Category Archives: Quantum Computer
Microsoft aims to win the race to build a new kind of computer. So does Amazon – Finger Lakes Times
SEATTLE The tech giants are locked in a race.
It might not end for another decade, and there might not be just one winner. But, at the finish line, the prize they promise is a speedy machine, a quantum computer, that will crack in minutes problems that can't be solved at all today. Builders describe revolutionary increases in computing power that will accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, help design new drugs and offer new solutions to help fight climate change.
Ready. Set. Quantum.
Relying on principles of physics and computer science, researchers are working to build a quantum computer, a machine that will go beyond the capabilities of the computers we use today by moving through information faster. Unlike the laptop screen we're used to, quantum computers display all their inner organs. Often cylindrical, the computers are an intimidating network of coils, plates, wires and bolts. And they're huge.
"We're talking about computing devices which are just unimaginable in terms of their power in what they can do," said Peter Chapman, president and CEO of IonQ, a startup in the race alongside tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM, Intel and Honeywell.
The companies are riding a swell of interest that could grow to $9.1 billion in revenue by 2030, according to Tractica, a market intelligence firm that studies new technologies and how humans interact with tech advancements.
Right now, each company is deciding how to structure the building blocks needed to create a quantum computer. Some rely on semiconductors, others on light. Still others, including Microsoft, have pinned their ambitions on previously unproven theories in physics.
"Bottom line, we are in very heavy experimentation mode in quantum computing, and it's fairly early days," said Chirag Dekate, who studies the industry for research firm Gartner. "We are in the 1950s state of classical computer hardware."
There's not likely to be a single moment when quantum computers start making the world-changing calculations technologists are looking forward to, said Peter McMahon, an engineering professor at Cornell University. Rather, "there's going to be a succession of milestones."
At each one, the company leading the race could change.
In October 2019, Google said it had reached "quantum supremacy," a milestone where one of its machines completed a calculation that would have taken today's most advanced computers 10,000 years. In October last year, startup IonQ went public with an initial public offering that valued the company at $2 billion. In November, IBM said it had also created a quantum processor big enough to bypass today's machines.
In March, it was Microsoft's turn.
After a false start that saw Microsoft retract some research, it said this spring it had proved the physics principles it needed to show that its theory for building a quantum computer was, in fact, possible.
"We expect to capitalize on this to do the almost unthinkable," Krysta Svore, an engineer who leads Microsoft's quantum program, said in a company post announcing the discovery. "It's never been done before. ... [Now] here's this ultimate validation that we're on the right path."
As envisioned by designers, a quantum computer uses subatomic particles like electrons instead of the streams of ones and zeros used by computers today. In doing so, a quantum computer can examine an unimaginable number of combinations of ones and zeros at once.
A quantum computer's big selling points are speed and multitasking, enabling it to solve complex problems that would trip up today's technology.
To understand the difference between classical computers (the computers we use today) and quantum computers (the computers researchers are working on), picture a maze.
Using a classical computer, you're inside the maze. You choose a path at random before realizing it's a dead end and circling back.
A quantum computer gives an aerial view of the maze, where the system can see several different paths at once and more quickly reach the exit.
"To solve the maze, maybe you have to go 1,000 times to find the right answer," said IonQ's Chapman. "In quantum computing, you get to test all these paths all at once."
Researchers imagine quantum computers being used by businesses, universities and other researchers, though some industry leaders also talk about quantum computing as a technology that will unlock new ideas our brains can't yet imagine. (It's not likely the average household will have a quantum computer room any time soon.)
Microsoft recently partnered with paints and coatings company AkzoNobel to create a "virtual laboratory" where it will test and develop sustainable products using quantum computing to overcome some of the constraints that jam up a traditional lab setting, like access to raw materials, lack of space and concerns about toxicity.
Goldman Sachs is working to use quantum computing to speed up risk evaluation done by Wall Street traders. Boeing wants to use the advanced tech to model how materials will react to different environments, while ExxonMobil has plans to use it to simulate the chemical properties of hydrogen, hoping to develop new materials that can be used to make renewable energy.
In the long run, companies are aiming for a "fault-tolerant" quantum computer that will keep operating correctly even if components go awry. To get there, researchers are focused on keeping one thing happy: the qubit.
The computers we use today to look up the best restaurants or check the weather rely on bits, a unit of information in the computing world that is usually a zero or a one. Quantum computers rely on qubits, short for quantum bits, a unit of quantum information that can be (confusingly) both zero and one at the same time.
In a classical computer, a bit flips between zero and one. In a quantum computer, a qubit can be in both states at once, allowing it to simultaneously evaluate different possibilities.
It helps to think about qubits like a spinning coin, said Jim Clarke, director of quantum hardware for Intel. (Clarke himself is so devoted to qubits he named his German shepherd after them.)
While a coin is spinning, it is briefly both heads and tails, before it lands on one side or the other. The electrons used to make quantum calculations in Intel's machines are mid-spin.
But qubits are easily disturbed by pretty much anything, including light, noise and temperature changes. "Qubits are notoriously fickle," said Chapman from IonQ. "They are the introverts of the world."
If a qubit gets too bothered, it will lose the information it is carrying, making the computer's calculations less reliable.
When computer scientists, physicists and engineers think about their quantum strategy, a lot of the discussion revolves around the best way to keep those qubits comfortable. That discussion then sparks another: What is the best way to build a qubit?
Intel is using semiconductors. Google, IBM and Amazon Web Services are using superconductors. IonQ is taking an approach that puts atoms in a vacuum sealed chamber to create something called "trapped-ion" qubits. Other companies are using light.
Microsoft is aiming to create something new. It's taking a physics-based approach to create what it calls "topological qubits." In March, it said it got one step closer by successfully demonstrating the physics behind its qubit philosophy.
But it has said that before. In 2018, a team of Microsoft-led researchers published a paper that said it had found evidence of the type of physics it was looking to prove. Last year, the group retracted the paper, writing it could "no longer claim the observation."
Since then, the Microsoft team developed a new protocol meant to "screen out false positives," said Svore, who is working on the quantum project at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters. "We are more confident than ever in our approach."
"Just like I can't prove the sun comes up tomorrow," Microsoft can't prove it can create the qubits it is hoping for, she said. But, "We've now demonstrated on multiple devices that the physics is here."
Though a competitive race, there may be more than one prize.
"All the technologies have advantages and disadvantages," said Fred Chong, a computer science professor at the University of Chicago. "A lot of these things are still evolving. Some of the technologies are good for the near-to-medium term, some of them are a little bit more in the future, some of them are very far in the future."
Determining the shortest route to get from Seattle to Portland might best be solved by one approach, while speeding up a chemical reaction might call for something different.
Most of the companies in the race today will develop "fairly credible quantum machines," Chong said, and customers will look for ways to "take advantage of their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses."
In the meantime, Amazon, Google and Microsoft are hosting quantum technology from their competitors, alongside their own, hoping to let customers play around with the tech and come up with uses that haven't yet been imagined. In the same way companies can buy cloud space and digital infrastructure technology from Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud, the tech companies now offer customers pay-as-you-go quantum computing.
"At this stage of the tech, it is important to explore different types of quantum computers," said Nadia Carlsten, former head of product at the AWS Center for Quantum Computing. "It's not clear which computer will be the best of all applicants. It's actually very likely there won't be one that's best."
Dekate, who analyzes the quantum industry for research and consulting firm Gartner, says quantum may have reached the peak of its "hype cycle."
Excitement and funding for the quantum industry has been building he said, pointing to a rising slope on a line graph. Now, it could be at a turning point, he continued, pointing to the spot right before the line graph takes a nosedive.
The hype cycle is a five phase model Gartner uses to analyze new technologies, as a way to help companies and investors decide when to get on board and when to cash out. It takes three to five years to complete the cycle if a new tech makes it through.
Predictive analytics made it to phase five, where users see real-world benefits. Autonomous vehicles are in phase three, where the original excitement wears off and early adopters are running into problems. Quantum computing is in phase two, the peak of expectations, Dekate said.
"For every industry to advance, there needs to be hype. That inspires investment," he said. "What happens in these ecosystems is end-users [like businesses and other enterprises] get carried away by extreme hype."
Some quantum companies are nearing the deadlines they originally set for themselves, while others have already passed theirs. The technology is still at least 10 years away from producing the results businesses are looking for, Dekate estimates. And investors are realizing they won't see profits anytime soon.
In the next phase of the hype cycle, Dekate predicts private investment in quantum computing will go down, public investment will go up in an attempt to make up the difference, and companies that have made promises they can no longer keep will be caught flat-footed. Mergers, consolidation and bankruptcy are likely, he said.
"The kind of macroeconomic dynamics that we're about to enter into, I think means some of these companies might not be able to survive," Dekate said. "The ecosystem is ripe for disruption: way too much fragmentation and companies overpromising and not delivering."
In other words, we could be headed toward a "quantum winter."
But, even during the funding freeze, businesses are increasingly looking for ways to use quantum computing preparing for when the technology is ready, Dekate said. While Amazon, Microsoft, Google and others are developing their quantum computers, companies like BMW, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Boeing are writing their list of problems for the computer to one day solve.
The real changes will come when that loop closes, Dekate said, when the tech is ready and the questions are laid out.
"At some point down the line, the classical [computing] approaches are going to stall, and are going to run into natural limitations," he said. Until then, "quantum computing will elicit excitement and, at the same time, disappointment."
See original here:
Microsoft aims to win the race to build a new kind of computer. So does Amazon - Finger Lakes Times
Quantum information was teleported over a network for the first time – Syfy
When Heroes (now streaming on Peacock!) hit the airwaves in September of 2006, few characters were as immediately beloved as the appropriately named Hiro Nakamura. Granted the ability to manipulate space-time, Hiro could not only slow down, speed up, and stop time, he could also teleport from one place to another. Thats a useful skill if you need to get to a specific point in time and space to fight an evil brain surgeon or prevent the end of the world. Its also useful if you want to build the quantum internet.
Researchers at QuTech a collaboration between Delft University of Technology and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research recently took a big step toward making that a reality. For the first time, they succeeded in sending quantum information between non-adjacent qubits on a rudimentary network. Their findings were published in the journal Nature.
While modern computers use bits, zeroes, and ones, to encode information, quantum computers us quantum bits or qubits. A qubit works in much the same way as a bit, except its able to hold both a 0 and a 1 at the same time, allowing for faster and more powerful computation. The trouble begins when you want to transmit that information to another location. Quantum computing has a communications problem.
Today, if you want to send information to another computer on a network, thats largely accomplished using light through fiber optic cables. The information from qubits can be transmitted the same way but only reliably over short distances. Fiber optic networks have a relatively high rate of loss and rely on cloning bits and boosting their signal in order to transmit over significant distances. Qubits, however, cant be copied or boosted. That means that when and if information is lost, its lost for good, and the longer the journey the more likely that is to happen.
Thats where Hiro Nakamura comes in, or at least his quantum counterpart. In order to reliably transmit quantum data, scientists use quantum teleportation, a phenomenon that relies on entanglement or what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance."
As with all things quantum, understanding entanglement isnt the easiest endeavor but, for our purposes, well simplify. When two particles are entangled, they share a connection, regardless of the physical distance between them. By knowing the state of one entangled particle, you can instantly know the state of the other even if its out of view. Its sort of like making two people share a single pair of shoes. If you know the first person is in possession of the right shoe, then you know the second person has the left.
Using that spooky connection, scientists can transmit information between the two particles and that information appears at one particle and vanishes at the other instantly. Thats where the analogy to teleportation comes in. First, its here, then its there, without the need for a journey along cables. Importantly, only information is transferred, not any physical matter. Our teleportation technologies arent at BrundleFly levels just yet.
Quantum teleportation isnt exactly new. Its been done before, but always between two directly connected entangled particles. In communications parlance, its the quantum equivalent of talking to your friend in the next room using two cans connected by a string. In order to create a true quantum network, we need to be able to transmit data between non-adjacent nodes using intermediaries.
In this case, researchers wanted to transfer information between nodes named Alice and Charlie, using Bob as a go-between. To make that happen Bob created an entangled state with Alice and stored his portion of the entanglement in a bit of quantum memory. Next, Bob repeats that process with Charlie. Then, using what researchers at QuTech describe as quantum mechanical sleight of hand, Bob completes a measurement and passes on the entanglement between Alice and Charlie.
Once thats done, Charlie prepares the information he wants to send and completes a complicated measurement between his message and his half of the entanglement with Alice. Quantum mechanics goes to work, and the information vanishes on Charlies end and appears on Alices.
This has some important implications for the future of communication. First, using quantum teleportation networks avoids the threat of packet loss over fiber optic cables. Second, it effectively encrypts the information at Alices end. In order to decode the information, you need to know the result of the calculation Charlie performed. The third thing builds upon the first; despite the immediate transfer of quantum information, we are still bound by the speed of light. As you know, the cosmic speed limit isnt just a suggestion, its the law. Sending the calculation information to Alice in order to decode the information relies on more traditional communications bound by light speed. No getting around it.
While this is an important step toward a quantum internet, in order to build the sorts of networks well need for everyday use, were going to need a lot more nodes. But, hey, even todays global communications network started with a single telephone.
More:
Quantum information was teleported over a network for the first time - Syfy
FormFactor (FORM) Expands Customer Base With SEEQC Partnership – Zacks Investment Research
FormFactor, Inc. (FORM Quick QuoteFORM - Free Report) is consistently working toward gaining momentum among customers on the back of its robust portfolio of solutions.
This is evident from the fact that FormFactors quantum cryogenic measurement solution recently got selected by a digital quantum computing company named SEEQC.
The measurement solution includes the sub-50mK HPD Model 106 adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator as well as the PQ500 RF and DC probe socket. The solution further complements sub-10mK dilution refrigerators to speed up cryogenic test cycles by more than two times.
With FormFactors quantum cryogenic measurement solution, SEEQC aims to accelerate its quantum computing research and development program.
SEEQC is already using FormFactors probe socket solution to remove wire-bonding for qubits, SFQ circuits and multi-chip modules to accelerate the process of device characterization for final quantum testing.
With the recent partnership, both companies strive to focus on addressing the challenges related to test and measurement in the emerging quantum computing industry.
The latest collaboration with SEEQC bodes well for FormFactors growing efforts toward expanding its presence in the rising quantum computing market.
Apart from this recent move, FORM had last year released the HPD IQ1000, a scanning SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) microscope, which delivers cryogenic system integration and automation to help device designers accelerate both quantum research and higher-volume engineering.
The global quantum computing market is witnessing growth owing to the early adoption of quantum computing in the banking and finance sector. Growing investments by governments of different countries for carrying out research and development activities related to quantum computing technology are further driving the market.
Per a Fortune Business Insights report, the underlined market is expected to hit $3.2 billion in 2028, witnessing a CAGR of 30.8% between 2021 and 2028.
The market is likely to touch $1.8 billion by 2026, seeing a CAGR of 30.2% from 2021 to 2026, according to a Markets and Markets report.
The recent selection of quantum cryogenic measurement solution by SEEQC adds strength to FormFactors customer base. Further, it highlights the efficiency and reliability of the underlined solution.
FormFactor keeps bringing advanced technology-based test and measurement solutions to better serve its customers.
FORM recently unveiled the TESLA300 high power semiconductor probing system, suitable for IGBT and power MOSFET device measurements. The probing system incorporates new anti-arcing and wafer automation features to enable high-throughput, unattended testing over a wide thermal range to accelerate development and minimize the production cost of power devices.
Further, FormFactor, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman Corporation, introduced a fully automated cryogenic wafer probe system that operates at 4 Kelvin and below. This ramps up the production, eventually fast-tracking the development process of superconducting compute applications.
Thus, Formfactors strong efforts toward portfolio offerings are likely to help it expand its reach among the customers, which in turn, might contribute well to its top-line growth in the days ahead.
Currently, FormFactor carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, the stock has declined 11.9% in the year-to-date period compared with the Computer and Technology sectors fall of 24.6%
Investors interested in the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector can consider some better-ranked stocks likeAvnet(AVT Quick QuoteAVT - Free Report) , Sierra Wireless(SWIR Quick QuoteSWIR - Free Report) and Airgain(AIRG Quick QuoteAIRG - Free Report) . While Avnet sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Sierra Wireless and Airgain carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Avnet has gained 16.6% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for AVT is currently projected at 37.2%.
Sierra Wireless has gained 40.5% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for SWIR is currently projected at 15%.
Airgain has gained 3% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for AIRG is currently projected at 35%.
Follow this link:
FormFactor (FORM) Expands Customer Base With SEEQC Partnership - Zacks Investment Research
Quantum computer manufacturer Pasqal strengthens position in North American market by opening offices in the US and Canada – EurekAlert
Paris, Boston, Sherbrooke, June 2, 2022 - Pasqal, the global leader in neutral atoms quantum computing, has named seasoned quantum technology executive, Catherine Lefebvre, to lead North American business development for the company. The company also announced office openings in Boston (U.S.) and in Sherbrooke (Canada).
As Vice President, Strategic Business Development North America for Pasqal, Lefebvre will be based in the Boston office to help drive the companys commercial and strategic partnership efforts and serve as the primary point of contact for U.S.-based clients and partners. Pasqals local U.S. presence will allow the company to further capitalize on the tremendous market opportunity and to expand the adoption of Pasqals quantum hardware and software solutions by U.S. industries including energy, healthcare, finance and automotive, while deepening Pasqals relationships with U.S. customers.
Prior to joining Pasqal, Lefebvre served in multiple roles, including as U.S. and Canada Innovation Ambassador for quantum technology company M Squared; advisor in quantum technologies at Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation; and as Science Liaison Officer for Element AI (acquired by ServiceNow), a global developer of AI solutions. Lefebvre has a background in research with a Ph.D. in molecular physics and quantum chemistry with training in science diplomacy.
Pasqals Canadian office is located in the Quantum Innovation Zone in Sherbrooke, which brings together researchers, startups and investors to cultivate the local quantum ecosystem and accelerate the development and adoption of quantum technologies. Known as Pasqal Canada, the new subsidiary will allow Pasqal to collaborate with both academic institutions and industry to grow its business in Canada and develop new commercial applications in such areas as smart cities, energy and materials science
Strengthening our coverage in North America opens up immense new opportunities to leverage our neutral atoms quantum computers for real-world benefit across new regions, markets and industries, said Georges Olivier-Reymond, CEO and founder of Pasqal. Catherine is the ideal executive to drive this next phase of our growth, and we are honored to welcome her to the team.
Offering a broad range of full stack quantum solutions across different industries, Pasqals customers include Johnson & Johnson, LG, Airbus, BMW Group, EDF, Thales, MBDA and Credit Agricole CIB.
To learn more about Pasqal, please visit:www.pasqal.com.
About PasqalPasqal builds quantum computers from ordered neutral atoms in 2D and 3D arrays with the goal of bringing a practical quantum advantage to its customers in addressing real-world problems, especially in quantum machine learning and predictive modeling. Pasqal was founded in 2019 by Georges-Olivier Reymond, Christophe Jurczak, Professor Dr. Alain Aspect, Dr. Antoine Browaeys and Dr. Thierry Lahaye. Based in Palaiseau and Massy, south of Paris, Pasqal has secured more than 40 million in financing combining equity and non-dilutive funding from Quantonation, the Defense Innovation Fund, Runa Capital, BPI France, ENI and Daphni.
Website:www.pasqal.comTwitter: @pasqalioLinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/pasqal/
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
Continued here:
Quantum computer manufacturer Pasqal strengthens position in North American market by opening offices in the US and Canada - EurekAlert
The Powerful New AI Hardware of the Future – CDOTrends
As an observer of artificial intelligence over the last few years at DSAITrends, it is fascinating to observe the dichotomy between the sheer amount of research and development in AI, and its glacial real-world impact.
No doubt, we do have plenty of jaw-dropping developments from AI-synthesized faces that are indistinguishable from real faces, AI models that can explain jokes, and the ability to create original, realistic images and art from text descriptions.
But this has not translated into business benefits for more than a handful of top tech firms. For the most part, businesses are still wrestling with their board about whether to implement AI or struggling to operationalize AI.
In the meantime, ethical quandaries are as yet unresolved, bias is rampant, and at least one regulator has warned banks about the use of AI.
One popular business quote comes to mind: We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.
So yes, while immediate AI gains seem lacking, the impact of AI in the long term might yet exceed our wildest expectations. And new, powerful AI hardware could well accelerate AI developments.
More powerful AI hardware
But why the fascination with more powerful hardware? In the groundbreaking Scaling laws for neural language models paper published in 2020, researchers from OpenAI concluded that larger AI models will continue to perform better and be much more sample efficient than previously appreciated.
While the researchers cautioned that more work is needed to test if the scaling holds, the current hypothesis is that more powerful AI hardware could train much larger models that will yield capabilities far beyond todays AI model.
Leading the charge on the hardware front would be data center-class GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD, as well as specialized AI processors from technology giants such as Google. For example:
Stepping outside the box
There are research fields that could impact the development of AI, too. For example, the Loihi 2 is a second-generation experimental neuromorphic chip by Intel. Announced last year, a neuromorphic processor mimics the human brain using programmable components to simulate neurons.
According to its technical brief (pdf), the Loihi 2 has 128 cores and has potentially more than a million digital neurons due to its asynchronous design. The human brain does have roughly 90 billion interconnected neurons, so there is still some way to go yet.
Chips like the Loihi 2 has another advantage though. As noted by a report on The Register, high-end AI systems such as DeepMinds AlphaGo require thousands of processing units running in parallel, with each consuming around 200 watts. Thats a lot of power and we havent even factored in the ancillary systems or cooling equipment yet.
On its part, neuromorphic hardware promises between four and 16 times better energy efficiency than other AI models running on conventional hardware.
Warp speed ahead with quantum computing
While the Loihi 2 is made of traditional transistors there are 2.3 billion of them in the Loihi 2 another race is underway to make a completely different type of computer known as quantum computers.
According to a report on AIMultiple, quantum computing can be used for the rapid training of machine learning models and to create optimized algorithms. Of course, it must be pointed out that quantum computers are far more complex to build due to the special materials and operating environments required to access the requisite quantum states.
Indeed, experts estimate that it could take another two decades to produce a general quantum computer, though working quantum computers of up to 127-qubit exists.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore is stepping up its investments in quantum computing with new initiatives to boost talent development and provide access to the technology. This includes a foundry to develop the components and materials needed to build quantum computers.
Whatever the future brings for AI in the decades ahead, it will not be for lack of computing prowess.
Paul Mah is the editor of DSAITrends. A former system administrator, programmer, and IT lecturer, he enjoys writing both code and prose. You can reach him at [emailprotected].
Image credit: iStockphoto/jiefeng jiang
More:
The Powerful New AI Hardware of the Future - CDOTrends
Arqit Quantum Reports First Quarter Operating Loss of $14.3 Million Parabolic Arc – Parabolic Arc
Generated $12.3 million of revenue and other operating income in the first half of fiscal year 2022
LONDON (Arqit Quantum PR) Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, ARQQW) (Arqit), a global leader in quantum encryption technology, today announced its operational and financial results for the first half of its fiscal year ending (FYE) 30 September 2022.
Recent Operational Highlights
Management Commentary
Arqit has made significant progress in the commercialisation of our QuantumCloudTMproduct in the first six months of this fiscal year, said David Williams, Arqits Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In the period we signed and fulfilled contracts with leading enterprises in our key identified market sectors, including Virgin Orbit and AUCloud. We also began the process of demonstrating our stronger, simpler encryption in demonstration projects with numerous customers. As a result of our commercial sales and other activities, we are pleased to deliver $12.3 million in revenue and other operating income for the six-month period.
Our contract wins, other announced activity, such as our participation in the UK Ministry of Defence multi-domain integration project and UK 5G Open RAN, and prospective customer dialogues confirm our belief that telecoms, defence, financial institutions and IoT are the early adopter markets that understand the issues with todays public key infrastructure and the future threat posed by quantum computers.
Our symmetric key agreement service is increasingly being recognised as a solution that meets the moment it is computationally light, quantum safe, available in the instant needed as a single use key or in unlimited group sizes and does not require changes to the existing AES256 encryption infrastructure.
We are pleased to have hired a significant cohort of new senior sales executives in the first half of the fiscal year to complement our team. All have deep relationships within their respective geographies and industry verticals. As our focus is on driving sales, top sales talent is a must.
The confidence in Arqit is shared by our investors. Today, we also announced that shareholders holding 105.9 million of the 108.6 million shares currently subject to lock-up agreements that were due to expire in connection with this results announcement were approached to voluntarily extend their lock-up agreements until September. All approached shareholders agreed to participate, which is a strong statement of support.
We will look to continue the momentum we have created in H1 as we drive toward our fiscal year end in September.
First Half of Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Highlights
Arqit commenced commercialisation and began generating revenue in the second half of the fiscal year ended 30 September 2021. Therefore, comparison of our results for the six months ended 31 March 2022 to prior periods may not be meaningful for all financial metrics.
1Administrative expenses are equivalent to operating expenses.
2Adjusted loss before tax is a non-IFRS measure. For a discussion of this measure, how its calculated and a reconciliation to the most comparable measure calculated in accordance with IFRS, please see Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures below.
About Arqit
Arqit supplies a unique quantum encryption platform-as-a-service which makes the communications links of any networked device secure against current and future forms of attack even from a quantum computer.Arqits product, QuantumCloud, enables any device to download a lightweight software agent, which can create encryption keys in partnership with any other device.The keys are computationally secure, optionally one-time use and zero trust.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.
Media relations enquiries:Arqit:contactus@arqit.ukFTI Consulting:scarqit@fticonsulting.com
Investor relations enquiries:Arqit:investorrelations@arqit.ukGateway:arqit@gatewayir.com
Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures
Arqit presents adjusted loss before tax, which is a financial measure not calculated in accordance with IFRS. Although Arqits management uses this measure as an aid in monitoring Arqits on-going financial performance, investors should consider adjusted loss before tax in addition to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial performance measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. Adjusted loss before tax is defined as loss before tax excluding change in fair value of warrants, which is a non-cash expense. There are limitations associated with the use of non-IFRS financial measures, including that such measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies due to potential differences among calculation methodologies. There can be no assurance whether (i) items excluded from the non-IFRS financial measures will occur in the future, or (ii) there will be cash costs associated with items excluded from the non-IFRS financial measures. Arqit compensates for these limitations by using adjusted loss before tax as a supplement to IFRS loss before tax and by providing the reconciliation for adjusted loss before tax to IFRS loss before tax, as the most comparable IFRS financial measure.
IFRS and Non-IFRS loss before tax
Arqit presents its consolidated statement of comprehensive income according to IFRS and in line with SEC guidance. Consequently, the changes in warrant values are included within that statement in arriving at profit before tax. The changes in warrant values are non-cash expenses. After this adjustment is made to Arqits IFRS profit before tax of $58.0 million, Arqits non-IFRS adjusted loss before tax is $14.4 million, as shown in the reconciliation table below.
The change in fair value of warrants arises as IFRS requires our outstanding warrants to be carried at fair value within liabilities with the change in value from one reporting date to the next being reflected against profit or loss in the period. It is non-cash and will cease when the warrants are exercised, are redeemed or expire.
Other Accounting Information
As of March 31, 2022, we had $87.4 million of total liabilities, $55.6 million of which related to our outstanding warrants, which are classified as liabilities rather than equity according to IFRS and SEC guidance. The warrant liability amount reflected in our consolidated statement of financial position is calculated as the fair value of the warrants as of March 31, 2022. Our liabilities other than warrant liabilities were $31.8 million, and we had total assets of $143.2 million including cash of $82 million.
Arqit Quantum Inc.Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive IncomeFor the period ended 31 March 2022
All of the Groups activities were derived from continuing operations during the above financial periods.
Arqit Quantum Inc.Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial PositionAs at 31 March 2022
Arqit Quantum Inc.Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash FlowsFor the period ended 31 March 2022
Caution About Forward-Looking Statements
This communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Arqits 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 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 to predict these events or how they may affect it. Except as required by law, Arqit does not have 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 future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: (i) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Arqit related to the business combination, (ii) the ability to maintain the listing of Arqits securities on a national securities exchange, (iii) changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which Arqit operates, variations in operating performance across competitors and changes in laws and regulations affecting Arqits business, (iv) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realise additional opportunities, (v) the potential inability of Arqit to convert its pipeline into contracts or orders in backlog into revenue, (vi) the potential inability of Arqit to successfully deliver its operational technology which is still in development, (vii) the risk of interruption or failure of Arqits information technology and communications system, (viii) the enforceability of Arqits intellectual property, and (ix) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled Risk Factors and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements in Arqits annual report on Form 20-F (the Form 20-F), filed with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission(the SEC) onDecember 16, 2021and in subsequent filings with theSEC. While the list of factors discussed above and in the Form 20-F and other SEC filings are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realisation of forward-looking statements.
Excerpt from:
Arqit Quantum Reports First Quarter Operating Loss of $14.3 Million Parabolic Arc - Parabolic Arc
Global Quantum Computing Market To Be Driven By Growing End Use Sectors In The Forecast Period Of 2021-2026 The Greater Binghamton Business Journal -…
The new report by Expert Market Research titled, Global Quantum Computing Market Size, Share, Price, Trends, Growth, Analysis, Key Players, Outlook, Report, Forecast 2021-2026, gives an in-depth analysis of the GlobalQuantum Computing Marketassessing the market based on its segments like offering, application, end use and major regions. The report tracks the latest trends in the industry and studies their impact on the overall market. It also assesses the market dynamics, covering the key demand and price indicators, along with analysing the market based on the SWOT and Porters Five Forces models.
Request a free sample copy in PDF or view the report summary@ https://tinyurl.com/2n4s8myf
The key highlights of the report include:
Market Overview (2016-2026)
The services category is expected to hold a considerable part of the market based on its offerings. This is due to the increasing use of quantum computing as a service (QCaaS) in industries such as healthcare and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, defence, and banking, among others. Quantum computers are extremely quick and efficient, capable of doing calculations in milliseconds. As a result, they are widely employed in many businesses, particularly in the BFSI sector, to speed up procedures. Meanwhile, the market has benefited from the increased usage of this technology in optimisation, simulation, and machine learning applications in various end-use sectors to achieve optimal utilisation cost.
Industry Definition and Major Segments
Quantum computing is an area of computer science that focuses on building computer technology based on quantum theory ideas. It is the use of quantum state collective features like superposition and entanglement to accomplish computation.
On the basis of offering, the market is segmented into:
Based on application, the product can be segmented into:
The industry finds its end use into:
The report also covers regional market like North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.
Explore the full report with the table of contents@ https://tinyurl.com/43wxfnpy
Market Trend
The global quantum computing business is being propelled forward by rising demand in a variety of end-user industries, including defence, financial services, and others. Rapid technical breakthroughs and a rising reliance of many industries on sophisticated computing technologies to solve complicated problems that even todays most powerful supercomputers cannot handle are driving market expansion. Health and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy and electricity, and other growing sectors in emerging economies are all contributing considerably to the industrys growth. The governments increasing investments in quantum computing technology in order to develop improved solutions and expand their knowledge base related to the technology will accelerate the market growth.
Key Market Players
The major players in the market are Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Google Inc., and D-Wave Systems Inc., among others. The report covers the market shares, capacities, plant turnarounds, expansions, investments and mergers and acquisitions, among other latest developments of these market players.
About Us:
Expert Market Research is a leading business intelligence firm, providing custom and syndicated market reports along with consultancy services for our clients. We serve a wide client base ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to small and medium enterprises. Our reports cover over 100 industries across established and emerging markets researched by our skilled analysts who track the latest economic, demographic, trade and market data globally.
At Expert Market Research, we tailor our approach according to our clients needs and preferences, providing them with valuable, actionable and up-to-date insights into the market, thus, helping them realize their optimum growth potential. We offer market intelligence across a range of industry verticals which include Pharmaceuticals, Food and Beverage, Technology, Retail, Chemical and Materials, Energy and Mining, Packaging and Agriculture.
Media Contact
Company Name: Claight CorporationContact Person: Eliana Grace, Corporate Sales Specialist U.S.A.Email: sales@expertmarketresearch.comToll Free Number: +1-415-325-5166 | +44-702-402-5790Address: 30 North Gould Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, USAWebsite:https://www.expertmarketresearch.com
Read More:
Also, CheckProcurement Intelligencewhich provides you Infallible research solutions.
*We at Expert Market Research always thrive to give you the latest information. The numbers in the article are only indicative and may be different from the actual report.
Read more from the original source:
Global Quantum Computing Market To Be Driven By Growing End Use Sectors In The Forecast Period Of 2021-2026 The Greater Binghamton Business Journal -...
How Zapata and Andretti Motorsport Will Use Quantum Computing to Gain an Edge at the Indianapolis 500 – Quantum Computing Report
You might think that auto racing would not be a good application for quantum computing because the teams consist of grease monkeys who may know auto mechanics but wouldnt know how to leverage advanced computing. But you would be wrong.
Auto racing is a big business where there can be a very thin line between success and failure. To give you an idea of how small things can make a big difference you can look at the results of the 2015 Indianapolis 500. In that race, the difference in finishing time between first place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya and second place finisher Will Power was 104.6 milliseconds. And those 104.6 millisecond made the difference between winning a first-place prize of $2.44 million or not.
It turns out that an auto race generates a lot of data, about 1 Terabyte per car in a typical race, that if analyzed and used wisely can help give a racing team a critical edge. To that end, Zapata Computing and Andretti Motorsports formed a partnership earlier this year to work together on race analytics and see how they could use Zapatas advanced analytics, quantum techniques, and Orquestra hybrid classical/quantum data and workflow manager to win more races.
Although this work between the two companies has just started, a big event for both companies will occur this weekend with the 2022 Indianapolis 500 race. We talked with Chris Savoie, CEO of Zapata Computing, and he described three of the first use cases where they believe advanced analytics, machine learning, and quantum computing can potentially make a difference.
Tire Degradation Analysis
When you have a car going at over 200 MPH, the tires wear out very quickly. In a typical Indianapolis 500 race, the tires can be changed 5 or more times and require time wasting pit stops to accomplish. Whats more the tires have different characteristics when they are just put on and when they have been used a while. So, the racing manager has a lot of strategic variable juggle. When should the car be called in for a pit stop to change the tires, which set of tires should they put on the car, and how many tire changes should they have, and what is the current weather and track conditions? For a data analyst, this is a large optimization problem and will be one of the first areas that Zapata will work on with Andretti to create a ML model that can help guide these decisions using data collected in previous race sessions as well as data collected in real time during the race.
Fuel Savings Opportunities
Cars need to be refueled during the race. In addition, the driver has some control over the fuel consumption by the way he drives. If a racing team can find a way to minimize the number of refuelings and avoid a pit stop, it can save a lot of time. Whats more you dont want to cross the finish line with a full tank because they would be a waste. In the 2016 race, driver Alexander Rossi took a gamble and decided not to go for a final pit stop to refuel with 33 laps to go. It turns out he ran out of gas at the very end and coasted across the finish line. But he won the race because the second-place guy did decide to refuel and the extra pit stop time cost him the race. So, finding ways to improve fuel consumption and determine the best timing for refueling also turns out to be an optimization problem that may an opportunity to use machine learning and advanced analytics to find the best solution and improve race performance.
Yellow Flag Predictive Modelling
A yellow flag during the race occurs when an accident occurs or there is debris on the track. Drivers are required to reduce their speed and passing another car is prohibited. One of the impacts of this, is that the relative lead of one car over another is reduce. But it may also be a good time to go in for a pit stop since the cars arent going at full speed while the flag is on. If a racing team had a crystal ball and could predict when a yellow flag would occur, it could help them determine their best pit stop strategy. This may seem a little far-fetched but the Zapata/Andretti team will attempt to create a model for this that will be based upon conditions on the track, the status of the various cars in the cars, which particular drivers are in those cars, and other factors collected during the race. It will be interesting to us to see if they can actually create a useful model for when yellow flags may occur from this data.
From an operations standpoint, working in this environment can present some unique challenges. But it also provides learning opportunities for the Zapata team as they face real world challenges and find ways to solve them that can be used for future product enhancements and customer engagements in other areas. One of the first things to understand is the racing environment requires real time decisions and you do not want to use a quantum computer somewhere in the cloud on race day. The latencies will be too slow and you dont want to have to struggle with flaky Wi-Fi connections. So, Zapata and Andretti have set up an on-site Race Analytics Command Center as shown in the picture below.
Zapata and Andretti arent going to install a quantum computer in this trailer, but it will have a large amount of classical computing capability to help the team make real time decisions on race day. Machine learning applications are typically divided into a training session that develops the optimum coefficients for a model and an execution portion that just runs the model and provides an output based upon the previously setup coefficients. The training portion is the most computationally intensive portion of an ML model, they do not have to run in real time and is a good opportunity for leveraging quantum computing. Executing a model once it is created is not so computationally intensive and can be done on a classical processor. The team can feed in data from previous races and trial runs, create an ML model over many days or weeks, but then execute the ML model in real time on classical computers sitting in this trailer.
The collaboration between Zapata and Andretti goes much beyond leveraging quantum computing. The overall program will involve working with multiple data bases that could be resident with cloud providers, edge computing data coming in from various sensors, and managing workflows that are both classical and quantum in nature. Zapata will be using their Orquestra product to help manage all this.
This will be a long-term collaboration. Because the available quantum computers are not yet powerful enough to provide an advantage, the first implementations of this work will use quantum-inspired algorithms. However, the intent is that as the quantum processors become more powerful, these algorithms will eventually be moved for full quantum computers and allow the companies to create larger, more complex, and more accurate models to further their advantage. Andretti participates in many different types of auto racing and has many different teams. So, the two companies will have a lot of opportunities to try out and develop this capability. We also expect the companies will find additional use cases for leveraging advanced computing capabilities as they work together.
For additional information about this collaboration, a news release posted on the Zapata web site can be accessed here.
May 26, 2022
The quantum future is coming and David Chaums xx network is ready for it – CryptoSlate
Want to work with us? CryptoSlate is hiring for a handful of positions!
The choice between keeping information in the hands of individuals or of organizations is being made each time any government or business decides to automate another set of transactions.
In one direction lies unprecedented scrutiny and control of peoples lives, in the other, secure parity between individuals and organizations.
The shape of society in the next century may depend on which approach predominates.
While perfectly describing the state of privacy in 2022, these words are actually taken from the conclusion of a 1992 Scientific American article written by David Chaum. An American computer scientist and cryptographer, Chaum is widely recognized as a cryptography pioneer having first proposed a solution to creating a blockchain protocol in 1982.
He earned his moniker as the godfather of cryptocurrency in the industrys early days, as his doctoral dissertation proposed all but one element of the blockchain protocol detailed in the Bitcoin whitepaper.
The majority of Chaums work turned out to be a harbinger of things to come. In 2022, most of the worlds information networks have placed their users data in the hands of organizations rather than the individuals it gathered it from.
And while theres still time before a critical level of mistrust in these organizations is achieved, the confidence in alternatives has never been higher.
Blockchain and other privacy-preserving technologies paving the way for Web3 have become the focus of extensive research efforts and adopted by governments and enterprises across multiple industries.
However, no matter how safe and efficient these networks are, they all have a critical failing point none of them are resistant to quantum computing.
Chaum believes that those that dismiss the dangers of quantum computers and their ability to crack even the most advanced cryptography fail to realize that the technology isnt science fiction its just around the corner.
In the last few months alone, India has invested $1 billion in quantum computing and Israel has announced its intention to develop its own quantum computer for strategic capabilities,' Chaum told CryptoSlate. The Russian government started investing in 2020, and the UK has invested over $1 billion since 2013. There is a secret arms race happening which puts almost all blockchains at risk.
Some reports estimate that we could have as many as two to five thousand quantum computers active across the globe by 2030. Chaum believes that these are realistic assessments and adds that it will be at least a decade before quantum computing becomes mainstream.
However, it doesnt have to be mainstream to pose a threat.
The U.S. or Chinese government, for example, wont be shouting their progress from the rooftops. All they need is one powerful enough system to threaten our privacy, security, digital sovereignty and yes your crypto wallet, too.
Theres a good chance that when we do fully enter the quantum-computing era, we wont know about it for a while.
Chaum truly believes that the quantum future is coming. In some sense, he said, its already here.
Thats why he and his team decided to launch the xx network, a new type of quantum-resistant, future-proof blockchain platform designed to tackle the problems of decentralization and security we face today.
The xx network consists of five major components blockchain, nodes, governance, currency, and communication designed to offer a secure and protected digital sphere. The xx blockchain is the base decentralization mechanism of the network, allowing the independently operated nodes to verify the execution of transactions and other network operations publicly.
To further advance the platforms security, it uses a new consensus protocol developed by Chaum and his team. Called the xx consensus, the protocol is based on the byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) family of protocols and is able to achieve linear scalability.
However, it is different from other BFT-based protocols because of its quantum resistance, high transaction throughput, and the ability to remain secure even if up to a third of the network is compromised or goes offline.
Chaum hopes that platforms with this level of security will become common soon.
I think as developers wake up to the threat of quantum computing, protocols like ours will have to become standard. Users dont want blockchains that are vulnerable. The market capitalization of cryptocurrencies is mind-bogglingly huge, the idea of most of that value disappearing in a moment will definitely focus minds.
But its not just the loss of monetary value that the xx network wants to protect its users from its the loss of privacy, as well.
One of the five key components of the xx network is a communication layer brought to life through Chaums flagship product called the xx messenger.
The xx messenger isnt the only privacy-focused messaging app on the market, but its the only one that leverages a protocol as unique as xx consensus.
What the xx messenger does is leverage a unique protocol to shred your metadata: who the message is from, who youre sending the message to, when it was sent etc. Sure, the contents of the message is encrypted on other apps, but everything else about that communication is available for the proprietor to see.
Other messengers keep this information because it has significant commercial value. We dont know anything about our users, and thats the way it should stay.
Chaum says that metadata shredding is imperative for secure communication. Even if the content of the messages is hidden through end-to-end encryption, the platform can still access the metadata of its users.
Governments and corporations can use metadata to gather an intimate picture of your life, Chaum explained. Mark Zuckerberg, who has recently been touting Facebook and WhatsApps end-to-end encryption, still keeps your metadata.
Why? Because its valuable. Why is it valuable? Because it contains an incredible amount of information about you, and advertisers, governments and businesses want it.
Aside from metadata shredding, the xx messenger also leverages mix networks, a technology Chaum pioneered in the early 1980s that paved the way for major cryptographical innovations such as Tor. Mix networks take data from multiple senders, shuffle it, and send it back out in a random order to the next destination or node. That makes it incredibly difficult or impossible for a third party to discover who the sender and receiver are.
The mix network protocol Chaum applied to the xx messenger, called cMix, goes even further.
Other mixnet designs often use public key operations, which delay transmission times. But by using precomputation, we can significantly reduce the computing power and processing time. This technique means that any modern smartphone is able to run a completely private messenger with a truly low-latency experience.
The xx network is Chaums attempt to contribute to the fight for a better Web3 world. And while hes pretty optimistic that quantum-resistant technologies like the ones leveraged by the xx network will become the norm, hes still assessing the worst-case scenario for the industry.
He believes that the goal of the Web3 movement is to reverse the centralizing force of Web2 corporations.
What we dont want is faux-decentralization to become the norm, a middle path where new companies and dApps built on the blockchain retain a semi-centralized model, with proprietors holding significant amounts of control indefinitely.
However, Chaum also believes that people are becoming increasingly aware of the downsides of Web2, so the market for an alternative solution is vast.
Every time you centralize power and information, people lose and democracy loses. So, the potential for blockchains to help address this general problem is profound.
Become a member of CryptoSlate Edge and access our exclusive Discord community, more exclusive content and analysis.
On-chain analysis
Price snapshots
More context
Excerpt from:
The quantum future is coming and David Chaums xx network is ready for it - CryptoSlate
@HPCpodcast: Satoshi Matsuoka on the TOP500, Fugaku and Arm, Quantum and Winning Japan’s Purple Ribbon Medal of Honor – insideHPC
Satoshi Matsuoka
An eminent figure in the HPC community, Prof. Satoshi Matsuoka, director of the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) and professor of computer science at Tokyo Institute of Technology, joined our @HPCpodcast for a far ranging discussion of supercomputing past, present and future.
At RIKEN, Matsuoka has overseen development of Fugaku, number 1 on the TOP500 list of the worlds most powerful supercomputers (the list will be updated next week during the ISC 2022 conference in Hamburg as of now its not known if Fugaku will retain its position). Previously, Matsuoka was lead developer of another well-know supercomputer, TSUBAMI, the most powerful supercomputer in Japan at the time.
He also is a recent winner of the Purple Ribbon Medal, one of Japans highest honors, and in our conversation Matsuoka explains why the award ceremony did not include the usual presence of the Emperor of Japan. Thats how our discussion starts; other topics are time stamped below:
start The Purple Ribbon Medal of Honor
2:15 The role of Japan in supercomputing
3:45 TOP500 and ORNLs Exascale system
5:00 Fugaku and Arm
8:00 Why not SPARC
11:30 The balance and beauty of Fugaku and its predecessor, the K-Computer
15:15 Notable applications of Fugaku, including Covid research
25:00 Future of supercomputing and whats next after Fugaku
31:45 FPGA and CGRA
36:00 Quantum Computing
40:30 Nintendo days and working with the late, great Satoru Iwata
48:30 Pursuit of perfection, with a mention of the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi
You can find our podcasts at insideHPCs@HPCpodcast page, onTwitterand at theOrionX.net blog.Heresthe RSS feed.
Read the original here:
@HPCpodcast: Satoshi Matsuoka on the TOP500, Fugaku and Arm, Quantum and Winning Japan's Purple Ribbon Medal of Honor - insideHPC