing has captured the imagination of technologists, investors, and the public alike. Its potential to transform industries from finance and logistics to pharmaceuticals and cybersecurity is immense. Yet the technology is still emerging, and the gap between its current capabilities and its potential often leads to inflated expectations. For PR and marketing professionals working in this space, the challenge is clear. How do you communicate the promise of quantum computing without overselling while still generating excitement and credibility? Understanding the Quantum Hype Curve The concept of the hype curve, popularized by Gartner, illustrates [...]