Monthly Archives: July 2021

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Start-up Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has launched the UK's first homegrown Quantum Computing as-a-Service (QCaaS) platform, making the first quantum computer built in the UK with proprietary technology accessible to enterprises and strategic partners.

OQC's patented Coaxmon superconducting qubit array uses a 3D architecture that the company says will make quantum computing much easier to scale than other architectures for new commercial applications.

The move is part of a trend within the sector to put quantum processing in the cloud within a suite of enterprise applications. Google, AWS, Microsoft, and others, all have a presence in a space opened in 2016 when IBM made an early quantum processor available as an on-demand service.

Spun out of Oxford University in 2017, OQC believes its private-cloud approach and focus on industries such as financial services and cybersecurity give it real commercial potential, supported by the UK's diverse and growing network of quantum start-ups in applications, hardware, sensors, and more.

Under the now defunct Industrial Strategy and its COVID-era replacement, the Plan for Growth, quantum computing is a strategic priority for the UK, along with related technologies, such as quantum applications, sensors, communications, and timing.

Dr Ilana Wisby is OQC's CEO. She believes the UK has the potential to establish a genuine leadership position in this fast-emerging field, despite a handful of American behemoths' ability to throw dollars at solving problems.

She says:

Throwing money at things does not always win. With quantum computing it will help, of course, but it's not going to determine who is the winner. The key word is leadership. And with anything new, there is a huge opportunity to lead. The UK has led with the pioneering Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and a pioneering strategy led by the government, and we can now lead in creating and winning in this sector.

There's probably 19, 20, or more companies in the UK that are focused on this kind of deep-tech quantum technology delivery, whether that is software or hardware. At OQC, we just spun out earlier, we are more mature as a company, and with our strategy and the core technology, we've been able to scale and deliver this product to market sooner and effectively, so we are the first platform.

We're seeing quantum companies attracted to the UK, as an epicentre for the industry. We are not afraid of the competition. What we have from universities is incredible innovation, which will help us make sure that we can scale effectively and deliver high-performance quantum computers at significantly lower cost.

Dr Wisby has a quantum physics PhD herself, but saw a more exciting path in entrepreneurship than in academia - evidenced by OQC launching its Series A funding round last week on the back of the cloud announcement. She explains:

I got frustrated with the academic environment, and the impacts that I could make with that, and found my love, entrepreneurship, through an internship while I was writing my thesis. I did work with two start-ups very closely linked to deep tech and was able to see how I could take technology that was coined and ideated within a university environment, but help pull it out and towards having a real-world impact.

Given the increasing trend to spin ventures out of the UK's universities - in areas such as quantum tech, AI, and robotics - are entrepreneurship and academia still sitting in separate worlds? Or are they increasingly intertwined?

Yes, absolutely right [they are intertwined]. I sit on an advisory board, which is all about helping, particularly with diversity, to ensure that we're promoting entrepreneurship. I do think it's a trend, supported by credible funds that are able to recognise and help high potential, and take that to fruition.

Sciences, fundamentally, are so important for the UK ecosystem. And I think people will look more to science and as an opportunity and be excited by it, to bring it out and make an impact with it.

Has Brexit made that task harder, given that many start-ups' route to new markets has been through Europe, while research, collaboration, and funding opportunities have come from the continent too? She says:

We haven't seen any impact so far. I know there was some concern on the European side with Horizon, but that has been resolved. We have got money and the UK's strategy towards quantum continues to be pioneering. There is still good funding and support for this space coming from the government, and we are incredibly appreciative of that.

The results certainly seem to speak for themselves. She says:

We are seeing a lot more end-market interest now. We have several projects with enterprise customers that I'm not able to talk about yet, but there is a lot of interest - in cybersecurity, finance, pharmaceutical, and other trend areas. Forward-thinking enterprises are making sure they get first-mover advantage and are actively engaging with quantum as a disruptive technology.

Being able to work with customers is important, to understand their needs so we can make sure that the quantum computer as a service we're delivering is built to their specifications. We're open, but it's in Beta, so it's still a collaborative activity.

We are particularly interested in talking to enterprise users that have problems where we can have an impact, so we can start to do things that haven't been possible before, and which one day will lead to really high-impact applications.

Great news for the UK, and a sign that the country's entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well, in the hands of a young, ambitious, and, increasingly, women-led group of innovators.

The first company to access OQC's cloud platform - for its IronBridge quantum cybersecurity demonstrator - will be 2014 start-up Cambridge Quantum Computing, another spin-out from the UK's varsity system. In June, that company merged with Honeywell Quantum Solutions to create an integrated provider that will remain in Cambridge, backed by US industry contacts.

Originally posted here:

Oxford Quantum Circuits launches quantum computing in the cloud - Diginomica

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A University of Surrey report co-authored by Stephen Holmes, Chief Product Officer at Arqit Limited (Arqit), a global leader in quantum encryption technology, and Professor Liqun Chen, Professor in Secure Systems at the University of Surrey, released today identifies the definitive threat posed to Digital Assets unless urgent changes are made to their cryptography.

With increasing global investment, quantum computing technology is developing quickly towards the point where it will have sufficient power to break the digital signatures used in digital assets. As central banks and large enterprises are now seriously considering the large- scale use of digital assets, this is more important than ever. This research assesses the attack mechanisms employed by a quantum computer and when they will arise. It covers:

Arqits Founder, Chairman and CEO, David Williams said, The University of Surrey research paper highlights some critical issues that must be addressed and prioritised to ensure all digital assets are secure against quantum computer attacks. With mass digitisation of almost every aspect of our society already underway, and a number of governments considering the launch of their own digital currencies, this is now a global issue. The world needs stronger, simpler encryption to counter the major attacks seen daily today, and the quantum attack of tomorrow. We welcome this research which elaborates well the things that the digital assets community must consider to mitigate these cryptographic threats.

About the researchers:Stephen Holmes is Chief Product Officer at Arqit. He has 30 years of experience in IT, including appointments as CTO, consultant, enterprise architect, and product manager of disruptive innovation. He conducted his PhD research in post quantum cryptography applied to blockchain at the University of Surrey. Stephen has a wide range of experience in commercialising disruptive technologies and has worked at IBM laboratories, Hewlett Packard and was co-founder and CTO of Virtusa Xlabs. Stephen holds an MBA, specialising in marketing innovative products and services. Stephen has a passion for building secure systems and protecting privacy, and writes extensively about security, privacy, and quantum technologies. He represents the UK as a subject matter expert on ISO tc307 blockchain and DLT systems.

Prof Liqun Chen joined the Department of Computer Science at the University of Surrey as Professor in Secure Systems in 2016. Prior to this appointment, she was a Principal Research Scientist at Hewlett Packard Laboratories in Bristol, UK, which she joined in 1997. Before that, she worked at Royal Holloway, University of London, and the University of Oxford. Her research interests include applied cryptography, trusted computing, and network security.

-ends-

About Arqit Limited:Arqit supplies a unique quantum encryption Platform-as-a-Service which secures the communications links of any networked device against current and future forms of attack even from a quantum computer. Arqits product, QuantumCloud, enables any device to download a lightweight software agent of less than 200 lines of code, which can create keys in partnership with any other device. The keys are, computationally secure, dont exist until the moment they are needed and can never be known to a third party. QuantumCloud can create limitless volumes of keys in limitless group sizes and can regulate the secure entrance and exit of a device in a group. The addressable market for QuantumCloud is every connected device. The release of QuantumCloudTM 1.0 will launch to the first cohort of customers in the second half of 2021, with $130M in contracts already committed*.

*As of release date

On May 12, 2021, Arqit entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Centricus Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: CENHU, CENH, CENHUW), a special purpose acquisition company, which would result in Arqit becoming a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the name Arqit Quantum Inc.

Additional InformationThis communication is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving Arqit Limited (Arqit), Centricus Acquisition Corp. (Centricus) and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Pubco), a newly formed Cayman holding company. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. In connection with the proposed transaction, Pubco has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a registration statement on Form F-4 that includes a proxy statement of Centricus in connection with Centricus solicitation of proxies for the vote by Centricus shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction and other matters as may be described in the registration statement. Pubco and Centricus also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction and a proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to all holders of Centricus Class A ordinary shares. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE FORM F-4 AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Arqit and Centricus will be available without charge at the SECs Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, when available, without charge, from Arqits website at http://www.arqit.uk, or by directing a request to: Centricus Acquisition Corp., PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1- 1104, Cayman Islands.

Participants in the SolicitationsArqit, Centricus and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Centricus shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Centricus directors and executive officers and their ownership of Centricus securities will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus when available. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or SolicitationThis communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom.

Caution About Forward-Looking StatementsThis communication includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Arqits and Centricuss expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Arqits and Centricuss control. Forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Arqit and Centricus to predict these events or how they may affect Arqit and Centricus. Except as required by law, neither Arqit and Centricus has any duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere after the date this communication is issued. In light of these risks and uncertainties, investors should keep in mind that results, events or developments discussed in any forward-looking statement made in this communication may not occur. Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect Arqits and Centricuss future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: (i) that the business combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of Centricus securities, (ii) the risk that the business combination may not be completed by Centricus business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought by Centricus, (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the business combination, including the approval of the Business Combination Agreement by the shareholders of Centricus and the satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following any redemptions by Centricus public shareholders, (iv) the lack of a thirdparty valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the business combination, (v) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, (vi) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the business combination on the Companys business relationships, operating results, and business generally, (vii) risks that the business combination disrupt current plans and operations of the Company, (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company or against Centricus related to the Business Combination Agreement or the business combination, (ix) the ability to maintain the listing of Centricus securities on a national securities exchange, (x) changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which the Company operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Companys business and changes in the combined capital structure, (xi) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (xii) the potential inability of the Company to convert its pipeline or orders in backlog into revenue, (xiii) the potential inability of the Company to successfully deliver its operational technology which is still in development, (xiv) the potential delay of the commercial launch of the Companys products, (xv) the risk of interruption or failure of the Companys information technology and communications system and (xvi) the enforceability of the Companys intellectual property.

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Research by University of Surrey and Arqit reveals Quantum Threat to Digital Assets - Business Wire

Researchers have discovered new and more efficient computational methods to combine the reliability of classical computers with the strength of quantum systems.

This new computational method opens the door to a variety of algorithms and experiments that bring quantum researchers closer to discovering short-term applications and technologies.

In the future, quantum computers will be able to be used in a variety of applications, such as removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, developing artificial limbs, and designing more efficient medicines, said quantum computing research. A senior researcher at the institute, Christine Muschik (IQC) and a faculty member of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo.

The IQC research team, affiliated with the University of Insbrook, is the first team to propose a measurement-based approach with a regular computer-based feedback loop and invent new ways to tackle hard computing problems. These methods are resource efficient and customized for specific types of problems, allowing small quantum states to be used.

Hybrid computing, in which a regular computer processor and a quantum coprocessor are paired in a feedback loop, provides researchers with a more robust and flexible approach than trying to use a quantum computer alone.

Researchers are currently building hybrid computers based on quantum gates, but Muschiks research team was interested in quantum computation that could be performed without gates. They designed an algorithm that performs hybrid quantum classical computations by performing a series of measurements in intertwined quantum states.

The teams theoretical research is good news for quantum software developers and experimenters as it provides a new way of thinking about optimization algorithms. This algorithm provides high error tolerance, which is often a problem in quantum systems, and works in a wide range of quantum systems, including the photonic quantum coprocessor.

Hybrid computing is a new frontier in short-term quantum applications. By removing the reliance on quantum gates, Muschik and her team can remove the struggle with cumbersome and delicate resources and instead use intertwined quantum states to allow computers to adapt to the dataset. I believe we can design a feedback loop. I am studying in a more efficient way.

Quantum computers have the potential to solve problems that supercomputers cant solve, but theyre still experimental and fragile, Music said.

This project is funded by CIFAR.

Story source:

material Provided by University of Waterloo.. Note: The content can be edited in style and length.

Combining classical and quantum computing opens the door to new discoveries-ScienceDaily

Source link Combining classical and quantum computing opens the door to new discoveries-ScienceDaily

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Combining classical and quantum computing opens the door to new discoveries-ScienceDaily - Illinoisnewstoday.com

Quantum computing has always seemed like a technology that is far down the road. A quantum future is not distant, however, with companies like IBM Corp. (NYSE:IBM), Alphabet, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), and IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:DMYI) all promising to build game-changing quantum computers over the next decade.

Quantum computers can solve problems exponentially faster than traditional computers. They do this by leveraging superposition, which allows a quantum bit (qubit) to simultaneously exist in multiple states (zeroand one), while bits in a traditional computer must be in one (zeroor one).

Superposition allows quantum computers to test multiple outcomes in parallel, while a traditional computer must test each outcome separately. As such, quantum computing presents imminent security risks to traditional public and private key infrastructure (PKI).

Related Link: Decoding The Stock Market With Quantum Computers

Arqit Ltd. went public in May via SPAC through Centricus Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:CENH).

The company aims to address the issues with current encryption, Equity Development analyst Mike Jeremy said in a July 18note.

Quantum computing presents minimal risk to PKI, yet PKI is challenging to scale and is still not incredibly secure, said the analyst. The recent frequency and scale of information breaches, hack events and cyber-security failures expose vulnerabilities that PKI poses to entities looking to protect numerous cloud-based operations on vast stores of data, said Jeremy.

Arqit has developed a quantum-based encryption system that aims to replace PKI, said the analyst. The system is proven by the laws of physics to be demonstrably unbreakable, he said.

Suggested Reading: Publication of Equity Research Initiation on Arqit

Randomization of quantum keys is central to this holy grail of encryption as it implies the absence of any mathematical process that a computer could use to reverse engineer keys, Jeremy said. Even a quantum computer would take millions of years to crack a key, the analyst said.

Furthermore, endpoints leveraging Arqits tech can randomly borrow keys from 2 quadrillion possibilities, he said. These keys only exist when needed, are discarded once usedand can be refreshed infinitely across a large group of devices, demonstrating the security of randomness, said Jeremy.

The company has packaged its tech stack in a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering dubbed QuantumCloud for commercial use, locking in $130 million in contracts across telecommunications, defense, automationand financial services, said the analyst. QuantumClouds rollout is set for the second half of 2021.

Arqit additionally announced the formation of its international group Arqit Federated Quantum Systemat the June G7 meeting to provide its quantum encryption services to governments and related entities, he said.

FQS deals are expected to generate $25 million each in annual revenue, with Arqit already in talks with five nations, said the analyst.

Suggested Reading: First Pure-Play Quantum Computing Company Comes Public: What Investors Should Know About IonQ

Read more from the original source:

Is Arqit's Quantum Encryption The Future Of Cybersecurity? - Benzinga - Benzinga

While the India-United States (US) strategic partnership started in the second term of the Bill Clinton administration, the defining moment in the relationship was the civil nuclear agreement that the George W Bush administration championed and signed with India. Ties got a further impetus with Barack Obama declaring support for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and the Joe Biden administrations push to further the strategic agenda between the two nations.

A new China, more aggressive and assertive internationally, pushed the US to give its relationship with India strategic importance. The bipartisan support in the US Congress, the influential India-American community, and the role of US business leaders who see India as the next big production centre and market are other factors that played a role. For its part, New Delhi wants to grow economically, militarily and geopolitically, and thinks that a stable and strategic relationship with the US is in Indias interest.

However, geopolitical and geostrategic interests take precedence. The US administration wants to sell defence equipment, and India is happy to buy it. But 21st century wars will not be fought with boots on the ground or with aircraft carriers or submarines. It is science, technology, and trade that will determine who wins or loses the war. Therefore, the focus in the India-US relationship needs to shift to science, technology, and trade.

What measures can both countries take to achieve this? First, India and the US need to jointly establish 100 chair professorships in frontier areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), genome technology, nanotechnology, deep ocean exploration, quantum computing, clean energy, and functional materials, and choose their best academics to work in both countries with complete freedom to move, interact and jointly work on those projects.

Second, they need to establish a new joint research council with at least $10 billion funding to support such research projects. Funds for the proposed research council may come from public and private entities and individual donors, with a prominent India-American leading the effort. Third, each of Indias top 20 universities should choose a partner university in the US with a defined budget for research, joint studentships, and a mechanism of free-flowing faculty between them. Fourth, research programmes on translational areas useful in critical sectors such as agriculture, services and pharmaceuticals should be established.

Fifth, discussions on science and technology will not yield dividends unless a robust trade policy is in place. Successive US administrations have indeed wanted to push trade with India to the forefront. However, India has been reluctant due to its domestic compulsions. In critical sectors such as agriculture, reform in India will take time to overcome tariff and non-tariff barriers. The recent farmers agitation gives an idea about the contentious nature of agricultural reforms. For the US, scientific collaborations and selling technology to boost productivity for Indian farmers should take precedence over pushing dairy and other farms produce to the Indian market. India needs to invest heavily in infrastructure, both physical and intellectual, and in technology to authenticate agricultural products to help farmers produce internationally competitive produce. India also needs to open up its services, finance, legal, health care and pharmaceutical sectors to US companies. It is unacceptable that the US goods and services trade with India is less than $150 billion compared to nearly $630 billion with China.

India and the US can be true partners through joint efforts in making the next generation of quantum computers, achieving breakthroughs in the use of AI, making genome sequencing and analysis affordable, designing and building the next generation of airplanes running on clean energy, and making the first woman pair, one Indian and one American, land on Mars. This is the only way the world is going to believe in the true power of democracy.

Binay Panda is a genome scientist and professor, biotechnology and systems medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

The views expressed are personal.

Read more from the original source:

Science and technology is central to strong and lasting Indo-US ties - Hindustan Times