Quantum thought leader Scott Aaronson reminds us that the challenge of achieving quantum advantage depends not just on breakthrough quantum hardware but also on mastering revolutionary new quantum software. Scott Aaronson is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin, and the founding director of its Quantum Information Center. An expert…
Striking progress modelling molecular vibrations with a quantum simulator brings the abstract quest for quantum supremacy into context. Is this a pointer to medium term commercial applications? The world is waiting for a first demonstration of quantum supremacy, a computation not practical on any conventional computer. However behind that headline will lie a number of…
We are about to enter a new transitional phase in the development of quantum technology. Behind the headlines there are a diversity of strategies available for those wanting to get on board. In 2012 Caltech professor John Preskill coined the term quantum supremacy for the quest to demonstrate a calculation on a quantum device that…
Excitement mounts as we approach a demonstration of quantum supremacy. However a very long road remains to build a fault tolerant quantum computer Quantum hardware announcements continue to come at speed: Google has just announced Bristlecone, a 72 superconducting qubit device (though it remains to be seen if it can maintain the high fidelity performance of its…
A battle is starting for influence over future quantum software platforms. This will have long term implications. Break through announcements in quantum hardware continue to gather apace. While we are still a long way from a universal fault tolerant quantum computer, we are about to enter a period where noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) technology is a reality. A…
An immediate challenge for the interested business observer is how to interpret the true state of progress against a background of hype and corporate spin. All conventional computing is ultimately based on data stored as digital bits, each a 1 or 0, and their manipulation via logic gates. The great power of modern computing comes…
