Quantum Computing Report by GQI - Week 2, 2024

Three Universities in Arkansas Win a $5M Grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation for Quantum Research and Education in the State

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will create a Quantum Information Science and Engineering program in the state along with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas Fayetteville. The $5 million grant will have a five year time period. UA Pine Bluff will be the lead institution and will receive $3.5 million of this funding to set up a quantum laboratory and quantum curriculum for bachelors and masters students. Another $750 thousand will be provided to UA Little Rock for quantum dot research. And UA Fayetteville will also receive $750 thousand for fabricating integrated quantum photonic devices. Additional information can be found in an article at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazettehere and also a news release posted on the UA Little Rock website here.

Baidu Ends Its Quantum Computing Research and Donates Lab and Equipment to the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences

We had reported in November who Alibaba had decided to shut down its quantum research team and donate the remaining equipment to Zhejiang University. And at that time, we cautioned that we could see more of this. Now, Baidu has announced that it is donating a quantum computing laboratory and equipment to the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (BAQIS). The parties are still working out the details and it is not known if the researchers who were working on Baidu’s quantum research will also join BAQIS or stay with Alibaba or go elsewhere.

The company did not state why it is making this move, but a possible reason could be a decision to focus more resources on artificial intelligence which would provide more immediate benefits. Another possibility is that with the global nature of the quantum technology industry, there is more difficulty for Chinese researchers to obtain the needed components and materials from a supply chain that has a significant number of items sourced from vendors located in the Western world. Additional information about this is available in a news article posted by the South China Morning Post and also another article posted by Reuters.

UCLA’s Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (CQSE) Will Receive a New Facility in a Former Shopping Mall

California Governor Gavin Newsome and University of California President Michael Drake have announced that the state has acquired a 700,000 square foot building that was formerly known as the Westside Pavilion which will now be the location of the UCLA Research Park. The facility is located approximately 2 miles from UCLA’s main campus and the rumored price of the acquisition was $700 million. The research park will be the home of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA, the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (CQSE), and eventually other programs.

The Center for Quantum Science and Engineering was started in 2018 and it may take as long as 3 years before the facility has been fully built converted for use as a research lab. In the meantime, CQSE will continue participating in the Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Present and Future Quantum Computation along with UC Berkeley and other universities. CQSE will also continue with several other of its research programs. They had received a $5 million grant from Boeing Corporation in 2022 and a $3 million traineeship grant?to from the National Science Foundation in 2021. Additional information about UCLA’s acquisition of this building for the UCLA Research Park is available on news releases posted on the UCLA website here and here.

Rigetti Announces Public Availability of Its Next Generation 84 Qubit Ankaa-2 Processor

Rigetti Computing has announced that its Ankaa-2 processor is now publicly available to their customers on Rigetti’s Quantum Cloud Services (QCS) platform. This uses a fourth generation architecture and includes numerous improvements of the previous generations including tunable couplers, a square lattice topology, and other improvements in fabrication and electronics to provide more qubits and higher levels of qubit quality. A key area of focus was in improving the two qubit gate fidelity which has now reached 97.5% on the Ankaa-2 versus about 95.1% on the predecessor Aspen-M-3 device (see here for details on these metrics). A press release from Rigetti announcing the availability of this processor has been posted on the company’s website here.

QuantrolOx Releases Their First Product, Quantum Edge

QuantrolOX has released Quantum Edge Asparagus, a software platform that provides automated qubit control for automating the tuning and calibration of quantum computers. As quantum hardware developers continue to scale up the number of qubits in their machine, it becomes increasingly impractical to have engineers manually calibrate and tune-up the machine because the complexity of the task increases exponentially with the number of qubits. The Quantum Edge software currently interfaces with control electronics from Qblox and Quantum Machines with plans to support additional control electronics providers in the future. Key functions provided by the software include QPU Monitoring, Automation Workflows, and Data Visualisations. An announcement of the software release can be seen in a LinkedIn post here. A web page for the product can be seen here. And a video demo of the software has been posted on YouTube here.

POLARISqb and Scientist.com Unveil Quantum-Aided Drug Design Platform for Accelerated Drug Discovery

POLARISqb and Scientist.com have forged a groundbreaking partnership, introducing the Quantum-Aided Drug Design (QuADD) platform, marking a significant leap in drug discovery technology. POLARISqb, pioneers in quantum-enabled molecular optimization tools for drug discovery, collaborated with Scientist.com, the leading online marketplace for outsourced research. This collaboration allows Scientist.com users access to POLARISqb’s QuADD platform, leveraging quantum computing to expedite the creation of optimized molecular libraries for drug design within days.

POLARISqb’s QuADD is a software platform utilizing quantum annealing computers, completing calculations over 500 times faster than traditional computers. It translates the molecular library building problem into an optimization challenge, providing a library of potential drug candidates targeting specific binding pockets in 1-3 days. Bill Shipman, CTO and Co-Founder of POLARISqb, expressed enthusiasm about working with Scientist.com to extend the platform to a broad network of researchers, enhancing the search for novel drug candidates.

Scientist.com’s CEO, Kevin Lustig, highlighted their commitment to supporting cutting-edge drug research innovators like POLARISqb. The QuADD software, by significantly accelerating the discovery of new drug candidates, holds promise for addressing hundreds of human diseases. POLARISqb, with its QuADD platform, combines quantum and cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, offering a transformative approach to drug discovery. For further details, readers can access the original press release provided by the company here.

Rigetti Collaborates with Moody’s Analytics to Pioneer Quantum-Enhanced Machine Learning in Finance

Rigetti, a frontrunner in full-stack quantum computing, is advancing quantum-enhanced machine learning in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics, a global financial intelligence and analytics leader. With a steadfast focus on achieving narrow quantum advantage, Rigetti aims to solve practical problems more efficiently than classical alternatives. The collaboration, initiated in April 2023, showcased promising results in recession forecasting using a hybrid approach of classical signature kernels and quantum-enhanced data transformations.

The partnership extends into 2024, where Rigetti plans to leverage higher-dimensional datasets across diverse macroeconomic areas, employing its 84-qubit Ankaa? system with enhanced error mitigation techniques. Moody’s Analytics acknowledges the strategic investment in quantum computing to gain an edge over classical solutions. Sergio Gago, MD of AI and Quantum Computing at Moody’s Analytics, emphasizes the synergy between Moody’s expertise and Rigetti’s quantum capabilities.

Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO, highlights the importance of collaboration with industry experts to refine quantum computing systems for real-world applications. Marco Paini, VP of Finance Solutions at Rigetti, underscores the transformative impact of quantum computing on the financial sector and the value derived from collaboration with Moody’s quantum experts.

For those seeking additional details, the original press release from Rigetti and Moody’s Analytics can be accessed here.

SandboxAQ and Carahsoft Forge Strategic Partnership to Distribute Quantum and AI Powered Solutions to the Public Sector

SandboxAQ, a leader in quantum solutions, has joined forces with Carahsoft Technology Corp., a trusted government solutions provider, to extend the distribution of its cutting-edge cybersecurity and AI-enabled quantum solutions within the Public Sector. Under the partnership, Carahsoft will deliver SandboxAQ’s Security Suite, a modern cryptography management platform, alongside other AI and quantum technology solutions, leveraging its extensive network of resellers, integrators, and consultants. This collaboration, expanding on prior successes with entities like the U.S. AirForce and the Defense Information Systems Agency, responds to the escalating cyber threats and the urgent need for post-quantum cryptography solutions.

The initial focus on cybersecurity stems from the anticipated threat posed by fault-tolerant quantum computers to current encryption protocols. SandboxAQ and Carahsoft will not only address this challenge but also provide Simulation & Optimization solutions for advanced material discovery and quantum sensing solutions applicable in various domains. The partnership aims to support federal, state, and local agencies in implementing post-quantum cryptography and safeguarding sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and national interests.

To further enhance awareness and adoption, Carahsoft and SandboxAQ will co-market their solutions through webinars, white papers, events, and government training courses on AI, quantum, and SandboxAQ’s offerings. Carahsoft President Craig Abod expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing the potential impact of SandboxAQ’s quantum solutions across government, intelligence, law enforcement, defense, and health-related agencies.

More details can be found on a blog posted on the SandboxAQ website here.

D-Wave Achieves SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance for Data Security

D-Wave Quantum Inc. has successfully completed its SOC 2 Type 2 audit, marking a significant milestone as the first full-stack quantum computing provider to achieve this compliance. This audit covers how a cloud-based service provider handles sensitive information and includes both the suitability of a company’s controls and their operating effectiveness. The audit, conducted by A-LIGN, reinforces D-Wave’s commitment to data security as the company witnesses increased adoption and production use of its quantum computing solutions. Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave, emphasized the strategic significance of SOC 2 compliance in establishing and regularly reviewing commercial-grade security measures. D-Wave plans to conduct annual SOC 2 Type 2 assessments and will provide the latest report to customers upon execution of a nondisclosure agreement. For those seeking more information, the original press release and information on how to obtain D-Wave’s SOC 2 Type 2 report are available through the company’s official communication channels here.

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