Monthly Archives: June 2022

The insatiable need to compress time to insights from massive and complex datasets is fueling the demand for quantum computing integration into high performance computing (HPC) environments. Such an integration would allow enterprises to accelerate and optimize current HPC applications and processes by simulating and emulating them on todays noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) computers.

Currently, enterprises are reliant on the advantages that can be achieved using only classical accelerator technology such as GPUs and FPGAs. However, HPC systems are limited in their ability to process and analyze large amounts of data needed to execute multiple workflows, even with the added compute power of classical accelerators. Using quantum computing technologies, not only will enterprises be able to accelerate current HPC processes, but they will also be empowered to solve intractable industry problems beyond the scope of the most advanced classical compute systems.

Today, quantum computing systems are still in early development and far from commercial maturity. Quantum computing hardware vendors are challenged in their ability to stabilize and scale the large number of qubits needed to solve complex problems and allow for error correction due to decoherence. As a result, NISQ machines cannot provide a means for enterprises to realize a quantum advantage, defined by IDC as being able to solve a problem that has actual value to a business, humanity, or otherwise.

Despite these challenges, enterprises are investing in quantum initiatives to identify uses cases and develop algorithms so that they are quantum ready when a fault-tolerant universal machine is realized. As a result, government entities, such as China, Germany and the US; IT industry leaders such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services (AWS); and private investors are escalating funding for quantum computing to push this technology to new levels of maturity.

IDC expects investments in the quantum computing market will reach nearly $16.4 billion by the end of 2027. IDC believes that these investments will lead to waves of technology innovation and breakthroughs that will allow organizations to apply quantum computing to a diverse and expanding group of use cases that involve the analysis of huge amounts of diverse datasets, exponentially large numbers of variables, and an inexhaustible number of possible outcomes.

The ability to address large-scale use cases using quantum computing is possible due to the qubits unique superpositioning and entanglement properties. Quantum and classical computers store and compute data based on a series of 0s and 1s. In classical computing, this is done using a bit. Bits are only capable of holding the values of 0 or 1. Bits cannot hold the value of 0 and 1 simultaneously. Qubits do have this capability. This property is referred to as superposition. Through qubit entanglement, a pair of qubits is connected or linked. Change in the state of one qubit results in a simultaneous, predictable change in the other qubit. Combined, the quantum properties of superpositioning and entanglement provide qubits the ability to process more data faster, cheaper, and better (more accurately or precisely) than a classical computer. As a result, enterprises can use quantum computing systems to explore new and unique use cases which can accelerate current business processes and workloads.

The list of use cases is growing at a rapid pace. Included in this list are performance intensive compute (PIC) specific use cases that address newly defined problems, refine solutions generated and iterated in the PIC environment, simulate quantum algorithms, and more. Energized by this innovative technology, many enterprises dont want to delay the commencement of their quantum journey. Approximately 8 out of 10 enterprises that are currently investing, or planning to invest, in quantum computing expect to integrate quantum computing technologies as a hybrid model to enhance their current performance intensive computing (PIC) capabilities. Because of this trend, IDC anticipates that several performance-intensive computing workloads will initially be turbocharged by quantum computing-based accelerators. Yet, in the long-term many of these workloads will eventually cross the computing paradigm and become quantum only.

Quantum and classical hardware vendors are working to develop quantum and quantum-inspired computing systems dedicated to solving HPC problems. For example, using a co-design approach, quantum start-up IQM is mapping quantum applications and algorithms directly to the quantum processor to develop an application-specific superconducting computer. The result is a quantum system optimized to run particular applications such as HPC workloads. In collaboration with Atos, quantum hardware start-up, Pascal is working to incorporate its neutral-atom quantum processors into HPC environments. NVIDIAs cuQuantum Appliance and cuQuantum software development kit provide enterprises the quantum simulation hardware and developer tools needed to integrate and run quantum simulations in HPC environments.

At a more global level, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) announced its funding for the High-Performance Computer and Quantum Simulator (HPCQS) hybrid project. According the EuroHPC JU, the goal of the project is to prepare Europe for the post-exascale era by integrating two 100+ qubit quantum simulators into two supercomputers and developing the quantum computing platform, both of which will be accessible via the cloud.

Due to the demand for hybrid quantum-HPC systems, other classical and quantum hardware and software vendors have announced that they too are working to develop a hybrid quantum-HPC solutions. For example, compute infrastructure vendor, HPE, is extending its R&D focus into quantum computing by specializing in the co-development of quantum accelerators. Because quantum software vendor, Zapata, foresees quantum computing, HPC, and machine learning converging, the company is creating the Orquestra Universal Scheduler to manage task executions on HPC clusters and current HPC resources.

Yet, recent results from an IDC survey indicate that approximately 15% of enterprises are still deterred from quantum computing adoption. For quantum computing to take off, a quantum computing workforce made up of quantum scientists, physicists, engineers, developers, and operators needs to evolve. However, this should not deter enterprises from beginning their quantum computing journeys. Instead, hesitant adopters should take advantage of the development and consulting services offered by quantum hardware and software vendors, as well as IT consultants that specialize in quantum computing technologies. Because the choice is clear, become quantum ready or be left behind. IDC projects that worldwide customer spend for quantum computing will grow to $8.6 billion in 2027.

Authors

Heather West, Ph.D., Senior Research Analyst, Infrastructure Systems, Platforms and Technologies Group, IDC

Ashish Nadkami, Group Vice President, Infrastructure Systems, Platforms and Technologies Group, IDC

Sample of IDC Reports

Worldwide Quantum Computing Forecast, 2021-2025: Imminent Disruption for the Next Decade

IDCs Worldwide Quantum Computing Taxonomy, 2022

Emerging Trends in End-User Adoption of Quantum Computing-as-a-Service Solutions

2021 Worldwide Quantum Technologies Use Case Report

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IDC Perspective on Integration of Quantum Computing and HPC - HPCwire

Perhaps the most famously weird feature of quantum mechanics is nonlocality: Measure one particle in an entangled pair whose partner is miles away, and the measurement seems to rip through the intervening space to instantaneously affect its partner. This spooky action at a distance (as Albert Einstein called it) has been the main focus of tests of quantum theory.

Nonlocality is spectacular. I mean, its like magic, said Adn Cabello, a physicist at the University of Seville in Spain.

But Cabello and others are interested in investigating a lesser-known but equally magical aspect of quantum mechanics: contextuality. Contextuality says that properties of particles, such as their position or polarization, exist only within the context of a measurement. Instead of thinking of particles properties as having fixed values, consider them more like words in language, whose meanings can change depending on the context: Timeflies likean arrow. Fruitflies likebananas.

Although contextuality has lived in nonlocalitys shadow for over 50 years, quantum physicists now consider it more of a hallmark feature of quantum systems than nonlocality is. A single particle, for instance, is a quantum system in which you cannot even think about nonlocality, since the particle is only in one location, said Brbara Amaral, a physicist at the University of So Paulo in Brazil. So [contextuality] is more general in some sense, and I think this is important to really understand the power of quantum systems and to go deeper into why quantum theory is the way it is.

Researchers have also found tantalizing links between contextuality and problems that quantum computers can efficiently solve that ordinary computers cannot; investigating these links could help guide researchers in developing new quantum computing approaches and algorithms.

And with renewed theoretical interest comes a renewed experimental effort to prove that our world is indeed contextual. In February, Cabello, in collaboration with Kihwan Kim at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, published a paper in which they claimed to have performed the first loophole-free experimental test of contextuality.

The Northern Irish physicist John Stewart Bell is widely credited with showing that quantum systems can be nonlocal. By comparing the outcomes of measurements of two entangled particles, he showed with his eponymous theorem of 1965 that the high degree of correlations between the particles cant possibly be explained in terms of local hidden variables defining each ones separate properties. The information contained in the entangled pair must be shared nonlocally between the particles.

Bell also proved a similar theorem about contextuality. He and, separately, Simon Kochen and Ernst Specker showed that it is impossible for a quantum system to have hidden variables that define the values of all their properties in all possible contexts.

In Kochen and Speckers version of the proof, they considered a single particle with a quantum property called spin, which has both a magnitude and a direction. Measuring the spins magnitude along any direction always results in one of two outcomes: 1 or 0. The researchers then asked: Is it possible that the particle secretly knows what the result of every possible measurement will be before it is measured? In other words, could they assign a fixed value a hidden variable to all outcomes of all possible measurements at once?

Quantum theory says that the magnitudes of the spins along three perpendicular directions must obey the 101 rule: The outcomes of two of the measurements must be 1 and the other must be 0. Kochen and Specker used this rule to arrive at a contradiction. First, they assumed that each particle had a fixed, intrinsic value for each direction of spin. They then conducted a hypothetical spin measurement along some unique direction, assigning either 0 or 1 to the outcome. They then repeatedly rotated the direction of their hypothetical measurement and measured again, each time either freely assigning a value to the outcome or deducing what the value must be in order to satisfy the 101 rule together with directions they had previously considered.

They continued until, in the 117th direction, the contradiction cropped up. While they had previously assigned a value of 0 to the spin along this direction, the 101 rule was now dictating that the spin must be 1. The outcome of a measurement could not possibly return both 0 and 1. So the physicists concluded that there is no way a particle can have fixed hidden variables that remain the same regardless of context.

While the proof indicated that quantum theory demands contextuality, there was no way to actually demonstrate this through 117 simultaneous measurements of a single particle. Physicists have since devised more practical, experimentally implementable versions of the original Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem involving multiple entangled particles, where a particular measurement on one particle defines a context for the others.

In 2009, contextuality, a seemingly esoteric aspect of the underlying fabric of reality, got a direct application: One of the simplified versions of the original Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem was shown to be equivalent to a basic quantum computation.

The proof, named Mermins star after its originator, David Mermin, considered various combinations of contextual measurements that could be made on three entangled quantum bits, or qubits. The logic of how earlier measurements shape the outcomes of later measurements has become the basis for an approach called measurement-based quantum computing. The discovery suggested that contextuality might be key to why quantum computers can solve certain problems faster than classical computers an advantage that researchers have struggled mightily to understand.

Robert Raussendorf, a physicist at the University of British Columbia and a pioneer of measurement-based quantum computing, showed that contextuality is necessary for a quantum computer to beat a classical computer at some tasks, but he doesnt think its the whole story. Whether contextuality powers quantum computers is probably not exactly the right the question to ask, he said. But we need to get there question by question. So we ask a question that we understand how to ask; we get an answer. We ask the next question.

Some researchers have suggested loopholes around Bell, Kochen and Speckers conclusion that the world is contextual. They argue that context-independent hidden variables havent been conclusively ruled out.

In February, Cabello and Kim announced that they had closed every plausible loophole by performing a loophole free Bell-Kochen-Specker experiment.

The experiment entailed measuring the spins of two entangled trapped ions in various directions, where the choice of measurement on one ion defined the context for the other ion. The physicists showed that, although making a measurement on one ion does not physically affect the other, it changes the context and hence the outcome of the second ions measurement.

Skeptics would ask: How can you be certain that the context created by the first measurement is what changed the second measurement outcome, rather than other conditions that might vary from experiment to experiment? Cabello and Kim closed this sharpness loophole by performing thousands of sets of measurements and showing that the outcomes dont change if the context doesnt. After ruling out this and other loopholes, they concluded that the only reasonable explanation for their results is contextuality.

Cabello and others think that these experiments could be used in the future to test the level of contextuality and hence, the power of quantum computing devices.

If you want to really understand how the world is working, said Cabello, you really need to go into the detail of quantum contextuality.

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The Spooky Quantum Phenomenon You've Never Heard Of - Quanta Magazine

Flashes of what may become a transformative new technology are coursing through a network of optic fibers under Chicago.

Researchers have created one of the worlds largest networks for sharing quantum information a field of science that depends on paradoxes so strange that Albert Einstein didnt believe them.

The network, which connects the University of Chicago with Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, is a rudimentary version of what scientists hope someday to become the internet of the future. For now, its opened up to businesses and researchers to test fundamentals of quantum information sharing.

The network was announced this week by the Chicago Quantum Exchange which also involves Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin.

With a $500 million federal investment in recent years and $200 million from the state, Chicago, Urbana-Champaign, and Madison form a leading region for quantum information research.

Why does this matter to the average person? Because quantum information has the potential to help crack currently unsolvable problems, both threaten and protect private information, and lead to breakthroughs in agriculture, medicine and climate change.

While classical computing uses bits of information containing either a 1 or zero, quantum bits, or qubits, are like a coin flipped in the air they contain both a 1 and zero, to be determined once its observed.

That quality of being in two or more states at once, called superposition, is one of the many paradoxes of quantum mechanics how particles behave at the atomic and subatomic level. Its also a potentially crucial advantage, because it can handle exponentially more complex problems.

Another key aspect is the property of entanglement, in which qubits separated by great distances can still be correlated, so a measurement in one place reveals a measurement far away.

The newly expanded Chicago network, created in collaboration with Toshiba, distributes particles of light, called photons. Trying to intercept the photons destroys them and the information they contain making it far more difficult to hack.

The new network allows researchers to push the boundaries of what is currently possible, said University of Chicago professor David Awschalom, director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

However, researchers must solve many practical problems before large-scale quantum computing and networking are possible.

For instance, researchers at Argonne are working on creating a foundry where dependable qubits could be forged. One example is a diamond membrane with tiny pockets to hold and process qubits of information. Researchers at Argonne also have created a qubit by freezing neon to hold a single electron.

Because quantum phenomena are extremely sensitive to any disturbance, they might also be used as tiny sensors for medical or other applications but theyd also have to be made more durable.

The quantum network was launched at Argonne in 2020, but has now expanded to Hyde Park and opened for use by businesses and researchers to test new communication devices, security protocols and algorithms. Any venture that depends on secure information, such as banks financial records of hospital medical records, would potentially use such a system.

Quantum computers, while in development now, may someday be able to perform far more complex calculations than current computers, such as folding proteins, which could be useful in developing drugs to treat diseases such as Alzheimers.

In addition to driving research, the quantum field is stimulating economic development in the region. A hardware company, EeroQ, announced in January that its moving its headquarters to Chicago. Another local software company, Super.tech, was recently acquired, and several others are starting up in the region.

Because quantum computing could be used to hack into traditional encryption, it has also attracted the bipartisan attention of federal lawmakers. The National Quantum Initiative Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018 to accelerate quantum development for national security purposes.

In May, President Joe Biden directed federal agency to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptography on its most critical defense and intelligence systems.

Ironically, basic mathematical problems, such as 5+5=10, are somewhat difficult through quantum computing. Quantum information is likely to be used for high-end applications, while classical computing will likely continue to be practical for many daily uses.

Renowned physicist Einstein famously scoffed at the paradoxes and uncertainties of quantum mechanics, saying that God does not play dice with the universe. But quantum theories have been proven correct in applications from nuclear energy to MRIs.

Stephen Gray, senior scientist at Argonne, who works on algorithms to run on quantum computers, said quantum work is very difficult, and that no one understands it fully.

But there have been significant developments in the field over the past 30 years, leading to what some scientists jokingly called Quantum 2.0, with practical advances expected over the next decade.

Were betting in the next five to 10 years therell be a true quantum advantage (over classical computing), Gray said. Were not there yet. Some naysayers shake their canes and say its never going to happen. But were positive.

Just as early work on conventional computers eventually led to cellphones, its hard to predict where quantum research will lead, said Brian DeMarco, professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who works with the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

Thats why its an exciting time, he said. The most important applications are yet to be discovered.

See more here:

Chicago Quantum Exchange takes first steps toward a future that could revolutionize computing, medicine and cybersecurity - Finger Lakes Times

Technology is always changing and we can expect all sorts of new initiatives to take place in the next five years that will change how we live. Below are some of the most interesting technology trends we see coming in the next several years.

We have been reading a great deal about the software development of the Metaverse and what the new Facebook initiative could look like in a few years. While it isnt yet possible to live in the Metaverse, we think in five years, it will possible to fully immerse yourself there.

Right now, the Metaverse is where the World Wide Web was in the mid-90s. Many people believe once it advances and improves, the Metaverse will have a revolutionary impact on us like the Internet did. Its expected this will forever change how we socialize, work, and live, and organizations that dont adapt to the Metaverse will be wiped out.

The big driver of the Metaverse experience is gaming. As the Metaverses technical capabilities grow, more games will be available there that completely immerse you in the experience. And that life-changing experience is what will make people move to the Metaverse.

We could eventually get to the point where people live most of their lives in the Metaverse.

One of the major concerns for many organizations today is the lag that can affect how operations are managed. That is why many industries are concentrating on how efficient and responsive computers are so data can be analyzed as quickly as possible. This is where edge computing comes into the picture.

Edge computing brings computer processes and data storage closer to organizations and reduces response times and lowers the amount of bandwidth used.

Some advantages of edge computing that we will see in the future are:

Many people think drones will be much more common by 2024 and 2025. Right now, drones are mainly used only by videographers and photographers. But soon, drones will be cheap enough that a lot of people will want to own them. And with improved technology, they will be able to be flown for many hours at a time without a recharge.

Drones also will not require permission from the government in the next few years, so they could be used for more things. For instance, drones may be used more to find people or animals that are lost. There also could be more use of drones to deliver consumer goods.

There will be a time soon when none of us can go through a day without seeing a drone.

Many of us only think about blockchain technology in terms of cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Bitcoin. However, blockchain offers many types of security that are beneficial in other areas.

Blockchain is data that only can be added to and cannot be taken from or changed. Because the data cannot be changed, it makes it extremely secure. Also, blockchain is driven by consensus so no one person or organization controls the data. Blockchain means there isnt a third-party gatekeeper keeping control of the transactions.

Artificial intelligence will grow by leaps and bounds in the next few years. Recently, the idea of AI has advanced as researchers and scientists have found more innovative ways to use the tech.

We think one area that will expand rapidly for AI is healthcare. With the development of artificial neural networks and advanced deep learning, medical professionals will be able to do intellectual tasks a lot faster.

Further, AI in the medical field will help doctors to leverage data to notice patterns that can make the delivery of healthcare a more personal experience. Healthcare could see major changes because of AI with healthcare professionals spending more of their time working with the patient rather than understanding the diagnosis.

Cloud computing will only get bigger in the coming years as more organizations large and small put their data in the cloud and stop relying on local servers. We can expect a large transition to cloud computing in the next five years in many organizations, businesses, and industries.

There also will be more advances in alternatives to cloud computing, including edge computing (which we detail on this list) and fog computing. Fog computing bypasses the challenges with cloud computing not being able to process massive amounts of data in a short time.

Fog computing moves every function the networks edge so speeds are much faster.

RPA, like machine learning and AI, is another emerging technology that will automate many jobs. RPA involves the use of software to automate routine business processes including processing technologies, interpreting applications, manipulating data, and even answering texts and emails. RPA will essentially automate common tasks that people once did by hand.

Some sources estimate that robotic process automation will threaten the jobs of more than 200 million people and up to 9% of the workforce around the globe. RPA, however, also will create new jobs, and it is believed that most jobs can only be partially automated, not entirely replaced.

Tech professionals who want to learn the ins and outs of RPA will find jobs as RPA developers, analysts, and architects.

No list of emerging tech trends is ever complete without talking about 5G. This is the new generation standard in mobile comms that offers faster speeds and reduced latency. This is great news because so many of us use our phones all the time to live our busy lives.

Of course, 5G networks have been developed for many years. But now the networks are starting to go online and 5G is offering much faster speeds on mobile devices and Internet connections are more reliable.

With so much more wireless bandwidth available, its not possible for more IoT devices to connect with each other. There also will be more possibilities in the future for self-driving vehicles and even smart cities. All of these things will be made possible by much faster wireless data transfers with 5G networks.

Quantum computing is a type of computing that uses quantum principles including quantum entanglement and superposition. This intriguing trend in technology is also part of preventing the spread of viruses and developing new vaccines. These things are possible with quantum computing because of the ease of monitoring, querying, and acting on data, no matter the source.

Quantum computing also should be of use in the future in finance and banking to reduce credit risk and detect fraud.

Quantum computers are now much faster than conventional computers and large brands of computers are now making significant advances in quantum computing.

This list of technology trends in the next several years shows how much technology changes in a short time. While all of these technologies are still relatively early in their lifecycles, we can expect that they will continue to improve and evolve in the next five years.

By the time another five years passes, its hard to imagine how much more advanced technology will be but we are sure it will be impressive!

Nate Nead is the CEO & Managing Member of Nead, LLC, a consulting company that provides strategic advisory services across multiple disciplines including finance, marketing and software development. For over a decade Nate had provided strategic guidance on M&A, capital procurement, technology and marketing solutions for some of the most well-known online brands. He and his team advise Fortune 500 and SMB clients alike. The team is based in Seattle, Washington; El Paso, Texas and West Palm Beach, Florida.

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Top 9 Technology Trends In The Next 5 Years - ReadWrite