Quantum News Briefs: May 14, 2024: Press release summaries below:
Infleqtion, BAE Systems, and QinetiQ Successfully Demonstrates Unjammable Quantum Tech on Commercial Flight
The UK has achieved a significant technological milestone by successfully completing commercial flight trials featuring advanced quantum-based navigation systems, a world-first event at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. Infleqtion, a leading quantum technology firm, collaborated with BAE Systems and QinetiQ to test quantum technologies like the Tiqker optical atomic clock and a quantum system based on ultra-cold atoms aboard a modified aircraft, demonstrating resilience against jamming and spoofing. The project, part of the UK’s £2.5 billion National Quantum Strategy, received significant governmental support and aims to establish the UK as a global leader in quantum-enabled technologies. Science Minister Andrew Griffith, who attended the final test flight, highlighted the importance of secure and accurate navigation systems for critical infrastructures. This breakthrough paves the way for the future deployment of quantum navigation systems, enhancing navigational accuracy and resilience beyond traditional GPS reliance.
evolutionQ Unveils MultimodalKES, a New Cryptography Protocol Offering Increased Protection Against Classical and Quantum Cyber Threats
evolutionQ, a leader in quantum-safe cybersecurity, launched “MultimodalKES™,” a novel cryptographic protocol designed for establishing quantum-safe end-to-end encryption keys, enhancing long-term security communications. Announced at the 10th annual ETSI/IQC Quantum Safe Cryptography Conference in Singapore, MultimodalKES integrates symmetric cryptography, post-quantum cryptography, and current asymmetric key cryptography. This combination provides a robust defense against classical and quantum computing attacks and is compatible with protocols like TLS and IPSec across various infrastructures. The protocol, compatible with quantum key distribution systems, addresses significant security challenges and is adaptable to future threats. EvolutionQ also released a white paper detailing this protocol, emphasizing its resilience and capability to protect critical data against evolving cyber threats.
IQM Quantum Computers announces plans to build a fabrication facility in France
IQM Quantum Computers (IQM), a leader in the quantum computing industry, announced the development of a new industrial-grade fabrication facility in France during the Choose France summit on May 13, 2024. This facility, set to be the first in Europe for high-throughput production of large-scale quantum processors, will complement IQM’s existing operations in Espoo, Finland. Supported by the French government and part of the France 2030 investment plan, the initiative aims to strengthen France’s position in quantum technology and foster European competitiveness in the sector. The project, developed in collaboration with CEA-Leti in Grenoble, is a significant step towards achieving quantum sovereignty in Europe and aligns with broader EU strategies like the EU Chips Act.
PSNC and ORCA Computing Announce Collaboration with NVIDIA to Accelerate the Development of Hybrid Quantum Classical High-Performance Computing
ORCA Computing, Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC), and NVIDIA have announced a collaboration to advance hybrid quantum-classical computing approaches, marking a significant step in the evolution of computational technology. This partnership combines PSNC’s high-performance computing infrastructure, ORCA’s quantum computing expertise, and NVIDIA’s advanced GPU technologies to enhance the development of algorithms and applications across sectors like biology and chemistry. The collaboration will leverage multiple quantum computers, including ORCA’s PT-1 Series quantum photonic systems and NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q quantum platform, to pioneer new computational paradigms and accelerate existing compute-intensive workloads. This initiative not only underscores the growing sophistication of the quantum computing ecosystem but also promises to unlock unprecedented computational capabilities and solutions for complex real-world challenges.
Zapata AI Welcomes Sumit Kapur as Chief Financial Officer
Zapata Computing Holdings Inc. (“Zapata AI“), a Nasdaq-listed industrial generative AI company, announced the appointment of Sumit Kapur as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective May 20, 2024. Kapur, who brings extensive experience in AI, investment banking, and scaling businesses, will start immediately as Vice President of finance during a transition period. Previously, he significantly enhanced revenue growth at 3Degrees through strategic initiatives and held roles at major investment banking firms. He replaces Mimi Flanagan, who departs for personal reasons. CEO Christopher Savoie highlighted Kapur’s financial expertise as crucial for driving Zapata AI’s expansion across various sectors, including financial services, life sciences, and government. Savoie also acknowledged Flanagan’s contributions to the company’s success during its transition to public trading. Excited about his new role, Sumit Kapur emphasized his alignment with Zapata’s vision to redefine industrial generative AI through significant operational insights and value creation.
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics Researchers generate two-dimensional “graph states” for the first time
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, led by Olivier Morin in Gerhard Rempe’s department, have achieved a significant breakthrough by experimentally creating ring-shaped and tree-shaped quantum graph states for the first time. Published in Nature, this development is critical for advancing quantum information technologies like quantum computers and the quantum internet. These complex graph states, visualized abstractly as “stars,” “rings,” or “trees,” represent intricate forms of entanglement among multiple quantum bits (qubits), simplifying the massive computational and formulaic demands typically associated with such states. This innovation could enhance the stability of quantum messages in a future quantum internet, envisioned by Rempe, where light quanta are entangled to form more loss-resistant quantum messages. The successful creation of these graph states marks a major step forward in the practical development of quantum technologies, potentially leading to more robust and efficient quantum computing and communication systems.
In Other News: Time Magazine article: “Gen AI Has Already Taken the World by Storm. Just Wait Until It Gets a Quantum Boost”
In the 1970s, when Lawrence Gasman (now a co-founder of IQT) sought a PhD topic, the lack of advanced processors limited AI research, a recent Time Magazine article highlights. Decades later, enhanced computing technologies like Nvidia’s GPUs have revolutionized artificial intelligence, enabling generative AI (gen AI) to transform various industries by rapidly facilitating customized digital content creation. Now, quantum computing is poised to amplify AI’s capabilities further, utilizing qubits that operate in multiple states simultaneously, significantly increasing processing power and mimicking complex natural processes more effectively. This potential synergy between quantum computing and gen AI is drawing significant attention, with developments like IBM’s new quantum processors representing substantial advances in the field. Quantum computing’s integration with AI could accelerate technological innovations, offering profound benefits across diverse sectors, from secure communications to complex problem-solving in climate science, underlining a critical phase in the advancement of computational technologies.
In Other News: Research and Markets report: “Global Quantum Computing Industry Research 2024-2029: Focus on Optimization, Simulation, Machine Learning, Trapped Ions, Quantum Annealing, Superconducting Qubits”
The quantum computing market is poised for significant growth, projected to expand from USD 1.3 billion in 2024 to USD 5.3 billion by 2029, with a robust compound annual growth rate of 32.7%, according to a recent Research and Markets report. This surge is fueled by technological advancements, government initiatives, and increasing applications in sectors like banking, finance, and energy. South Korea is emerging as a hub for quantum research, thanks to its leading institutions such as KAIST and POSTECH. Major market players include IBM, D-Wave Quantum Inc., Amazon, Microsoft, and Rigetti Computing. The market is experiencing rapid growth in the systems segment, including quantum computers and processors and simulation applications crucial for research in healthcare and nanotechnology. Additionally, the energy & power sector is becoming a prominent end-user of quantum computing, driven by the needs of the nuclear and renewable energy sectors. The comprehensive report on this market will provide stakeholders with insights into drivers, restraints, opportunities, and competitive analyses, aiding in strategic planning and market positioning.