dougfinke

Operations of a Fluxonium Qubit. Credit: Suppressing Counter-Rotating Errors for Fast Single-Qubit Gates with Fluxonium Published on PRX Quantum MIT researchers achieved a record single-qubit fidelity for superconducting based quantum processors of 99.998% using a superconducting qubit called fluxonium. Although ion trapped based qubits have been able to reach this level, this is the highest we have seen for a qubit based upon superconducting technology. The researchers developed two new control techniques to combat errors, particularly counter-rotating errors, which arise when qubits are controlled with electromagnetic waves. The researchers created "commensurate pulses," applying them at precisely timed intervals to make errors [...]

IonQ's Peter Chapman, Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Gov. Wes Moore and UMD President Darryll J. Pines Touring IonQ's Headquarters A "Capital of Quantum" initiative is being formed as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the University of Maryland, IonQ, and others to attract and grow a quantum industry within the state as part of the governor's 2025 economic growth agenda. He is putting in his FY26 budget proposal to provide $27.5 million in state funding, but is hoping that ultimately, the initiative will be able to obtain additional private and public funding of $1 billion over the next five [...]

Microsoft's Quantum Ready program is intended to help businesses navigate the quantum landscape. Participation in the program will allow businesses to assess the business impact of quantum technology, define a quantum ready strategy, and execute on a quantum ready application roadmap. The program will help businesses identify when and where quantum will provide tangible business value and guide both how and to what degree an enterprise should invest to become quantum-ready today. Participants in the Quantum Ready program will have access to: Skilling. A new skilling program that includes strategies, frameworks, and resources to prepare organizations for a quantum future. Research. Visionary industry [...]

One of the philosophies that we practice at the Quantum Computing Report by GQI is to serve as a low pass filter to calm down high frequency reactions oscillating between irrational exuberance and extreme pessimism regarding the future of quantum technology. There has been a lot of that recently with Google's announcement of their progress with the Willow chip versus the recent statement by Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO, regarding his view on the future trajectory of quantum computing. Our assessment is that in both cases the stock market has been overreacting. So to start off, we think it is useful to [...]

D-Wave Quantum Inc. announced that its fiscal year 2024 bookings will exceed $23 million, a 120% increase over 2023. Key contributors include the first-ever customer purchase of a D-Wave Advantage™ annealing quantum computing system in Q4, signaling an expansion in the company's revenue model to include on-premise system sales. This system, featuring over 5,000 qubits, offers customers enhanced control and integration capabilities. The sale of the Advantage processor highlights an interesting change in D-Wave's strategy. In earlier years the company had sold or leased on-premise machines to groups including USC/Lockheed-Martin, NASA Ames/Google, Los Alamos National Labs, and Temporal Defense Systems. But [...]

Qolab, the first quantum computing startup incubated at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) as a corporate partner, highlighting its focus on collaboration. The company, cofounded by quantum computing leaders Alan Ho, John Martinis, and Robert McDermott, aims to build a utility-scale quantum computer by improving superconducting qubits, which hold immense computational power. Qolab works to enhance qubit coherence, ensuring they maintain their quantum states longer without errors. It collaborates with CQE partner Applied Materials on advanced qubit fabrication methods. The partnership with CQE has supported key hires and fostered collaborations, such as with the Illinois [...]

by Professor Dr. Andrew Lütken Two years ago, the Technology Innovation Institute’s (TII) Quantum Computing Laboratory in Masdar City marked a significant achievement by fabricating the first superconducting qubit in the MENA region. This milestone established a foundation for local expertise in this cutting-edge field. The team at TII has developed the quantum computer's essential unit – the qubit – using a state-of-the-art facility built from the ground up in the UAE. This qubit leverages superconducting devices, precisely engineered to exhibit unique quantum properties. By sending electromagnetic pulses to a high-quality cavity, the quantum nature of the qubit is harnessed for [...]

Building Quantum Software and Community Overview In this episode of The Quantum Spin by HKA, host Veronica Combs talks with Matt Johnson, CEO and co-founder of QC Ware, a software company that builds tools for drug discovery and materials design. Matt also convenes the quantum community three times a year at Q2B conferences in Silicon Valley, Paris and Tokyo. They discuss the groundbreaking developments announced at the December 2024 Q2B Silicon Valley conference, including Google's new high-reliability qubit technology. The conversation also covers QC Ware's molecular design software, Promethium, designed to expedite drug discovery through high-performance simulations. They also discuss early [...]

Concept Diagram of Zuchongzhi 3.0. Credit: USTC In a recent paper posted on arXiv, Chinese scientists have described their latest superconducting quantum processor named Zuchongzhi 3.0, a successor to the earlier Zuchongzhi 2. The device appears to be quite similar to Google's Willow chip and has the same amount of 105 qubits.. However, Willow appears to have a slight edge in a few key qubit quality metrics as summarized in the table below. (Additional qubit quality information is available for GQI clients on the GQI portal.) Ave. ConnectivityAve. T1Ave. T2CPMGAve. 1Q FidelityAve. 2Q FidelityAve. Readout FidelityAve. 1Q Gate DelayAve. 2Q Gate [...]

By Jonah Sachs Year after year, quantum technology continues to boom. In the process, more industries are venturing into the quantum sector, one of which is the automotive industry. Companies such as BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen have partnered with quantum hardware and software companies to determine the possible applications for quantum technologies to the automotive field. In the last few years, they have produced marginally better results than the classical computational alternatives. In the long term, they envision an industry highly impacted by quantum technologies. NISQ vs FTQC: Different Eras of Computation No matter their modality, current qubit models are very [...]