Doug Finke

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a significant new Request for Application (RFA), DE-FOA-0003612, titled the Genesis Mission. This interdisciplinary initiative aims to leverage novel artificial intelligence (AI) models and frameworks to accelerate scientific discovery and R&D workflows across the Department's mission space. With a total anticipated funding pool of $293.76 million allocated among thirty different Challenge Areas. Of particular interest to the quantum community are Challenge Areas 7 and 8, which focus on the convergence of AI and quantum information science (QIS) to overcome current computational and hardware limitations. The program is structured in two phases to transition [...]

Yuval Boger interviews Christian Weedbrook, Founder and CEO of Xanadu. They discuss Xanadu’s photonic approach to gate-based quantum computing, the advantages of room-temperature operation, and the company’s plan to scale through optical networking. Christian also describes PennyLane, photonic error correction, customer engagements, and Xanadu’s target of building a 500-logical-qubit system by 2029–2030. The conversation also touches on partnerships, manufacturing, likely early applications in chemistry and materials, and much more. Transcript Yuval Boger: Christian, thank you for joining me today. Christian Weedbrook: Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Yuval: So who are you and what do you do? Christian: My name is Christian Weedbrook [...]

Q-Day Part II: Infrastructure Exposure in a Post-Shor Scenario If Shor's algorithm can be executed at scale, RSA and ECC-based systems are vulnerable. But migrating cryptographic systems cannot happen overnight. In this article GQI qualifies the risk to real-world systems in the event of a Shor algorithm demonstration on RSA-2048. Part I of this series examined how the "Pinnacle Architecture" analysis (arXiv:2602.11457) compresses the physical qubit requirement for factoring RSA keys to approximately 100,000 qubits, an order of magnitude reduction from Craig Gidney’s 2025 benchmarks. While significant engineering trade-offs remain, the direction of travel suggests the hardware threshold for a cryptographically [...]

Does institutional risk modeling account for non-linear improvements in error-correction efficiency, or has the timeline for a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) narrowed beyond existing forecasts? The technical baseline for evaluating RSA-2048 was updated in February 2026 with the "Pinnacle Architecture" analysis (arXiv:2602.11457). This research identifies a specific pathway to reduce the physical qubit overhead for Shor’s algorithm by an order of magnitude. While Craig Gidney’s 2025 work brought physical qubit requirements below one million, the integration of Quantum Low-Density Parity-Check (QLDPC) codes suggests a footprint of approximately 100,000 physical qubits. The demonstration indicates that the trajectory to demonstrating Shor's algorithm [...]

Pasqal, a prominent leader in neutral atom quantum computing, has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II (Nasdaq: BBCQ). The transaction values the French quantum hardware company at $2.0 billion pre-money and is expected to result in Pasqal listing on the Nasdaq in the second half of 2026. Transaction Overview and Financial Highlights The deal is structured to provide Pasqal with substantial capital to scale its operations and accelerate its technical roadmap. Key financial details include: Valuation: A pre-money rollover equity value of $2.0 billion, with a pro forma market capitalization estimated at $2.6 billion. Gross [...]

Yuval Boger interviews Scott Aaronson, a UT Austin computer science professor known for his work on quantum computing theory. They explore the current state of quantum hardware, the narrowing case for quantum skepticism, and the realistic path toward fault-tolerant, useful quantum machines. The conversation also covers quantum algorithms, cryptography risks, ethics, hype in commercialization, and advice for the next generation of quantum researchers. Transcript Yuval: Hello Scott, thank you for joining me today. Scott: Thanks, it’s great to be here. Yuval: So who are you and what do you do? Scott: I’m Scott Aaronson, a computer science professor at the University of Texas at Austin, [...]

Quantum Elements, a Los Angeles-based startup focused on streamlining quantum application development has received new funding. The investment, structured as a SAFE, also includes participation from QDNL Participations, Quantacet, R-Squared Ventures, and Firgun Ventures. Quantum Elements is developing Constellation, a platform designed to bridge the gap between abstract circuit design and physical hardware. By integrating AI-driven digital twins with hardware-aware simulation, the tool allows users to refine quantum circuits in a virtual environment before deploying them to live QPUs. This "shift-left" approach aims to reduce the high costs and error rates currently associated with NISQ-era hardware. The startup boasts a high-profile [...]

Guest Post by Dr James Wootton, CSO at Moth Game developers work at the frontier of innovation when it comes to what can be achieved with classical computing. Every year, games look better, worlds get bigger and systems get smarter. From the outside, it feels like steady progress without limits. But when you look at game development through a quantum lens, something else becomes clear: many design decisions are still shaped by technical limits rather than creative ambition. Worlds are made smaller because bigger ones are harder to test properly. Systems are simplified because every extra rule creates more that can [...]

In a continued advance in quantum networking Qunnect has teamed up with Cisco to demonstrate high-speed, high-fidelity entanglement swapping on their GothamQ network in New York City. The portion of the GothamQ network, pictured above, is arranged is a hub-and-spoke topology. S1 and S2 shown in the picture are independent entanglement sources located in Brooklyn while the hub H, located at QTD Systems' data center at 60 Hudson Street in Manhattan, is where the entanglement swapping happens. The nodes are connected by 17.6 km of standard telecom grade fiber cable that run under the city streets with all the potential noise [...]

Fisciano Campus of the University of Salerno In December of 2024, the government of Campania, Italy issued a tender with a budget of €62.1 million for the purchase, delivery, installation, and specialized support of a quantum system to be installed at the Fisciano campus of the University of Salerno with a due date of February 10, 2025. The proposals were to be ranked according to three different individual scores, Technical, Economic, and Time with a Total Score calculated as a weighted average of those three. Only an hour before the bid deadline would occur, it was extended by one week until [...]