Microsoft And Quantinuum Claim To Have Achieved Reliable Quantum Computing!

One of the more popular terms of the last decade or so has been “Quantum Computing”.

This technology harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that are too complex for classical computers to be able to solve.

This also means that the technology is too expensive to be used by anyone and there are only a handful of tech conglomerates and other institutes that possess quantum computers.

This might be set to change, with Microsoft and Quantinuum making an announcement that can enhance the for the entire quantum ecosystem.

So, what did the two innovators reveal? Let’s explore!
 

What Did Microsoft And Quantinuum Announce?

 

• In a blog post published on Microsoft’s official blog website, the company announced that Microsoft and Quantinuum were able to demonstrate the most reliable logical qubits on record.

• This was done by applying Microsoft’s breakthrough qubit-virtualization system to Quantinuum’s ion-trap hardware and running over 14,000 individual experiments without a single error.

• This included performing error diagnostics and corrections on logical qubits without destroying them, which resulted in the two demonstrating more reliable quantum computation.

• The problem of reliability comes with the qubits that are fast but can generate faulty or erroneous results if the quantum computer is disturbed. This is why quantum researchers make use of more physical qubits than needed, the results of which are then processed using error-correction techniques.

• As per the blog, “It is made possible by the collective advancement of quantum hardware, qubit virtualization and correction, and hybrid applications that take advantage of the best of AI, supercomputing, and quantum capabilities.”

• Jason Zander, EVP, Strategic Missions and Technologies, Microsoft said, “We ran more than 14,000 individual experiments without a single error. That's up to 800 times better than anything on record.”

• Essentially, the move helps to make quantum computers a commercially viable option as they are more reliable.

• It also brings Microsoft and Quantinuum a step closer to “building a hybrid supercomputing system that can transform research and innovation across many industries.”

• As per the two, it also leads to the industry advancing from Level 1 Foundational to Level 2 Resilient quantum computing.

• The implications of this achievement include organizations seeing scientific and commericial advantages, better outputs to complex scenarios like reversing climate change, addressing food insecurity and solving the energy crisis and helps lay the foundation for useful, reliable and scalable simulations of quantum mechanics.

• As per the announcement, advanced capabilities using these based on these logical qubits will be available in private preview for Azure Quantum Elements customers in the coming months.

 

What Did Stakeholders Say?

 

• Ilyas Khan, Founder and Chief Product Officer, Quantinuum, said, “Today’s results mark a historic achievement and are a wonderful reflection of how this collaboration continues to push the boundaries for the quantum ecosystem.

• [Contd.] “With Microsoft’s state-of-the-art error correction aligned with the world’s most powerful quantum computer and a fully integrated approach, we are so excited for the next evolution in quantum applications and can’t wait to see how our customers and partners will benefit from our solutions especially as we move towards quantum processors at scale.”

• Dr. Travis Humble, Director, Quantum Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said, “Breakthroughs in quantum error correction and fault tolerance are important for realizing the long-term value of quantum computing for scientific discovery and energy security. Results like these enable continued development of quantum computing systems for research and development.”

• Dr. David Shaw, Chief Analyst, Global Quantum Intelligence, said, “Quantum error correction often seems very theoretical. What’s striking here is the massive contribution Microsoft’s midstack software for qubit optimization is making to the improved step-down in error rates. Microsoft really is putting theory into practice.”

Do you think Microsoft and Quantinuum will redefine the quantum computing industry with their latest experiment? Do you think they need to perform more in-depth research before making the next move?

Let us know in the comments below!