IBM has integrated error suppression technology from Australian start-up Q-CTRL into its cloud quantum services, significantly reducing error rates in quantum computing. The technology, which requires no configuration by end users, optimizes the way algorithms run on hardware, increasing the chances of successful operation. Q-CTRL’s software works with any quantum computing hardware and can boost performance by up to 1000 times. The report from IEEE Spectrum highlights the innovation and breakthroughs.
The company’s CEO, Michael Biercuk, believes this out-of-the-box solution could be a game-changer for companies interested in quantum computing, as it requires no expertise in low-level hardware manipulation.
Quantum Computing: Error Suppression Technology Integrated into IBM Cloud Services
Quantum computers, which utilise the unique properties of quantum mechanics, have the potential to perform computational tasks far beyond the capabilities of even the most powerful supercomputers. However, the quantum states that make this possible are extremely fragile and susceptible to noise, making it a significant challenge to carry out operations before they are overwhelmed by errors.
IBM has recently announced the integration of error suppression technology from Q-CTRL, a start-up based in Sydney, Australia, into its cloud quantum services. This technology allows users to significantly reduce error rates by simply activating a switch. Q-CTRL’s software uses a combination of techniques to increase the likelihood of an algorithm running successfully by several orders of magnitude.
The Challenge of Quantum Error Correction
Large-scale quantum computers are widely accepted to require some form of error correction. The most common methods involve spreading information over a large number of physical qubits to create more robust “logical qubits”. However, this can require as many as a thousand physical qubits for each logical one. Given that today’s largest processors feature just hundreds of qubits, error corrected quantum computing is still a distant prospect.
Q-CTRL’s approach to this issue is “error suppression”, which involves altering how the underlying hardware operates to reduce the likelihood of errors. This technology has now been integrated into IBM’s quantum cloud offerings.
Q-CTRL’s Error Suppression Technology
Q-CTRL’s software requires no configuration by IBM’s end users. Customers accessing IBM’s quantum hardware over the cloud via its Pay-As-You-Go plan will simply see a “performance management” option that can be toggled on and off. Activating this option will engage an automated set of several different software modules that run in the background to optimise the way the user’s algorithm runs on the hardware.
The company’s quantum compiler mathematically optimises the number of logic gates required to run an algorithm before subjecting this minimal circuit to several further error suppressing steps. These include mapping the gates onto the hardware’s qubits in such a way as to avoid the most error-prone layouts, and interleaving the circuit with operations that use a technique known as “dynamical decoupling”.
The Impact of Error Suppression on Quantum Computing
With all these error-mitigation efforts working in concert, these different modules boost the chances that an algorithm will run successfully. In peer-reviewed research published in Physical Review Applied in August, the company tested their error suppression technology on several popular quantum algorithms and showed that they could boost performance by as much as 1000 times.
The company’s software works with any kind of quantum computing hardware, be that trapped-ions, superconducting qubits or cold atoms. And while configuring the software for a particular processor takes some time and effort, there is no extra computational cost for the user at runtime.
The Future of Quantum Computing with Error Suppression
The integration of error suppression technology could be a boon for many companies interested in quantum computing. Typically, these companies have focused on algorithm development, but error-suppression requires expertise in low-level hardware manipulation. This out-of-the-box solution could therefore be a game-changer.
Quantum hardware is still some way from being able to compete with classical computers on practical problems, but a number of companies have been testing out the technology ahead of the integration with IBM. With this technology natively embedded within IBM Quantum services, companies can get more value from current hardware and push their applications further.
“It’s a bit of a dirty secret in our sector that the typical user experience is very rarely at the limit of what the hardware could provide.” —Michael Biercuk, CEO, Q-CTRL
“We have previously explored Q-CTRL’s performance management capabilities and were impressed by the order of magnitude improvement seen across both the inverse quantum Fourier transform and quantum phase estimation,” Julian van Velzen, CTIO and Head of Quantum Lab at Capgemini in Utrecht, the Netherlands, said in a statement. “With this technology natively embedded within IBM Quantum services, we can get more value from current hardware and push our applications further.”
Summary
IBM has integrated error suppression technology from Australian start-up Q-CTRL into its cloud quantum services, significantly reducing error rates in quantum computations. The software optimizes the operation of quantum hardware, boosting the chances of an algorithm running successfully by several orders of magnitude.
“We break the link between the underlying quantum processor … and what the application-focused end-user programs. That’s a huge change.” —Michael Biercuk, CEO, Q-CTRL
- IBM has integrated error suppression technology from Q-CTRL into its cloud quantum services, aiming to reduce error rates in quantum computing.
- Quantum computers, which utilise quantum mechanics, are capable of surpassing the computational abilities of the most powerful supercomputers. However, their quantum states are fragile and prone to noise, making error correction a significant challenge.
- Large-scale quantum computers will require error correction, typically involving the use of numerous physical qubits to create more robust “logical qubits”.
- Q-CTRL, a start-up based in Sydney, Australia, proposes “error suppression” as a solution for managing near-term quantum processors. This involves altering the operation of the underlying hardware to reduce the likelihood of errors.
- Q-CTRL’s software can reportedly enhance the chances of an algorithm running successfully by several orders of magnitude.
- IBM’s cloud quantum computing servers now use an error-correction protocol developed by Q-CTRL, which is said to provide more reliable results in quantum computations.
- Q-CTRL’s software requires no configuration by IBM’s end users. It includes a “performance management” option that can be toggled on and off, activating an automated set of software modules that optimise the user’s algorithm.
- Q-CTRL’s software works with any type of quantum computing hardware and does not incur extra computational cost for the user at runtime.
- Michael Biercuk, CEO of Q-CTRL, believes that an out-of-the-box solution for error suppression could benefit many companies interested in quantum computing.
