PsiQuantum adds ex-Cisco Roland Acra as Chief Business Officer

PsiQuantum named Roland Acra  as Chief Business Officer responsible for the company’s business strategy, including commercial, global market expansion, quantum applications and software development.

Acra previously held the role of Chief Technology Officer at Cisco until earlier in 2022. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco’s Data Center Business Group. In this role, he led the development and marketing of several generations of Data Center switching products, blade and rack server products, and introduced several industry-first software platforms for Data Center predictive analytics, assurance, and insights.

In addition to his corporate leadership background, Roland’s experience also extends to building and scaling new companies from inception. He was President and CEO of Arch Rock Corporation, a category leader in IPv6 wireless mesh networks and energy data analysis which, following acquisition, played a significant role in the formation of Cisco’s Smart Grid Business Unit. Roland was also President and CEO of Procket Networks, a leading-edge provider of Internet backbone core and edge routers.

https://www.psiquantum.com

PsiQuantum claims 50X improvement in run-time efficiency

Saturday, December 03, 2022  PsiQuantum, Quantum, Silicon Valley, Start-Ups  

PsiQuantum, a start-up based in Palo Alto, California, has developed a technique it claims to be 50X more efficient in the run-time efficiency of compiled applications in fault-tolerant quantum computers.The company says its technique specifically targets algorithms for error-corrected quantum computers, as opposed to non-error-corrected NISQ systems. ‘Active volume compilation’ reduces the time taken to run a given application, through more efficient...

READ MORE

Read More

PsiQuantum claims 50X improvement in run-time efficiency

PsiQuantum, a start-up based in Palo Alto, California, has developed a technique it claims to be 50X more efficient in the run-time efficiency of compiled applications in fault-tolerant quantum computers.

The company says its technique specifically targets algorithms for error-corrected quantum computers, as opposed to non-error-corrected NISQ systems. ‘Active volume compilation’ reduces the time taken to run a given application, through more efficient use of the available hardware. This is achieved by utilizing long-range connections between different regions in the quantum computer. This technique particularly favors photonic quantum computing, where long-range connections can be achieved using conventional optical fiber.

Pete Shadbolt, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of PsiQuantum, said: “This is a very significant achievement by our fault-tolerance team. A 50X improvement means that a quantum application which would have previously taken a month to execute on a future photonic quantum computer, would now run in less than a day.”

Naomi Nickerson, VP Quantum Architecture of PsiQuantum: “This development also has implications given the ability of photonic quantum computers to exploit trade-offs between computing resources and computing runtime. The active volume technique reduces the computational time required and this can be translated into reduced hardware resources using techniques like photonic interleaving. This is also likely to be of practical importance in allowing programs to run in the same time using less hardware. Though the advantages of this approach can be realized with any technology able to connect distant qubits, this is challenging for many of the current approaches, and active volume architectures are particularly suited to photonic qubits connected using optical fiber.”

https://psiquantum.com/

Read More

IBM unveils 433-quantum bit processor

IBM unveiled its "Osprey" 433-quantum bit (qubit) processor, more than tripling the 127 qubits on the IBM Eagle processor unveiled in 2021. 

"The new 433 qubit 'Osprey' processor brings us a step closer to the point where quantum computers will be used to tackle previously unsolvable problems," said Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President, IBM and Director of Research. "We are continuously scaling up and advancing our quantum technology across hardware, software and classical integration to meet the biggest challenges of our time, in conjunction with our partners and clients worldwide. This work will prove foundational for the coming era of quantum-centric supercomputing."

IBM also announced a number of quantum partnerships including Bosch, Vodafone, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, and Swiss innovation campus uptownBasel.

https://newsroom.ibm.com/2022-11-09-IBM-Unveils-400-Qubit-Plus-Quantum-Processor-and-Next-Generation-IBM-Quantum-System-Two

Read More

Xanadu raises $100 million for photonic quantum computing

Xanadu, a start-up based in Toronto, announced US$100 million in Series C financing to advance its photonic quantum computing.

Founded in 2016, Xanadu's photonic approach to building quantum computers leverages of modern chip manufacturing facilities, the application of optical components developed by the pre-existing telecommunications industry and the use of fibre optics to network photonic chips together. The copmany also leads the development of PennyLane, an open-source software library for quantum computing and application development.

Canada's largest growth equity firm, Georgian, led the round with participation from Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Forward Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, along with previous investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Capricorn, BDC Capital, and Tim Draper. To date, Xanadu has raised $250M USD, bringing the company valuation to $1B USD.

"The continued support from top-tier investors in this uncertain economic climate is a testament to the belief in our exceptional team, our photonic technology, and our ability to execute," said Xanadu founder and Chief Executive Officer, Christian Weedbrook.

"These achievements have fostered the growth of the quantum community and enabled researchers and developers globally to access the most cutting-edge computational tools to create new algorithms that will eventually solve real-world problems, such as next generation battery development, a highly strategic area for Volkswagen Group's NEW AUTO strategy," said Dr. Arne-Christian Voigt, Future Research Volkswagen AG.

https://www.xanadu.ai

Read More

Aliro introduces end-to-end entanglement-based Quantum Network

Aliro Quantum, a quantum networking start-up that spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University, introduced its end-to-end entanglement-based Quantum Network solution. 

AliroNet is hardware vendor agnostic and is licensed in three modes of operation. These three modes of operation align with the genuine quantum network rollout stages. Each mode of operation includes Aliro technical support services with the option to purchase additional services if necessary. AliroNet™ is delivered as a service and includes Aliro Simulator, Aliro Orchestrator, Aliro Controller, and AlirOS™.

The company says its unified solution can be used to emulate entanglement-based quantum networks, implement small scale pilots, and deploy full-scale universal entanglement-based quantum networks.

"Aliro is building quantum networks and creating a foundation for the Quantum Internet," said Jim Ricotta, CEO and Chairman of Aliro Quantum. "The introduction of AliroNet will accelerate our successful collaboration with commercial and government entities to enable the simulation, design, and implementation of multipurpose Quantum Networks."

https://www.aliroquantum.com/company

Read More

D-Wave's Quantum Service now in AWS Marketplace

D-Wave Quantum is introducing four offerings in AWS Marketplace, including:

• Leap Quantum Cloud Service: The Leap quantum cloud service provides real-time access to D-Wave’s  quantum computers and a quantum-classical hybrid solver service that can handle problems with up to one million variables and 100,000 constraints. Leap will be available in AWS Marketplace soon, and Amazon Braket customers will be directed to the AWS Marketplace to access the D-Wave system.
• Quantum Proof of Concept: In a Quantum Proof of Concept, D-Wave helps customers validate a selected quantum use case through detailed problem discovery, problem definition, development of an initial prototype solution, and testing with representative application data.
• Quantum Feature Selection for Machine Learning: With increasing data sets comes increasing complexity, especially when it comes to feature selection, a fundamental building block of machine learning. This program focuses on utilizing quantum hybrid approaches to optimize feature selection in model training and prediction.
• Quantum Consulting Services: To help customers get started with quantum or implement a quantum solution, D-Wave’s Launch™ service combines technical enablement, products and services. Utilizing powerful quantum hybrid solutions and professional service consulting, the Launch service helps customers solve complex problems and deliver real business value.

“The era of commercial quantum computing is here. Forward-looking organizations are increasingly turning to quantum computing to find solutions for today’s complex and computationally intensive business problems, ultimately to reduce costs and increase revenue,” said Mark Snedeker, senior vice president of growth at D-Wave. “By launching in AWS Marketplace, we’re introducing our Leap quantum computing service to AWS customers, enabling them to quickly and easily start deriving business value from quantum computing, today.”

https://www.dwavesys.com/

 

Read More

Qunnect raises $8M for quantum-secure networking

Qunnect, a start-up based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City, announced its Series A financing of over $8 million for development of quantum-secure networking technology.

Spearheaded by CEO Dr. Noel Goddard and founders Dr. Mehdi Namazi and Mael Flament, Qunnect is developing quantum-secure networking technology designed for scalable deployment on existing telecom fiber infrastructure. 

Qunnect's products include an entangled photon source with compatibility to atomic-based devices and a high fidelity quantum memory, are key enablers for applications in quantum sensing and computing.  The company said the new funding will be used to further develop their product suite, scale manufacturing, and launch a multi-node R&D quantum network testbed to demonstrate entanglement distribution protocols. This network, connected to existing fiber optic cable in New York City, will be the first of its kind in the US.

"We are very proud to announce the establishment of our state-of-the-art testbed in the US, especially significant news, given the announcement of the Nobel Prize for the elegant physics enabling quantum communication. This testbed will open the door for customers in financial services, critical infrastructure, and telecom to test our technologies in the New York metropolitan area," explains CEO Dr. Noel Goddard. "This project allows us to showcase our first-of-their-kind quantum memory and entanglement sources, as well as our quantum network support hardware for precise timing and qubit stabilization. On this journey, we are thrilled to have the support of Airbus Ventures, a leading quantum investor who shares our vision of developing quantum technologies to lead the next wave of ultra-secure communications."

"At Airbus Ventures, we are particularly interested in investing in enabling technologies that make quantum practically usable, out of the lab environment and into the real world, where these portfolio companies can aid in tangibly addressing major security challenges being faced today," notes Airbus Ventures Partner Nicole Conner. "We were immediately drawn to Noel and her leadership, quickly paving the way as the leading voice in quantum internet technology, and we are confident that the team's breakthrough testbed at Brooklyn Navy Yard is just the beginning of a sequence of transformative work. We are proud to back such an exceptional team and to be joined by such an incredible investor syndicate."

Read More

GSMA Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce gets underway

A new GSMA Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce has been established with a mission to help define policy, regulation and operator business processes for the enhanced protection of telecommunications in a future of advanced quantum computing. Organizers believe that without quantum-safe controls in place, sensitive information such as confidential business information and consumer data could be at risk from attackers who harvest present-day data for later decryption. 

IBM and Vodafone are initial members.

“The GSMA Taskforce’s goal is to bring together leading global communication services providers with experts from IBM, Vodafone and other operators and ecosystem partners to understand and implement quantum-safe technology. By working together to establish consistent policies, we can define quantum-safe approaches that protect critical infrastructure and customer data, complementing our ongoing security efforts to increase resiliency in future networks,” said Alex Sinclair, the GSMA’s Chief Technology Officer.

To address the challenges presented by emerging quantum technology, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced in July 2022 that it had chosen the first four post-quantum cryptography algorithms to be standardised for cybersecurity in the quantum computing era. These algorithms are designed to rely on the computational difficulty of problems from the mathematical areas of lattices, isogenies, hash functions and multivariate equations — and protect today’s systems and data from future quantum computers.

IBM, a leader in cryptography and pioneer in quantum technology – with the world’s largest fleet of cloud-accessible quantum computers – contributed to the development of three of NIST’s four chosen post-quantum algorithms.

https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/gsma-ibm-and-vodafone-establish-post-quantum-telco-network-taskforce/

IQM and QphoX to develop optical interface for quantum computers

Wednesday, August 31, 2022  Quantum  

IQM Quantum Computers is collaborating with QphoX, a start-up based in The Netherlands, to  develop an optical interface for scaling quantum computers.IQM provides on-premises quantum computers for supercomputing data centres and research labs and offers full access to its hardware. IQM delivers these machines as a full-stack system integrator with its own quantum processors using superconducting qubits.QphoX specializes in photon wavelength...

READ MORE

Read More

IQM and QphoX to develop optical interface for quantum computers

IQM Quantum Computers is collaborating with QphoX, a start-up based in The Netherlands, to  develop an optical interface for scaling quantum computers.

IQM provides on-premises quantum computers for supercomputing data centres and research labs and offers full access to its hardware. IQM delivers these machines as a full-stack system integrator with its own quantum processors using superconducting qubits.

QphoX specializes in photon wavelength conversion for quantum technologies and is working to create a quantum modem which will allow quantum processors to be networked together. This will unlock new applications like distributed quantum computing between remotely entangled quantum processors, solving one of the biggest scaling challenges facing the industry.

“By leveraging our unique microwave to optical conversion technology, signals can instead be routed through the cryostat via optical fibers. As a result, both the spatial and heat load constraints placed on the cryostat will be reduced, allowing larger processors to be built in a single cryostat. We are very excited about embarking on this new partnership. Over the past several months we have already been working with IQM’s processors and have been very impressed with the quality and performance” said Frederick Hijazi, COO and Co-Founder, QphoX.

“The future large scale quantum computers require technologies for optical communication or cryogenic signal generation, or both. We found QphoX’s expertise and technology plans as a promising alternative to communicate the control and readout signal of quantum computer to the qubit chip using optical fiber. This collaboration will become an enabler for systems beyond 1000 qubits through simplifying the cabling and new product innovation” said Dr. Juha Vartiainen, COO and Co-founder, IQM Quantum Computers.

https://qphox.eu

www.meetiqm.com

Read More

D-Wave completes SPAC IPO

D-Wave, which offers quantum computing systems, software and services, was acquired by DPCM Capital, Inc., a special purpupose acquisition company. 

Pursuant to the deal, D-Wave Quantum Inc. became the parent company of DPCM Capital and D-Wave, and its shares of common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading, on Monday, August 8, 2022 on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols “QBTS” and “QBTS WS,” respectively.

From its inception more than 20 years ago, D-Wave has focused on delivering quantum computing products and services that provide the fastest path to practical, real-world applications with customer value,” said Alan Baratz, CEO, D-Wave Quantum. “Today marks a significant milestone in our journey, as we embark on our next phase as a publicly-traded company. Through this Business Combination, we are well-positioned to accelerate our growth strategy, using capital raised through the Business Combination along with our new access to the public markets to advance the production of our quantum computing solutions and continue to unlock the power of quantum computing to benefit business and society. The era of commercial quantum computing is here.”

D-Wave's end-to-end quantum solution encompasses hardware, software, real-time quantum cloud service, developer tools and powerful quantum hybrid solvers. The company has brought to market five generations of quantum computers to date and, in June 2022, launched an experimental prototype of its sixth-generation machine, Advantage2. D-Wave also holds a broad portfolio of 200+ patents applicable to both annealing and gate-based quantum computing.

D-Wave’s commercial customers include nearly two dozen Forbes Global 2000 companies and industry leaders like Volkswagen, Accenture, BBVA, NEC Corporation, Save-On-Foods, DENSO, and Lockheed Martin, which are exploring quantum hybrid applications. 

https://www.dwavesys.com

Read More

IQM raises €128m for quantum computing

IQM Quantum Computers, a start-up based in Espoo, Finland, raised €128 million ($128m) in Series A2 funding for its development of superconducting quantum computers.

IQM delivers a quantum advantage through a unique application-specific, co-design approach. IQM is building Finland’s first 54-qubit quantum computer with VTT and an IQM-led consortium (Q-Exa) is also building a quantum computer in Germany. This computer will be integrated into an HPC supercomputer to create a quantum accelerator for future scientific research. IQM has over 180+ employees with offices in Paris, Madrid, Munich and Espoo. The company was founded in 2018.

The funding was led by World Fund and included participation from Bayern Kapital, EIC Fund, OurCrowd, QCI SPV, Tofino and Varma, as well as existing investors Maki.vc, Matadero QED, MIG Fonds, OpenOcean, Salvia GmbH, Santo Venture Capital GmbH, Tencent, Tesi, and Vsquared. The funding round follows a €39m ($39m) Series A1 announcement in 2020 and includes part of a €35m ($35m) venture loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced earlier this year, 

Dr. Jan Goetz, CEO and Co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers, said: “This funding underscores the importance of our mission: building quantum computers for the well-being of humankind. It also demonstrates the confidence in our business model and the continued trust in our team's ability to build the future of quantum technologies. I am confident that we will continue to achieve all our product and business milestones and deliver world-class quantum computers to our customers.”

https://www.meetiqm.com

Read More

Quantum Machines to head Israel Quantum Computing Center

Quantum Machines, a start-up developing a Quantum Orchestration Platform (QOP), has been selected by the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to lead the establishment of the Israel Quantum Computing Center. The center is part of the Israel National Quantum Initiative (INQI) and will host Israel's first fully functioning quantum computer that is available to the commercial and research communities. 

Other consortium partners include:

• Elbit Systems is a strategic partner in this project and will be part of the center's advisory board. Elbit will lead the design of quantum applications for the government sector and assign dedicated teams to advance their development.
• QuantWare will provide its superconducting Quantum Processing Units (QPUs)
• ORCA Computing will provide its scalable quantum photonics computing system
• ColdQuanta will provide its cold atoms based quantum computing system
• ParTec will provide a High-Performance Computing (HPC) platform and provide services for the integration of HPC and quantum computing
• Classiq and Super.tech will provide their state-of-the-art software application layer capabilities, including quantum software development tools and benchmarking software for all of the center's platforms.

"We look forward to working with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to lead the development of the country's first fully functioning quantum computing center," said Itamar Sivan, co-founder and CEO of Quantum Machines. "The open architecture approach that Quantum Machines and our world-leading partners in the consortium enable, will ensure compatibility with the quantum technologies of the future. This will allow the center's quantum computer to scale from tens of qubits today, to hundreds and thousands of qubits in the next few years. Our goal is to give Israeli companies access to the most advanced quantum technologies and services so that they can develop deep quantum expertise across industry and academia. This expertise will allow Israeli companies across a broad range of sectors and industries to gain a leading global position."

https://www.quantum-machines.co

Read More

NVIDIA unveils Quantum Optimized Device Architecture

NVIDIA outlined a new Quantum Optimized Device Architecture (QODA) for creating a coherent hybrid quantum-classical programming model. 

QODA is an open, unified environment for quantum processors that aims to make it easier to add quantum computing to existing applications, leveraging both today’s quantum processors, as well as simulated future quantum machines using NVIDIA DGX systems and a large installed base of NVIDIA GPUs available in scientific supercomputing centers and public clouds.

Leading quantum organizations are already using NVIDIA GPUs and highly specialized NVIDIA software – NVIDIA cuQuantum – to develop individual quantum circuits. With QODA, developers can build complete quantum applications simulated with NVIDIA cuQuantum on GPU-accelerated supercomputers.

“Scientific breakthroughs can occur in the near term with hybrid solutions combining classical computing and quantum computing,” said Tim Costa, director of HPC and Quantum Computing Products at NVIDIA. “QODA will revolutionize quantum computing by giving developers a powerful and productive programming model.”

In addition, NVIDIA announced QODA collaborations with quantum hardware providers IQM Quantum Computers, Pasqal, Quantinuum, Quantum Brilliance and Xanadu; software providers QC Ware and Zapata Computing; and supercomputing centers Forschungszentrum Jülich, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“Quantinuum is partnering with NVIDIA to enable users of Quantinuum’s H-series quantum processors, powered by Honeywell, to program and develop the next generation of hybrid quantum-classical applications with QODA,” said Alex Chernoguzov, chief engineer at Quantinuum. “This ties together the best performing classical computers with our world-class quantum processors.”

“The hybrid quantum-classical capabilities developed by NVIDIA will enable HPC developers to accelerate their existing applications by providing an efficient way to program quantum and classical resources in a consolidated environment,” said Yudong Cao, chief technology officer at Zapata. “Near-term applications in chemistry, drug discovery, materials science and more can now be seamlessly integrated with quantum computing, driving new discoveries in these fields as practical quantum advantage emerges.”

https://developer.nvidia.com/qoda

Read More

Quantum Source raises $15M for photonic vision

Quantum Source, a start-up based in Rehovot, Israel, announced $15 million in seed funding.

Quantum Source’s vision is to enable scaling quantum computers to millions of qubits using photonic technology.

The company was founded by three serial entrepreneurs and a Professor from the Weizmann Institute of Science: Oded Melamed, CEO, who was the co-founder and CEO of Altair Semiconductor acquired by Sony; Gil Semo, VP R&D, who was among the founding team of Anobit Technologies acquired by Apple, who later became the Director of Platform Architecture at Apple in Israel; Dan Charash, Chairman, who was the co-founder and CEO of Provigent acquired by Broadcom; and Prof. Barak Dayan, Senior Scientist and founder and head of the Quantum Optics lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The company employs twenty-five physicists and engineers, fifteen of whom hold PhD degrees.

The round was co-led by Grove Ventures, Pitango First, and Eclipse Ventures.

Oded Melamed, CEO and Co-Founder, Quantum Source: “The difference between small quantum computers that are developed today, with tens or hundreds of qubits, and building efficient, large-scale quantum computers with millions of qubits is huge. The photonic quantum technology that Quantum Source is developing will enable a dramatic leap forward and the realization of quantum computer systems with millions of qubits. These new full-scale quantum computers will have a significant impact on many industries, solving previously computationally impossible problems in multiple sectors, such as drug and material development, finance, and cybersecurity.”

https://www.qs-labs.com

Read More

QuiX raises €5.5 million for photonic quantum processor

QuiX Quantum, a start-up developing a photonic quantum processor, announced a €5.5 million Seed Round investment from PhotonDelta, FORWARD.one and Oost NL.

QuiX, which is based in Enschede, Netherlands, has developed a low-loss, multimode, reconfigurable interferometer that functions as quantum photonic processor, allowing the user to perform arbitrary, controlled interference between a number of optical channels, in the classical or quantum domain. The processor consists of an optical chip on which the interference occurs, which is packaged in a plug-and-play control box. QuiX says its quantum photonic processor is fully calibrated and temperature stable. The company includes dedicated control software. 

Ewit Roos, CEO of PhotonDelta, said: “QuiX Quantum is one of the Netherland’s most exciting startups. In only three years it has become an industry leader and now, with this initial investment, it will be able to make a serious breakthrough in quantum computing. Photonics is an incredibly powerful new technology that has scores of applications. QuiX Quantum is showcasing how it can be applied to overcome some major hurdles in quantum computing and underscoring why it is so important that we build our own European photonics industry.”

https://www.quixquantum.com/news/quix-quantum-lands-eu5-5-million-for-development-of-worlds-most-powerful-photonic-quantum-computer

The Netherlands aims for photonic integrated circuit leadership with €1.1B fund

Monday, April 18, 2022  Netherlands, Optical, Start-Ups  

PhotonDelta, a cross-border ecosystem of photonic chip technology organizations,secured €1.1 billion in public and private investment. This includes €470 million from the National Growth Fund of the Netherlands, while the rest is co-invested by various partners and stakeholders. The aim is to transform the Netherlands into the leader of the next generation of semiconductors and photonic integrated circuits (PICs).The programme will run for six...

READ MORE

Read More

Oxford Quantum Circuits raises £38 million

UK-based Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) announed £38 million (US $46.45 million) in Series A funding for its work in quantum computing.

The round was co-led by Lansdowne Partners, one of Europe’s leading investment firms, and The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners (UTEC), Japan’s largest deeptech VC fund. British Patient Capital and existing investors Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) and Oxford Investment Consultants (OIC) also participated. This funding follows the February 2022 launch of OQC’s latest system, Lucy, on Amazon Braket - making it the first European quantum company on AWS. The company’s technology can be used by businesses in financial services, pharma and logistics to increase their competitive edge.

Ilana Wisby, CEO of OQC, said “This initial close is the UK’s largest ever Series A in quantum computing, demonstrating the confidence our investors have in our ability to lead the global quantum industry. It’s testament to the significant technological and commercial progress we have achieved in recent months, thanks to our world-class team. It is also the first step in our international expansion, bringing quantum to our customers’ fingertips – wherever they are in the world.”

https://oxfordquantumcircuits.com

Read More

Argonne and Fermilab connected via quantum network over fiber

The DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator and Argonne National Laboratory have been connected over a distance of 50km via the Illinois Express Quantum Network.

The experimental quantum network is being used to test the synchronicity of two clocks — one at Argonne and one at Fermilab. Scientists transmitted a traditional clock signal (blue) and a quantum signal (orange) simultaneously between the two clocks. The signals were sent over the Illinois Express Quantum Network. Researchers found that the two clocks remained synchronized within a time window smaller than 5 picoseconds, or 5 trillionths of a second. 

The experiment marked the first time that quantum-encoded photons — the particle through which quantum information is delivered — and classical signals were simultaneously delivered across a metropolitan-scale distance with an unprecedented level of synchronization.

“To have two national labs that are 50 kilometers apart, working on quantum networks with this shared range of technical capability and expertise, is not a trivial thing,” said Panagiotis Spentzouris, head of the Quantum Science Program at Fermilab and lead researcher on the project. ​“You need a diverse team to attack this very difficult and complex problem.”

https://www.anl.gov/article/quantum-network-between-two-national-labs-achieves-record-synch

Read More

AWS joins Q-NEXT Quantum Center

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has joined Q-NEXT, a quantum research center led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory that is developing the science and technology for controlling and distributing quantum information.

Q-NEXT's mission is to further quantum R&D and to create a quantum ecosystem. The group now comprises 13 companies, 10 universities and three DOE national laboratories.

"We are excited to join Q-NEXT so we can bring together quantum experts from AWS and other top academic institutions to collaborate on the research and development of new quantum technologies and build a national quantum community," said Simone Severini, director of quantum computing at AWS.

AWS expanded into quantum computing in 2019 with the launch of Amazon Braket. The service gives researchers access to different types of quantum hardware and circuit simulators for running and testing quantum applications.

In 2021, the company opened the AWS Center for Quantum Computing. Its goal is to accelerate the development of quantum computing hardware and applications based on superconducting qubits.

The company also created the Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab to help customers find applications of quantum computing inside their organizations and address customer problems that could be tackled through existing high-performance computing solutions.

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/ 

Read More

D-Wave enters Leap Quantum Cloud Service

D-Wave Systems announced the availability of the first Advantage quantum computer, accessible via the Leap quantum cloud service, which is part of the USC-Lockheed Martin Quantum Computing Center (QCC) hosted at USC’s Information Sciences Institute. 

• Highlights:
• The service will provide access to the first Advantage quantum system physically located in the United States. Advantage is the first quantum computer built for business that contains the new Advantage performance update released in October 2021 and features the highly connected Pegasus topology and 5000+ qubits.
• Leap quantum cloud service users will immediately be able to access the Advantage quantum computer located at the QCC in real-time. Leap access also gives researchers, governments and enterprises access to all of the programming tools and hybrid quantum-classical resources offered through Leap.
• Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and D-Wave announced that the U.S.-based system will be available today for use in Amazon Braket, expanding the number to three different D-Wave quantum systems available to AWS users.

“Making quantum computing ubiquitous and available is one of our core areas of focus and is central to the commercialization of quantum computing,” said Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. “This is an important moment for our U.S.-based customers who want their Leap cloud access to the newest Advantage system and quantum hybrid solver service to be in-region. The timing is especially important. Eleven years ago, together with Lockheed Martin, we installed our first quantum system at USC. Fast forward to today, delivering the most performant commercial quantum computer in the world yet again allows users to harness the power of annealing quantum computing for real-world optimization problems, all accessible real-time through our Leap quantum cloud service and in AWS’s Amazon Braket.”

In addition, D-Wave announced an update to its Constrained Quadratic Model (CQM) hybrid solver that enables organizations, for the first time, to leverage the power of quantum computation to run constrained quadratic optimization problems with continuous variables. This allows quantum developers to better represent constrained problems – such as production capacity, available funds, and asset tracking – by using continuous variables, unlocking a new class of problems and further accelerating commercialization of quantum applications. For example, with continuous variables, developers can determine optimal vehicle routes by considering capacity, travel/wait times and distances; pharmaceutical companies can more deeply analyze patient outcomes of drug trials by reviewing trial duration, time-to-patient outcomes and number of iterations; and energy operators can more effectively deliver power to customers through models that address generator output, fuel consumption and emission, and storage levels.

https://www.dwavesys.com

Read More

ADVA plays a key role in Quantum Key Distribution projects

ADVA is playing a key role in three research and development (R&D) projects funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and aimed at building future-proof secure communication networks based on quantum key distribution (QKD):

• The DemoQuanDT project -  coordinated by Deutsche Telekom, the project will demonstrate secure quantum key exchange over a fiber optic link between Berlin and Bonn and investigate key management in a multi-vendor environment 
• The QuNet+ML project - led by Infosim, the project will research methods for optimizing quantum key distribution in large-scale networks using machine learning. 
• The DE-QOR project - led by ADVA, the project will develop compact and cost-effective continuous-variable QKD (CV-QKD) technology compatible with existing metro and long-distance fiber infrastructure.

“QKD offers a way to achieve true long-term network security today. In just a few years, we’re likely to see current public key cryptosystems rendered obsolete by malicious actors with quantum computers, whether that’s criminal organizations seeking profit or state-sponsored actors aiming to infiltrate critical national infrastructure. It’s therefore crucial that we harness quantum technology quickly in order to stay ahead in the cybersecurity race. Our involvement in these latest BMBF projects is testament to ADVA’s role as a leader in this vital R&D space,” commented Helmut Griesser, director of advanced technology at ADVA. “From day one, our ConnectGuard encryption technology has been at the forefront of quantum-safe communication by offering an open, standards-based interface to external QKD systems. Leveraging our expertise in coherent transmission, digital signal processing and cryptography, we’re now working towards our own CV-QKD solution to give customers more choice.”

https://www.adva.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/20220505-adva-plays-key-role-in-new-qkd-projects-to-accelerate-commercial-rollout

ADVA brings post-quantum cryptography to optical transport

Thursday, July 08, 2021  ADVA, Quantum  

ADVA announced post-quantum cryptography (PQC) capabilities for its optical transport solution.The FSP 3000 ConnectGuard optical encryption solution relies on a hybrid key exchange system, combining PQC algorithms with classical encryption methods. It utilizes the traditional Diffie-Hellman protocol and combines it with a newly developed algorithm based on the quantum-safe McEliece cryptosystem. This enables it to produce encryption keys that even...

READ MORE

Colt tests quantum-based super-encryption with ADVA

Tuesday, February 16, 2021  ADVA, Quantum  

Colt Technology Services has successfully conducted a field trial of quantum-secured transport using ADVA's FSP 3000 platform with ConnectGuard Layer 1 encryption technology. The trial, which was conducted over Colt’s deployed metro network in Frankfurt, utilized quantum key distribution (QKD) to super-encrypt live data traffic. ADVA’s partner ID Quantique also played a key role in the trial. Colt harnessed the ADVA FSP 3000, which receives...

READ MORE

ADVA supports Quantum-Secure VPN (QuaSiModO) project

Tuesday, May 12, 2020  ADVA, Quantum, Security  

ADVA is playing a key role in a unique research initiative extending post-quantum security to VPN networks. The company has supplied its ADVA FSP 150 with ConnectGuard Ethernet encryption for the Quantum-Secure VPN Modules and Operation Modes (QuaSiModO) project, which is being conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied and Integrated Security, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and genua GmbH. Funding is provided by the German Federal...

READ MORE

Europes's OPENQKD uses ADVA for quantum key distribution

Tuesday, January 28, 2020  ADVA  

The OPENQKD project, whose mission is to create and trial a secure communication network across Europe based on quantum key distribution (QKD), will leverage ADVA's FSP 3000 and FSP 150 platforms. ADVA will provide optical and Ethernet encryptors as well as open line systems for multiple testbed locations. OPENQKD, which is funded by the European Commission, seeks to accelerate the commercial adoption of QKD technology and to promote interoperability...

READ MORE

Read More