You may not realize that public members have been able to access quantum computing services on the cloud since 2016, and often for no cost! That means anyone with a computer browser and the ability to access an email account can get on board with quantum computing over seven years ago. So, indeed, there are quantum computers for public use. In 2018, IBM Quantum Experience, the first Quantum Cloud service, opened its doors to the public, enabling just about anyone to run a quantum circuit in the cloud.
The world looked a lot different in 2016. We didn’t have Covid 19 – and there was not even a hint that by 2020, the world would be on lockdown. The year 2016 marks, in our view, the beginning of the quantum cloud. IBM brought the world the PC or Personal Computer, but we believe it somehow started a new revolution, the Quantum Computer Cloud. All the while, Artificial Intelligence seemingly was going through another “AI winter”.
Public Quantum Computers
Quantum Computers for all. The public case.
Innovation in the past has often been driven by mass market appeal, even if those innovations were initially only available to a few. Technology such as the mobile phone and computers began in niche cases, for which many had no use. Fast-forward to today, and almost all users in the Western world own a smartphone. Eventually, that small use case for those early adopters became universal.
Getting early and making Quantum publicly accessible was an intelligent move. It enabled enthusiasts and researchers alike to plug into the growing ecosystem. It built a market, brand, and equity for the IBM Q experience, its programming Framework, and the developer community. This was an intelligent move that perhaps IBM learned from its past: get there early and define the tools and technology that quantum technologies of the future will be built on. IBM was not the only one pushing its ecosystem; IBM offered a real quantum computer that quantum circuits could run on.
Running on real quantum hardware brought the premise home that real quantum computers are here. They might be located in a far-flung room with cryogenic cooling and massive servers with scientists ensuring that the machine functions and the limited number of qubits available are working. Still, it got the ball rolling, and the revolution started. IBM leaned on its cloud services and massive resources to enable a complete end-to-end solution. That service wasn’t clanky; it had minor issues, but the interface and design quality set a high bar for those to follow.
Qiskit, the weird sounding Open Source Quantum Framework from IBM
Predictably, Qiskit has become the most famous quantum computing framework. Qiskit is not so much of a quantum language. It’s a framework that allows users to code in a language they are familiar with, Python, and integrate with the rest of their workflow or workload, which may be related to data science or machine learning. Python is the “go to” language in Machine learning and Data Science, so enabling Qiskit via Python taps into the vast experience and talent already experienced at work, perhaps with the closest skill and talent overlap.
Now, we take it for granted, and there is a high bar to reach in that quantum cloud services must provide features that users have gotten used to since their first experiences. That means easy-to-use interfaces and plenty of support.
A Brief History of IBM Quantum Cloud Computing
2016: In May 2016, IBM launched the IBM Quantum Experience, which allowed users to access and experiment with quantum computers via the cloud. This was a significant milestone, marking one of the first times the general public could access and experiment with quantum computers. The initial offering provided access to a 5-qubit quantum computer.
2017: IBM continued to expand its quantum offerings. By the end of the year, the company had made 20-qubit quantum computers available to its cloud users. IBM also announced a prototype 50-qubit processor, showcasing their advancements in quantum technology.
2018: IBM introduced the IBM Q System One in January 2019. It was touted as the world’s first integrated universal approximate quantum computing system designed for scientific and commercial use. The plan was designed to be stable and auto-calibrated to give repeatable and predictable high-quality qubits.
2019: IBM continued its efforts in quantum education and research. The company expanded the IBM Q Experience to include more educational resources and tools to help researchers and students get acquainted with quantum computing.
2020: IBM’s quantum cloud service continued to grow, with more organizations joining the IBM Q Network, a collaboration of businesses, research institutions, and universities working with IBM to advance quantum computing.
2021: IBM made strides in quantum hardware and software. The company continued improving its qubits’ coherence times, a critical factor in quantum computation. Additionally, IBM focused on developing software tools to make quantum computing more accessible to developers and researchers.
2022: IBM is now rolling out even more qubits. ‘IBM Osprey‘ – IBM’s new 433-quantum bit (qubit) processor. IBM Osprey has the largest qubit count of any IBM quantum processor.
2023: According to IBM’s Quantum Roadmap, a qubit count of 1,121 is earmarked for release. Condor’s processor will likely be the processor with the largest qubit count.
Quantum Computers for Public Use
IBM isn’t the only player; increasing numbers of quantum computing cloud providers exist. Below, we list some of the available public quantum cloud services. Interestingly, Google has not opened their quantum cloud to the public yet.
Amazon Braket
Amazon Braket is Amazon Web Services (AWS) foray into the quantum computing arena. It provides a development environment for users to explore and design quantum algorithms, test them on simulated quantum computers, and then run them on actual quantum hardware. By integrating with the AWS ecosystem, Braket aims to make it easier for businesses and researchers to experiment with quantum computing while leveraging the broader AWS cloud infrastructure.
Microsoft Azure Quantum
Microsoft Azure Quantum is Microsoft’s quantum cloud service, integrated into its Azure cloud platform. It offers a comprehensive suite of quantum tools, including the Q# programming language, quantum simulators, and access to various quantum hardware solutions from partners like IonQ and Honeywell. Microsoft’s approach emphasizes a hybrid model, where quantum and classical resources work together to solve complex problems.
D-Wave Leap
D-Wave Leap is the cloud service provided by D-Wave, a company specializing in quantum annealing—a specific type of quantum computing. Leap offers real-time access to D-Wave’s quantum annealers, allowing users to solve optimization and sampling problems. While quantum annealing differs from the gate-based quantum computing provided by other providers, it presents its own advantages for particular types of tasks.
Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services
Rigetti Computing is a company that focuses on building quantum hardware and software. Their Quantum Cloud Services (QCS) provides access to their quantum processors. Rigetti emphasizes a hybrid quantum-classical approach, where quantum computers are used in tandem with classical systems to solve problems. Their platform integrates with popular quantum programming tools, allowing developers to design, test, and run quantum algorithms.
Alibaba Cloud Quantum Development Kit
Alibaba, the Chinese tech giant, has also ventured into quantum computing. Their cloud platform offers the Alibaba Cloud Quantum Development Kit (ACQDK), a comprehensive software suite for quantum programming. While they’ve been investing in quantum hardware research, their primary cloud offering, as of 2022, revolves around software tools and simulators that help users design and test quantum algorithms.
QuTech Quantum Inspire
QuTech, a collaboration between Delft University of Technology and TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), offers Quantum Inspire. Its platform provides access to various quantum technologies, including a two-qubit quantum processor and quantum simulators. The platform is designed for education and research, aiming to make quantum technology more accessible to a broader audience.
Strangeworks Quantum Computing Platform
Strangeworks is a company that focuses on making quantum computing more accessible to developers and businesses. Their platform integrates with various quantum hardware and software providers, offering a unified interface for quantum development. While not a quantum cloud provider per se, Strangeworks plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by streamlining the quantum development process and providing tools that simplify integration with various quantum resources.