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COLLEGE PARK, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), a leader in quantum computing, today announced support for specifying quantum circuits in a hardware-native gate format across its systems. Researchers, academic institutions and developers looking for new ways to test, learn and discover real-world solutions can now more precisely and expressively define their algorithms that run on IonQ quantum hardware.

IonQ provides customers with access to its cloud quantum computing platform the IonQ Quantum Cloud which allows users to run quantum programs on IonQs hardware remotely. Customers have the flexibility to define quantum algorithms in whatever format best suits their needs, and the platforms proprietary compilation, optimization and post-processing stack is designed to ensure consistent, high-quality results. However, advanced researchers and developers often need more fine-grained control over each individual gate run on hardware when exploring novel algorithms, solutions and fundamental techniques.

In order to serve this group of innovators more effectively, IonQ is further democratizing access to its industry-leading hardware by providing users with the ability to submit quantum programs using its hardware-native gate format. Developers can now specify precisely what is happening to every qubit throughout their entire algorithm, improving overall usefulness through new error mitigation or post-processing techniques. The feature is now available via IonQs direct API, Google Cloud Marketplace integration, and a variety of open-source tools such as Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane and others.

Researchers, academics, developers, and other tinkerers like to be as close to the metal as possible when designing quantum experiments that can surpass todays benchmarks they want to be able to play at every layer of the stack to extract as much performance and novel insight as possible from these systems, said Nathan Shammah, from Unitary Fund, the nonprofit organization developing Mitiq, the first open-source software for quantum error mitigation. IonQ providing a native gate interface across several open-source tools further opens access and paves the way for the open source community to allow for further control and to improve performance in quantum computing software.

By providing the open source community with greater access to IonQs quantum hardware through native gates, we are doubling down on our commitment to provide researchers with the tools needed to experiment with quantum computers in the way they best see fit, said Jungsang Kim, Co-Founder and CTO at IonQ. We believe that quantums true potential will only be realized by those willing to push the boundaries of whats possible, and IonQs industry-leading hardware is designed to provide the ideal platform to build on top of and seek out solutions for the worlds most complex problems.

Todays news is the latest in a series of announcements by IonQ designed to push accessibility of quantum systems forward. In March, IonQ unveiled an industry-standard #AQ performance benchmark set to evaluate the quality of results output from a quantum computer. Additionally, IonQ announced in February the development of the N-qubit Toffoli gate alongside Duke University, introducing a new way to operate on many connected qubits at once by leveraging multi-qubit communication. More recently, IonQ announced the extension of its commercial partnership with Hyundai Motors to use quantum machine learning to improve the computation process for tasks like road sign image classification and simulation in a real-world test environment.

About IonQ

IonQ, Inc. is a leader in quantum computing, with a proven track record of innovation and deployment. IonQs latest generation quantum computer, IonQ Aria, is the worlds most powerful quantum computer, and IonQ has defined what it believes is the best path forward to scale. IonQ is the only company with its quantum systems available through the cloud on Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as through direct API access. IonQ was founded in 2015 by Christopher Monroe and Jungsang Kim based on 25 years of pioneering research. To learn more, visit http://www.ionq.com.

IonQ Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words. Statements that are not historical in nature, including the words anticipate, expect, suggests, plan, believe, intend, estimates, targets, projects, should, could, would, may, will, forecast and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the anticipated benefits of native gate access; IonQs ability to further develop and advance its quantum computers and achieve scale; IonQs market opportunity and anticipated growth; and the commercial benefits to customers of using quantum computing solutions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: market adoption of quantum computing solutions and IonQs products, services and solutions; the ability of IonQ to protect its intellectual property; changes in the competitive industries in which IonQ operates; changes in laws and regulations affecting IonQs business; IonQs ability to implement its business plans, forecasts and other expectations, and identify and realize additional partnerships and opportunities; and the risk of downturns in the market and the technology industry including, but not limited to, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors section of IonQs Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 20221 and other documents filed by IonQ from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and IonQ assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. IonQ does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

_________________

1 NTD: STET this if this will be filed prior to the 10-Q.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220512005806/en/

IonQ Media contact:Dillon OlagarayMission North[emailprotected]

IonQ Investor Contact:[emailprotected]

Source: IonQ

Original post:
IonQ Launches Native Gate Access, Extends Open-Source Capabilities for Researchers and Developers - StreetInsider.com

Quantum computing is a branch of computer science dedicated to innovative computers based on the values of quantum theory. Quantum computing combines the unique ability of subatomic particles to exist in more than one state using qubits or bits. Quantum computing connects important behaviors in quantum physics, such as entanglement, superposition, and quantum interference, and applies them to computing. Quantum computing focuses on the evolution of computing technology based on the principles of quantum theory.

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How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.Benjamin Disraeli 19th Century Prime Minister of the UK

by David Shaw, Doug Finke, and Andr M. Knig

Scorpion Capital is an activist investor specializing in taking short positions in publicly traded stocks (and therefore stand to gain if the stock price moves down). They recently took such a position in IonQ, a leading trapped ion quantum computing hardware company. IonQ listed on the NYSE in October 2021 in a SPAC assisted floatation. SPACs themselves have been controversial in some circles, where they are viewed as a way to avoid the usual scrutiny of a traditional IPO process.

Scorpion issued a scathing short report aimed to move market sentiment against IonQ [1]. Its important to recall that this style of research does not aim to present a balanced picture or even a structured analysis. Its a scatter gun of bad things that might hurt the stock price. Some of these such as allegations of revenue irregularities are a matter specifically for the company, which has responded with its own press release [2].

However, some of the accusations could mislead debate around the wider quantum industry, and confuse investors more generally. We want to discuss those points here.

Academics have been talking about quantum computing for over forty years [3]. Richard Feynman first speculated about the idea in 1981 [4] and it was formalised by David Deutsch in 1985 [5]. Many would date progress on hardware to Alain Aspects famous experiments in 1982 [6]. Fidelities in the lab slowly improved, notably in the period 2008-2017 [7][10]. Activity has really intensified in the last three years with multiple demonstrations of beyond classical calculations [11][13] (albeit on artificial problems), and tentative logical qubit demonstrations [14][16]. Multiple commercial players have defined roadmaps to build large scale machines [17].

For a recent review of progress see Quantum Outlook 2022.

Just Toys? Up to about 50-60Q we can mostly simulate these quantum devices on conventional computers. In that sense everything less is a toy and the field often learns by working on toy problems. However, this is deadly serious R&D. The IonQ 11Q device deservedly debuted in Nature in 2019 [18]. In has continued to perform well in independent benchmarks [19]. But are any of the current generation of devices powerful enough for commercial computing applications? No. Scaling up is definitely required.

1+1=2? Such calculations are not a target use case for quantum computers (we dont try to do math using wind tunnels). Even so, to a casual observer this might seem like this should be easy for any computing device. It turns out that this isnt necessarily so when working with low-depth NISQ circuits and todays gate sets [20]. Todays hybrid algorithms aim to leave as much work as possible on classical hardware.

Even with envisaged intermediate scale quantum machines, early commercial applications are unproven. Many academics are sceptical (as we pay them to be), pointing to the difficulties facing known NISQ approaches. Some entrepreneurs are battening down for the long term. Others point to the tradition of constructive criticism driving innovation, and of commercial programs making jumps that defied traditional labs. Recent progress in AI is arguably a good example of the latter [21].

A publicly quoted company, with the need to publish results quarter to quarter is a challenging environment in which to manage such an evolving narrative. Only the largest companies can traditionally combine such emerging activities with a public listing.

There are hold-out quantum skeptics, and no one has a roadmap where the physics is completely de-risked (though some are closer than others). However, for the long-term, mushrooming government support around the world reflects the clear majority expert opinion this revolution is going to happen [22][24]. The only question is when.

Trapped ion technology is a technology quite alien to those used to the digital world.

Is it really a 32Q device? This may sound like a fairly straightforward question. But the nature of trapped ion technology blurs the answer. The qubits are individual ions, and you can load a variable number of ions into a typical trap. Some qubits may play an active role in the calculation, others supporting roles. A key question is how many qubits are available for use in the target algorithm? IonQs next generation device does seem to have successfully operated with up to about 21Q in 2021 when it did well in independent benchmark tests [19] (though it clearly wasnt performing at the aggressive targets IonQ had set of 32Q and 4M QV).

Trapped ion quantum computers confound our expectations in many ways. They are set to have very slow gate speeds compared to conventional computers. The point is that quantum computers enable us to use algorithms that complete in exponentially fewer processing steps. Raw trapped ion gate speeds are also set to be slow compared even to other proposed quantum platforms. Here a true comparison is much more subtle. What really matters is which platform can achieve the desired combination of scale, fidelity and speed, and how along the way it keeps down the overheads associated with error correction [25].

Outsourced fabrication Its not necessarily an issue if a trapped ion player outsources the fabrication of the trap and vacuum systems. A basic trap is now a relatively standard component. The really challenging part of the setup for a machine like this is the laser system and the control logic. None of todays commercial players have yet fully recreated the sector-leading 2Q gate fidelities achieved with hero devices in the lab. Trap design and fabrication is set to become more of a focus as players innovate to meet other scaling challenges: miniaturisation and modularisation.

Miniaturization A key challenge for conventional trapped ion setups is gate control. Established approaches use lasers to drive gates. This makes miniaturisation a real challenge. AQT already have a rack-based trapped ion system, but they use optical trapped ion qubits [26]. These require a less demanding setup. Other trapped ion players are typically using hyperfine trapped ion qubits, which in principle offer longer lifetimes and so access to higher fidelities. But working with the special laser setups required looks harder. True large-scale trapped ion systems probably require integrated photonic solutions (if you stick with lasers some are working on ways to control ion traps with microwaves instead [10], [27]). Such systems are at an early stage as conventional photonic platforms dont work well at the required wavelengths [28]. Innovative solutions are emerging.

Modularization The other key scaling challenge is how to interconnect modules. Here trapped ion proponents often point to photonic interconnects. This is more of a challenge than sometimes portrayed. The currently best demonstrated fidelities and speeds dont look good enough [29]. Again, innovative solutions are emerging.

Working with trapped ion based approaches certainly are a bet that some better quantum technology isnt able to get over the line first. IonQ has to innovate to meet the scaling challenge. A positive from the SPAC is that it has an impressive $500M pile of cash to help it drive this process. And they do have ideas. The real question is how quickly can any player move to solve multiple challenges at once: fidelity, miniaturisation and modularity?

You have to be very careful with roadmap promises. Analysts on public equities wont be impressed when they change or are missed. Many R&D phase companies choose to stay private. Some choose to stay in stealth.

These arent old-time software startups where everyone can eat pizza and get things delivered by pulling an all-nighter. These are long term endeavours that have to combine skills from physicists, engineers and computer scientists just to make things work. In the real-world, marketing flair and commercial skills are set to be an equally important part of the mix. Combining such impenetrable disciplines amidst great uncertainty; mixing founding and new senior talent; retaining everyone around a realistic common company narrative (and realistic pay expectations) are going to be challenges many in the sector will face.

The pressures and dynamic of a SPAC process probably doesnt help keep everyone on board. Senior hires bouncing in and out never looks good.

Academic founders face particular challenges In many areas investors traditionally look for founders to fully commit to the new business. However, in the quantum space there are other considerations. Many anticipate that the talent pipeline will be a key issue. Keeping connections with a home institute helps shore-up a natural recruitment pool. It also gives insight into governmental programs of support for the local quantum sectors. An additional pressure is going to be managing to get the best out of academic and corporate lab teams. Each should have contrasting strengths, but also likely different cultures.

(In preparing this piece, a striking feature has been former academic colleagues, but now commercial competitors of IonQ founders Chris Monroe and Jungsang Kim jumping to their defense as physicists. Disagreements naturally continue on whose hardware plans are best.)

Existing and potential investors in quantum technology already face many distractions: an unsettled global economic environment; interest rates across developed economies are on an upward trajectory; inflation stalks the land. But where are investors to invest? Investing in innovative ventures is a vital opportunity to bring uncorrelated exposure into a portfolio.

First, we should point out that all companies have problems. Sometimes it is an engineering program that has slipped its schedule, sometimes it is disagreements within management, sometimes it is unhappy customers, and many other things. A person can certainly look at a company and write a report that only discusses these issues. But a report that only focusses on the bad things, but does not mention any of the good things happening at a company does not give an accurate picture. It also would be incorrect to assume that any problem a company currently faces will be permanent. But again, pointing out that a problem might be temporary wont be mentioned if your sole purpose is to write a report that drives down the price of the stock so you can make a profit.

We scorn the use of hype to create an unrealistic positive picture of how quickly quantum can add value. We equally scorn the use of scatter gun defamation (anti-hype) to paint an equally unrealistic negative picture. Neither benefits the industry or society in general. Both are traps for investors.

Quantum computing is at the very early stages of development and the ultimate proof of whether a company is good or not will be determined by whether a company can deliver on its roadmap and be competitive.

At this stage no one can say for sure which of the companies working in quantum can achieve this. The best that can be done is to bring in a well-qualified team that understands the technology, the market value chain, and real-world company cultures to perform careful due diligence. We dont think a hedge fund that doesnt have people knowledgeable about the technology, and has a motivation to be biased, fits this description.

Many think that SPAC mania in the financial markets is anyway coming to an end (and such vehicles will likely be more thoroughly regulated) [30]. But businesses should think not just about the route to flotation, SPAC or IPO, but also what milestones they need to hit to be ready for life on the public market. Venture investors will expect a plan that allows the business to move on at some point.

Quantum computing is engaged in a long marathon that will take many years to play out. The quantum technology sector overall presents an even wider landscape of opportunities. Business adopters should avoid immediate judgements, but engage with companies that can execute and bring to market competitive products that provide commercial value. Governments should encourage the creative destruction of the innovative process. Investors should weigh the best advice they can find, and make their choices. And IonQ needs to demonstrate that Scorpion Capitals criticismwas indeed nothing but aggressivefinancial posturing.

[1] Scorpion Capital | Activist short selling focused on publicly traded frauds and promotes, Scorpion Capital. https://scorpioncapital.com (accessed May 07, 2022).

[2] IonQ Reiterates Unwavering Commitment to Building the Quantum Future, May 04, 2022. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220504006319/en/IonQ-Reiterates-Unwavering-Commitment-to-Building-the-Quantum-Future (accessed May 07, 2022).

[3]J. Preskill, Quantum computing 40 years later, arXiv:2106.10522 [quant-ph], Jun. 2021, Accessed: May 07, 2022. [Online]. Available: http://arxiv.org/abs/2106.10522

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[5]Quantum theory, the ChurchTuring principle and the universal quantum computer | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspa.1985.0070 (accessed May 07, 2022).

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[8]R. Barends et al., Superconducting quantum circuits at the surface code threshold for fault tolerance, Nature, vol. 508, no. 7497, Art. no. 7497, Apr. 2014, doi: 10.1038/nature13171.

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[10]T. P. Harty, M. A. Sepiol, D. T. C. Allcock, C. J. Ballance, J. E. Tarlton, and D. M. Lucas, High-fidelity trapped-ion quantum logic using near-field microwaves, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 117, no. 14, p. 140501, Sep. 2016, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.140501.

[11]F. Arute et al., Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor, Nature, vol. 574, no. 7779, Art. no. 7779, Oct. 2019, doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1666-5.

[12]H.-S. Zhong et al., Phase-Programmable Gaussian Boson Sampling Using Stimulated Squeezed Light, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 127, no. 18, p. 180502, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.180502.

[13]Y. Wu et al., Strong quantum computational advantage using a superconducting quantum processor, arXiv:2106.14734 [quant-ph], Jun. 2021, Accessed: Aug. 02, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://arxiv.org/abs/2106.14734

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[16]L. Postler et al., Demonstration of fault-tolerant universal quantum gate operations, arXiv:2111.12654 [quant-ph], Nov. 2021, Accessed: Dec. 02, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://arxiv.org/abs/2111.12654

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[19]T. Lubinski et al., Application-Oriented Performance Benchmarks for Quantum Computing, arXiv:2110.03137 [quant-ph], Oct. 2021, Accessed: Nov. 01, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://arxiv.org/abs/2110.03137

[20]agaitaarino, How do I add 1+1 using a quantum computer?, Quantum Computing Stack Exchange, Dec. 23, 2018. https://quantumcomputing.stackexchange.com/q/1654 (accessed May 05, 2022).

[21] J. M. Thornton, R. A. Laskowski, and N. Borkakoti, AlphaFold heralds a data-driven revolution in biology and medicine, Nat Med, vol. 27, no. 10, pp. 16661669, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1038/s41591-021-01533-0.

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May 7, 2022

Here is the original post:
Weathering the First Quantum Short - Quantum Computing Report

Finns joke that their advantage in quantum computing is that the cold you need to run the processors comes for free. But make no mistake, the quantum ecosystem in Finland is heating up.

Helmi, a five-qubit computer inaugurated last November in Espoo, will this month connect to the LUMI supercomputer in Kajaani, making blended computing projects possible. And in April, the country inked a cooperation statement with the US for quantum information science and technology, the first such agreement with a country in mainland Europe.

That statement gives us credibility that we are a strong partner to work with, says Himadri Majumdar, who leads the quantum programme at state-owned research centre VTT. While weve had academic collaborations with the US for a long time, this opens up commercial opportunities for Finnish and US companies to collaborate and find solutions that are useful for both sides.

One concrete effect is that Finland has been endorsed for cooperation with the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a body dedicated to the growth of the US quantum industry. The QED-C is only open to a few European member states and, thanks to the statement, Finland has been selected to be one of them, says Jan Goetz, chief executive and co-founder of quantum computer start-up IQM. Other benefits are expected to follow, with public funding for collaboration high on the wish list.

Finlands pitch in quantum is that it has a complete ecosystem. We have all the components in place, in a concentrated area, says Mikael Johansson, quantum strategist at CSC, Finlands IT Centre for Science. Being small has helped, with collaboration the norm across disciplines, and between academia and industry. Maybe that has been out of necessity, because we have limited resources to work with; but in the case of quantum technologies this is really an asset. We havent been siloed within the country, so we all work together and can see the broader picture.

IQM is a cornerstone of the ecosystem. Set up in 2018 by researchers from Aalto University and VTT, it builds quantum processors for research labs and supercomputing data centres. It now employs over 160 people, at four locations across Europe. Another is Bluefors, set up in 2008 to commercialise a cryogen-free ultra-low temperature system developed at Aaltos predecessor, Helsinki University of Technology. Achieving these low temperatures is essential for building quantum computers and other devices. The company now has over 250 employees, and an annual revenue of approximately 80 million.

Building on five qubits

IQM and VTT built Helmi, the five-qubit quantum computer inaugurated last November in Espoo. Five qubits is relatively modest compared to other projects: IBM last year turned on a machine boasting more than 100 qubits. But Majumdar says Helmi is just the beginning of Finlands quantum journey. Upgrades are expected to 20 qubits in 2023, and to 50 qubits in 2024.

You can run very simple algorithms, so it is for research and education rather than offering commercial benefits. But it is crucial for getting the feel of how a quantum computer works, says Juha Vartiainen, chief operating officer at IQM, and another of its four co-founders. The aim is to use this infrastructure to energise the ecosystem. Goetz draws an analogy with Britains high-performance computing ecosystem around Cambridge, where powerful computing infrastructure stimulated the start-up scene. And thats what we seeing, with start-ups being born here or relocating to Finland.

One example is QuantrolOx, a spin-off from the University of Oxford that has come to Espoo to build its qubit control software. Founded in 2021, the company raised 1.4 million in seed funding this February to further develop its business. The company can improve its product with the help of this quantum computer, says Vartiainen. On top of that, a deal announced in April between QuantrolOx and Indian quantum and artificial intelligence company QpiAI will result in the latter opening an office in Finland.

Meanwhile the Indian IT company Tech Mahindra is to set up a quantum centre of excellence in Helsinki, with the goal of creating 200 technology and business jobs over the next five years. This can be a kind of incubation centre for quantum algorithm development, says Majumdar, who was part of the trade delegation that sealed the deal. You can argue that you can do the computing in the cloud, using systems that are already available, but having access to a machine and actual hardware, where you can do even low-level software development, is a unique opportunity.

In addition to the hardware, Finlands assets for start-ups include plenty of talented engineers, and a strong venture capital community. You have events like Slush (a high-profile, annual tech exhibition in Helsinki), and a very good network of people who bring money to the table, says Goetz. There are also plenty of good ideas waiting to be exploited. Theres quite a build-up of intellectual property in the universities and VTT, so in terms of spinning out, there is a lot to build companies around, says Vartiainen.

Quantum meets supercomputing

Having an operational quantum computer will also help bring quantum and traditional high-performance computing together. Even though the quantum processor is small, its a real device, with real properties and real behaviour, that we can now integrate with the pan-European LUMI supercomputer, hosted in our data centre, says Johansson. Having it there means we can start doing things that were not possible before. We can start developing the software stack and algorithms, and we can get understanding of how it fits into the workflow for real end-user problems.

These end-users are the one gap in Finlands quantum ecosystem. We want them to get engaged as soon as possible in quantum activities, but there is a threshold that needs to be crossed, says Majumdar. Some of them think this is too far off, that they can wait for it to evolve. To this end VTT is setting up a foresight programme to help companies see beyond the threshold. We can help them identify what they can do in their specific industry, at each qubit capacity progression.

This search for end-users is one reason that IQM has expanded beyond Finland, opening offices in Munich, Bilbao and most recently Paris. In places like Munich, for example, you have a very high density of big industry players who have their quantum teams there, says Goetz. Its a different kind of ecosystem, not focused so much on the systems, but more on use cases. But its roots in Finland remain strong, with the European Investment Bank announcing last week that it is putting 35 million into the companys new processor fabrication facility in Espoo.

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The Ecosystem: Finland punches above its weight in quantum - Science Business