Microsoft, Atom Computing Leap Ahead On the Quantum Frontier With Logical Qubits (geekwire.com) 18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from GeekWire: Microsoft and Atom Computing say they've reached a new milestone in their effort to build fault-tolerant quantum computers that can show an advantage over classical computers. Microsoft says it will start delivering the computers' quantum capabilities to customers by the end of 2025, with availability via the Azure cloud service as well as through on-premises hardware. "Together, we are co-designing and building what we believe will be the world's most powerful quantum machine," Jason Zander, executive vice president at Microsoft, said in a LinkedIn posting.
Like other players in the field, Microsoft's Azure Quantum team and Atom Computing aim to capitalize on the properties of quantum systems -- where quantum bits, also known as qubits, can process multiple values simultaneously. That's in contrast to classical systems, which typically process ones and zeros to solve algorithms. Microsoft has been working with Colorado-based Atom Computing on hardware that uses the nuclear spin properties of neutral ytterbium atoms to run quantum calculations. One of the big challenges is to create a system that can correct the errors that turn up during the calculations due to quantum noise. The solution typically involves knitting together "physical qubits" to produce an array of "logical qubits" that can correct themselves.
In a paper posted to the ArXiv preprint server, members of the research team say they were able to connect 256 noisy neutral-atom qubits using Microsoft's qubit-virtualization system in such a way as to produce a system with 24 logical qubits. "This represents the highest number of entangled logical qubits on record," study co-author Krysta Svore, vice president of advanced quantum development for Microsoft Azure Quantum, said today in a blog posting. "Entanglement of the qubits is evidenced by their error rates being significantly below the 50% threshold for entanglement." Twenty of the system's logical qubits were used to perform successful computations based on the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm, which is used as a benchmark for quantum calculations. "The logical qubits were able to produce a more accurate solution than the corresponding computation based on physical qubits," Svore said. "The ability to compute while detecting and correcting errors is a critical component to scaling to achieve scientific quantum advantage."
Like other players in the field, Microsoft's Azure Quantum team and Atom Computing aim to capitalize on the properties of quantum systems -- where quantum bits, also known as qubits, can process multiple values simultaneously. That's in contrast to classical systems, which typically process ones and zeros to solve algorithms. Microsoft has been working with Colorado-based Atom Computing on hardware that uses the nuclear spin properties of neutral ytterbium atoms to run quantum calculations. One of the big challenges is to create a system that can correct the errors that turn up during the calculations due to quantum noise. The solution typically involves knitting together "physical qubits" to produce an array of "logical qubits" that can correct themselves.
In a paper posted to the ArXiv preprint server, members of the research team say they were able to connect 256 noisy neutral-atom qubits using Microsoft's qubit-virtualization system in such a way as to produce a system with 24 logical qubits. "This represents the highest number of entangled logical qubits on record," study co-author Krysta Svore, vice president of advanced quantum development for Microsoft Azure Quantum, said today in a blog posting. "Entanglement of the qubits is evidenced by their error rates being significantly below the 50% threshold for entanglement." Twenty of the system's logical qubits were used to perform successful computations based on the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm, which is used as a benchmark for quantum calculations. "The logical qubits were able to produce a more accurate solution than the corresponding computation based on physical qubits," Svore said. "The ability to compute while detecting and correcting errors is a critical component to scaling to achieve scientific quantum advantage."
Logical Qbits? (Score:1)
What's that in fathoms?
Re:Logical Qbits? (Score:4, Informative)
Three hallucinations and one lie by misdirection, I think.
It's unclear (Score:4, Insightful)
They claim they applied their hardware to successfully apply Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm, yet they still have errors, albeit less than with physical qubits. AFAIK Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm requires error-free qubits (or at least almost error-free) to give useful results. Someone doesn't tell the whole story.
Re:It's unclear (Score:4, Informative)
Someone doesn't tell the whole story.
Obviously. The whole story, at this time and during the three decades or so we regularly have been getting stories QC "advances" is that these machines are still massively less capable than a slow 4 bit microcontroller and that it is completely unclear whether they will ever get to relevant sizes.
If they tell that story, they cannot get a fake news item that hallucinates actual applications are about to happen.
Re: (Score:2)
Has anybody found an actual use for quantum computers yet?
Re: (Score:2)
Surprisingly yes!! They fill out press releases, year end reports, bullet points on PooperPoints, etc. And these uses are only the beginning. Once ad-copy converges AI and quantum, the sky is the limit.
For miniscule values of "ahead". (Score:2, Interesting)
We have been reading about the QC bullshit for decades now, with actually useful hardware (except for QC research) still completely out of reach and maybe unattainable. Why is this crap being pushed in the news? It is meaningless unless massive breakthroughs happen, not some minor steps that still do not amount to anything.
Re: (Score:2)
Assuming they solve all that hardware stuff, is there any useful jobs they could do?
Re: (Score:3)
That is a really difficult question. One thing that would be possible with large numbers of effective Qbits and long calculations is integer factorization, i.e. breaking RSA. That does require 3x the bit-length in Qbits though, and it is completely useless for any keys that even slightly exceed that limit. On the other hand, QCs are perfectly and permanently useless for conventional encryption with > 250 bit key length or so. The other application they have is research into quantum effects and that alrea
Re: (Score:2)
The only thing at risk is old messages.
RSA has been upgraded in anticipation of QC for a decade or more.
Re: For miniscule values of "ahead". (Score:2)
A Quantum Leap (Score:3)
Oh, boy...
MS is a real QC pioneer (Score:2)
RSN (Score:2)
.. we promise.