dougfinke

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Q-Day: Accelerated Timeline Across Wider Attack Surface – Executive Summary

2026-04-27T10:19:10-07:00

The following is an executive summary of a 44 page report written by GQI's Chief Analyst, Dr. David Shaw. To obtain the full report, contact GQI at info@global-qi.com. For years, both the cybersecurity and quantum communities have focused on RSA-2048 as the lead benchmark by which to assess the timeline for the threat posed by future large scale quantum computers to conventional public key cryptography. A notion often summarized as ‘Q-day’. Though this originally seemed justified, it now looks to be materially misguided.  Recent work from Google, Oratomic and Alice & Bob demonstrates how algorithmic and architectural advances have rendered ECC-256, [...]

Q-Day: Accelerated Timeline Across Wider Attack Surface – Executive Summary2026-04-27T10:19:10-07:00

Why the Real Quantum Race is Shifting from Hardware to Software

2026-04-23T17:43:57-07:00

Guest post by Sean Harpur, CEO of Moth When people talk about the race to build quantum computers, the conversation usually focuses on hardware. How many qubits a machine has. How stable those qubits are. How close researchers are to overcoming the engineering challenges that have held the field back for decades. Those questions matter. But they are only part of the story. Recent investment by IBM into quantum software startups points to something important. The industry is beginning to move beyond the hardware race and toward something else: real-world applications. In short, quantum computing may be entering its software moment. [...]

Why the Real Quantum Race is Shifting from Hardware to Software2026-04-23T17:43:57-07:00

QMatter Secures $1.2M Pre-Seed to Create Software that Compresses Complex Quantum Problems to their Essential Core

2026-04-24T20:09:25-07:00

Qmatter co-founders Dr. Tim Weaving (left) and Dr. Alexis Ralli (right). Quantum software startup QMatter has announced a $1.2 million pre-seed funding round to advance its proprietary quantum compression platform. The round was led by 55 North with participation from XTX Ventures, Bellstate Oy, and the Conception X Angel Syndicate. QMatter’s approach involves quantum compression—a method that applies quantum mechanical principles to "shrink" a problem's size before it reaches the processor. This allows complex, high-dimensional simulations to fit within the constraints of today’s limited hardware while simultaneously accelerating classical algorithms on supercomputers. The company is targetting their roadmap to focus on [...]

QMatter Secures $1.2M Pre-Seed to Create Software that Compresses Complex Quantum Problems to their Essential Core2026-04-24T20:09:25-07:00

Tantalising Lasers – Importance of Tantalum in the Supply Chain

2026-04-21T15:51:15-07:00

Summary of the NIST Work By Dr. Joe Spencer The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently demonstrated a significant advance in integrated photonics, effectively compressing what has traditionally been a laboratory-scale laser system into a chip-scale platform. By leveraging monolithic 3D integration, the team stacked tantalum pentoxide (tantala, Ta₂O₅) onto patterned onto thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) substrates, enabling compact, tunable nonlinear optical devices capable of generating a broad range of wavelengths on-chip.  The full press release from NIST is available: Any Color You Like: NIST Scientists Create ‘Any Wavelength’ Lasers in Tiny Circuits for Light | NIST  And the [...]

Tantalising Lasers – Importance of Tantalum in the Supply Chain2026-04-21T15:51:15-07:00

Podcast with Dorit Dor, co-founder of QBeat Ventures

2026-04-20T15:52:20-07:00

Yuval Boger interviews Dorit Dor, co-founder of QBeat Ventures and former senior executive at Check Point. They discuss lessons quantum startups can draw from the evolution of cybersecurity, including the importance of go-to-market strategy, focus, and adherence to standards. Dorit outlines her fund’s cross-stack investment strategy, compares different quantum modalities, comments on public market dynamics, and highlights the growing Israeli quantum ecosystem and its potential for future impact. Transcript Yuval: Hello Dorit, and thank you for joining me today. Dorit: Hi, and thank you for inviting me. Yuval: So who are you and what do you do? Dorit: My name is Dorit Dor. I spent [...]

Podcast with Dorit Dor, co-founder of QBeat Ventures2026-04-20T15:52:20-07:00

Google Quantum AI is Now Accepting Proposals for Early Access to their Willow Quantum Processor

2026-04-25T19:51:52-07:00

Although Google Quantum AI first disclosed their Willow chip in December 2024, access to it outside of Google has been very limited. But now, Google has announced it will provide a select group of applicants access to use this quantum processor for high impact research projects. Selection will be based upon those proposals that show a potential to yield high quality results that could potentially provide a significant scientific result or demonstrate a novel breakthrough result. The proposal should show how the project is specifically designed for leveraging a Willow processor and the proposal should also include details on the circuits [...]

Google Quantum AI is Now Accepting Proposals for Early Access to their Willow Quantum Processor2026-04-25T19:51:52-07:00

Podcast with Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion

2026-04-13T14:16:48-07:00

Yuval Boger interviews Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion. They discuss Infleqtion’s neutral-atom strategy, including its combination of quantum computing, sensing, and timing products, and why Matt believes that diversified approach strengthens both the business and the technology stack. Matt also shares his timeline for commercially useful quantum computing, his reaction to Google entering neutral atoms, and his perspective on capital, talent, and scaling the company as a newly public business. Transcript Yuval: Hello, Matt. And thank you for joining me today. Matt: Hey, Yuval, thanks so much for having me. It’s going to be fun. Yuval: So who are you and what do you [...]

Podcast with Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion2026-04-13T14:16:48-07:00

Podcast with Mathematician Gil Kalai from Reichman University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2026-04-06T10:06:00-07:00

Yuval Boger interviews mathematician Gil Kalai about his long-standing skepticism regarding scalable quantum computing. Kalai explains two main arguments behind his theory: correlated noise that may defeat quantum error correction and complexity-based limits on NISQ devices achieving quantum supremacy. They discuss experimental claims such as Google’s 2019 result, potential tests of Kalai’s conjectures, and the implications for the future of quantum research. The conversation also explores how Kalai hopes the community will evaluate bold claims and what scientific insights could emerge if quantum computing ultimately fails. Transcript Yuval Boger: Hello, Gil. Thank you for joining me today. Gil Kalai: Hi, hi, Yuval. Nice [...]

Podcast with Mathematician Gil Kalai from Reichman University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem2026-04-06T10:06:00-07:00

Using Digital Twin Methods to Accurately Simulate Quantum Error Correction

2026-04-03T18:10:45-07:00

Diagram of a distance‑7 rotated surface code with 97 physical qubits (49 data qubits + 48 measurement qubits) modelled by the team. Grey nodes are data qubits; labeled circles are ancillas measuring X- or Z-type checks on neighboring data qubits. Edge colors encode the residual ZZ crosstalk strength (darker edges indicate stronger crosstalk).Credit: Quantum Elements and AWS A collaboration between Quantum Elements Inc., USC, Harvard, and AWS addresses a critical bottleneck: traditional classical simulations of Quantum Error Correction (QEC) are either too slow to be realistic or too simplified to capture the complex "noise" (errors) found in actual quantum hardware. By [...]

Using Digital Twin Methods to Accurately Simulate Quantum Error Correction2026-04-03T18:10:45-07:00

The Decryption Threshold — Re-estimating the Quantum Threat to Blockchain Infrastructure

2026-04-03T15:18:47-07:00

Comparison of logical quantum resources (number of logical qubits and Toffoli gates) required to break 256-bit ECDLP for the secp256k1 curve, as reported by various prior works. Credit: Google Quantum AI whitepaper. By Mohamed Abdel-Kareem Recent technical disclosures from Google Quantum AI and the newly emerged Oratomic have provided updated resource estimates for executing Shor’s algorithm against the secp256k1 elliptic curve. secp256k1 is a specialized cryptographic algorithm best known for powering Bitcoin’s public-key cryptography and digital signatures. These findings indicate a reduction in the physical and logical requirements for a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) to compromise the digital signature schemes [...]

The Decryption Threshold — Re-estimating the Quantum Threat to Blockchain Infrastructure2026-04-03T15:18:47-07:00
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