QuEra Computing, a leader in neutral-atom quantum computers, has added local qubit control to its 256-qubit quantum computer, Aquila. This feature allows for more flexibility in programming qubits independently, broadening the range of problems the computer can solve. The new capability is available on Amazon Braket, where QuEra’s quantum computers have been publicly accessible for over 18 months.
CEO Alex Keesling states that this addition provides users with levels of programmability not offered on other devices. The enhanced programmability could benefit industries like pharmaceuticals, aiding in computer-aided drug discovery and development.
QuEra Computing Enhances Quantum Computer with Local Qubit Control
QuEra Computing, a company specializing in neutral-atom quantum computers, has announced the addition of local qubit control to its 256-qubit quantum computer, Aquila. This new feature, also known as local detuning, allows for independent programming of qubits, expanding the range of problems that Aquila can address. This development is a significant stride in QuEra’s journey towards providing large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
The local detuning capability is now accessible on Amazon Braket, a platform hosting QuEra’s quantum computers for public use for over a year and a half. Alongside this, QuEra has introduced two more enhancements to its qubit position programmability, offering users more flexibility in defining qubit arrangements and accommodating larger system sizes.
Quantum Computing: The Intersection of Scale and Control
QuEra’s advancements in quantum computing are driven by two primary factors: scale and control. Aquila, QuEra’s publicly accessible machine, already boasts 256 qubits, a significant number in the industry. The addition of local qubit control adds a new dimension of functionality, providing users with levels of programmability not yet seen in similar devices. QuEra continues to innovate with its analog quantum capabilities while also developing digital gate-based systems.
Quantum computers with analog capabilities, like Aquila, are particularly effective at solving machine learning, optimization, and simulation problems. The addition of new degrees of programmability to the system’s qubits, coupled with the extension of the already available qubit position programmability, now offers users key advantages for computing a broader class of problems in each of these categories.
Local Qubit Control: A Game Changer in Quantum Computing
Local qubit control allows for the individual alteration of qubits’ starting states, a process known as ‘state preparation.’ This capability enables the computation on a much wider range of input data and is particularly useful for studying dynamical phenomena in physics using quantum simulation approaches.
Furthermore, by encoding input data into the pattern of analog detuning magnitudes applied to different qubits, Aquila can operate on more general classical data. This opens the door to more powerful machine-learning workflows and many other real-world applications. It simplifies the implementation of many classes of problems on the quantum computer, including a wider range of optimization problems and even enabling generative machine learning functionality.
The Impact of Local Qubit Programmability Across Industries
The addition of local qubit programmability to Aquila has the potential to deliver significant value across multiple industries. For instance, in the pharmaceutical sector, modeling processes such as protein folding or molecular binding can now be mapped into an optimization problem and encoded directly on Aquila using local detuning. This could become a crucial tool for computer-aided drug discovery, potentially assisting in later stages of the drug development process, such as reducing the costs of clinical trials and increasing the success rate of regulatory approvals.
About QuEra Computing
QuEra Computing is a company that specializes in commercializing quantum computers using neutral atoms, a quantum modality with high potential. Based in Boston and built on pioneering research from Harvard University and MIT, QuEra operates the world’s largest publicly accessible quantum computer, available over a major public cloud and for on-premises delivery. QuEra is developing large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers to tackle classically intractable problems, positioning itself as a preferred partner in the quantum field.
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