Tag: quantum computing

Quantum-proof encryption may not actually stop quantum hackers

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Quantum computers could crack existing encryption methods

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An algorithm that could break supposedly future-proofed encryption methods has cryptographers scrambling to understand the threat, though there is no immediate danger of hackers gaining access to encrypted data.

Quantum computers threaten to one day crack the widely used encryption algorithms that keep banking, email and other data safe, so researchers having been working to develop “post-quantum” algorithms to replace them. Many of these are based on “lattice problems”, an area of mathematics that involves regular patterns, or lattices, in space. The algorithms have been approved as secure by…

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April 18, 2024
Quantum computing at home gains new potential

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Scientists at Oxford University Physics have made a breakthrough that could see millions of individuals and companies harness the next generation of quantum computing.

The new advance promises to unlock the transformative potential of cloud-based quantum computing by guaranteeing security and privacy.

The study is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

About quantum computing

Quantum computing is developing rapidly. The new technology paves the way for innovative applications that could transform services in many areas, like healthcare and financial services.

It works differently from conventional computing and is a lot more powerful.

However, the technology currently needs controlled conditions to remain stable.

There are also concerns about data authenticity and the effectiveness of current security and encryption systems.

Safeguarding the customer’s privacy and security

Currently, several leading providers of cloud-based services, such as Google, Amazon, and IBM, offer some elements of quantum computing.

To scale up and extend its use, safeguarding the privacy and security of the customer is vital. Guaranteeing security and privacy is also needed for the development of new applications as technology advances.

The new study seeks to address these challenges.

“We have shown for the first time that quantum computing in the cloud can be accessed in a scalable, practical way, which will also give people complete security and privacy of data, plus the ability to verify its authenticity,” said Professor David Lucas, co-head of the Oxford University Physics research team.

What is blind quantum computing?

In the new study, the researchers use an approach called blind quantum computing.

This approach connects two separate quantum entities in a completely secure way. These objects could be in an individual home or in an office accessing a cloud service, for example.

Importantly, the new methods could be scaled up to large quantum computations.

Study lead Dr Peter Drmota at Oxford University Physics, said: “Using blind quantum computing, clients can access remote quantum computers to process confidential data with secret algorithms and even verify the results are correct, without revealing any useful information.”

Blind quantum computing over a network

The researchers created a system comprising a fibre network link between a quantum server and a simple device detecting photons. This allows blind quantum computing over a network.

Every computation incurs a correction that must be applied to all that follow. They need real-time information to comply with the algorithm.

The researchers used a unique combination of quantum memory and photons to achieve this.

“Never in history have the issues surrounding privacy of data and code been more urgently debated than in the present era of cloud computing and artificial intelligence,” said Professor David Lucas.

“As quantum computers become more capable, people will seek to use them with complete security and privacy over networks, and our new results mark a step change in capability in this respect.”

The work could lead to commercial development of new security devices

Ultimately, the results have the potential to enable the commercial development of devices to plug into laptops to safeguard data when people are using quantum cloud computing services.

The research was funded by the UK Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub.

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April 11, 2024
Microsoft and Quantinuum’s quantum computer may be most reliable yet

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The Quantinuum H2 chip

Quantinuum

Microsoft and the quantum computing firm Quantinuum claim to have made a quantum computer that has an unprecedented level of reliability. Its ability to correct its own errors could be a step towards more practical quantum computers in the near future.

“What we did here gives me goosebumps. We have shown that error correction is repeatable, it is working and it is reliable,” says Krysta Svore at Microsoft.

Experts have long anticipated the arrival of practical quantum computers, which could complete calculations that are too complex for conventional computers. Though quantum computers are steadily becoming larger and more complex, this prediction hasn’t yet been fully realised. One big reason for this is that all contemporary quantum computers make errors, and researchers have found it technically difficult to implement algorithms to catch and correct them during computation.

The new experiment may represent a significant step towards overcoming this error problem – the researchers say they ran over 14,000 separate computational routines on Quantinuum’s H2 quantum processors without a single error.

Classical computers also make errors, but error correction can be coded into programs by making back-up copies of the information being processed. This approach isn’t possible in quantum computing because quantum information cannot be copied. So, instead, researchers spread it across groups of connected quantum bits, or qubits, to create what are known as logical qubits. The Microsoft and Quantinuum team used 30 qubits to make four of these logical qubits.

Svore says that it was the generation of these logical qubits, using a process developed by Microsoft, that enabled repeated runs of error-free, or fault-tolerant, experiments. Individual qubits are typically easily disturbed, but at the level of the logical qubits, the researchers could repeatedly detect and correct the errors.

They say this approach was so successful that the four logical qubits produced as few as 0.125 per cent of the errors that were seen when the 30 qubits were left ungrouped. This means the ungrouped qubits would have produced as many as 800 errors for every one error produced by the logical qubits.

“A logical error rate 800 times lower than the error rate of the physical qubits is a very significant advance in the field that takes us another step closer to fault-tolerant quantum computing,” says Mark Saffman at the University of Wisconsin who was not involved with the experiment.

Jennifer Strabley at Quantinuum says the team’s hardware was well suited for the new experiments because it offers a high degree of control over qubits and because its quantum computer already had some of the lowest error rates achieved to date.

In 2023, a team of researchers at Harvard University and their colleagues, including some at the quantum computing start-up QuEra, broke the record for the largest number of logical qubits – 48 at once. This is far more than the four logical qubits in the new device. But Strabley says the new device requires fewer physical qubits per logical qubit, and the logical qubits made fewer errors than those built by the Harvard team. “We used a lot fewer physical qubits and got better results,” she says.

However, some experts consulted by New Scientist were not ready to qualify the new work as a breakthrough in quantum error correction just yet without more detail about the experiment.

It is generally accepted that only quantum computers with 100 or more logical qubits will really be able to tackle scientifically and societally relevant problems in areas including chemistry or materials science. The next challenge is making everything larger. Both Strabley and Svore say they are confident that the longstanding collaboration between Microsoft and Quantinuum will get there soon.

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April 3, 2024
Microsoft’s quantum computer may be the most reliable yet

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The Quantinuum H2 chip

Quantinuum

Microsoft and the quantum computing firm Quantinuum claim to have made a quantum computer that has an unprecedented level of reliability. Its ability to correct its own errors could be a step towards more practical quantum computers in the near future.

“What we did here gives me goosebumps. We have shown that error correction is repeatable, it is working and it is reliable,” says Krysta Svore at Microsoft.

Experts have long anticipated the arrival of practical quantum computers, which could complete calculations that are too complex for conventional computers. Though quantum computers are steadily becoming larger and more complex, this prediction hasn’t yet been fully realised. One big reason for this is that all contemporary quantum computers make errors, and researchers have found it technically difficult to implement algorithms to catch and correct them during computation.

The new experiment may represent a significant step towards overcoming this error problem – the researchers say they ran over 14,000 separate computational routines on Quantinuum’s H2 quantum processors without a single error.

Classical computers also make errors, but error correction can be coded into programs by making back-up copies of the information being processed. This approach isn’t possible in quantum computing because quantum information cannot be copied. So, instead, researchers spread it across groups of connected quantum bits, or qubits, to create what are known as logical qubits. The Microsoft and Quantinuum team used 30 qubits to make four of these logical qubits.

Svore says that it was the generation of these logical qubits, using a process developed by Microsoft, that enabled repeated runs of error-free, or fault-tolerant, experiments. Individual qubits are typically easily disturbed, but at the level of the logical qubits, the researchers could repeatedly detect and correct the errors.

They say this approach was so successful that the four logical qubits produced as few as 0.125 per cent of the errors that were seen when the 30 qubits were left ungrouped. This means the ungrouped qubits would have produced as many as 800 errors for every one error produced by the logical qubits.

“A logical error rate 800 times lower than the error rate of the physical qubits is a very significant advance in the field that takes us another step closer to fault-tolerant quantum computing,” says Mark Saffman at the University of Wisconsin who was not involved with the experiment.

Jennifer Strabley at Quantinuum says the team’s hardware was well suited for the new experiments because it offers a high degree of control over qubits and because its quantum computer already had some of the lowest error rates achieved to date.

In 2023, a team of researchers at Harvard University and their colleagues, including some at the quantum computing start-up QuEra, broke the record for the largest number of logical qubits – 48 at once. This is far more than the four logical qubits in the new device. But Strabley says the new device requires fewer physical qubits per logical qubit, and the logical qubits made fewer errors than those built by the Harvard team. “We used a lot fewer physical qubits and got better results,” she says.

However, some experts consulted by New Scientist were not ready to qualify the new work as a breakthrough in quantum error correction just yet without more detail about the experiment.

It is generally accepted that only quantum computers with 100 or more logical qubits will really be able to tackle scientifically and societally relevant problems in areas including chemistry or materials science. The next challenge is making everything larger. Both Strabley and Svore say they are confident that the longstanding collaboration between Microsoft and Quantinuum will get there soon.

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April 3, 2024
University of Arizona quantum technologies to generate $220m

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The world-leading developments in quantum technologies at the University of Arizona are estimated to bring in around $220m to Southern Arizona.

A recently published analysis of the economic impacts of quantum technologies has illustrated the vast financial benefits of these innovations to the area over the next ten years.

According to the Rounds Consulting Group, which produced the report, UArizona, the lead institute and host of the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN), is actively or indirectly pivotal to this economic boost.

Heath Vescovi-Chiordi, economic development director for Pima County, commented: “We are truly excited to see the results of this impact analysis.

“It clearly demonstrates the impact potential of this technology and shows the importance of UArizona’s investment.”

How CQN is galvanising quantum advancements

CQN, a distinguished Engineering Research Center sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was founded at the University of Arizona in 2020 with an initial $26m grant, and it is poised for a five-year extension worth $24.6m, supported by NSF #1941583.

Collaborating with ten universities, with prestigious institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Yale among its core partners, CQN’s primary objective is to pioneer the first quantum network in the US. This network will rapidly disseminate secure quantum information over vast distances.

QCN is establishing a groundbreaking quantum network system test bed situated within UArizona’s cutting-edge Grand Challenges Research Building (GCRB).

This facility will enable both researchers and private enterprises to explore and test emerging quantum technologies.

Julie Emms, administrative director of CQN, explained: “The University of Arizona saw quantum’s potential early on and unwaveringly supported the nascent research before it was popular.

“As the potential of quantum becomes known, funding opportunities are multiplying exponentially, to the tune of billions of dollars. Industry and government recognise the value of our early foothold and expertise in the science and are coming on board with us.”

Emms emphasised that beyond fostering economic growth in quantum technologies, the university’s objective is to shape the field towards serving the greater good.

She noted that CQN is actively engaging humanities researchers to investigate the legal and social ramifications of emerging quantum technologies.

Additionally, the QCN is providing quantum education opportunities to traditionally underrepresented students and communities.

Supporting quantum activity in Arizona

In addition to its involvement with CQN, the university has established the Arizona Quantum Initiative (AQuI) to drive the growth of quantum-related economic activity statewide.

AQuI focuses on promoting high-quality education, conducting cutting-edge research, and fostering effective partnerships across all aspects of quantum technology development.

Barbra Coffee, economic initiatives director for the City of Tucson, emphasised the transformative impact of AquI.

She said: “The City of Tucson is excited by the Rounds report findings and its demonstration of the significant impact the Arizona Quantum Initiative will have not only in Southern Arizona but the entire state.”

Economic impact of UArizona’s quantum technologies

Arizona stands to gain from an estimated $22m in annual public and private investments, $77m in labour income, and $20m in tax revenues.

Additionally, the university’s quantum initiatives are projected to create approximately 1,220 jobs in Arizona over the next decade.

This encompasses direct employment in quantum research and development, as well as indirect jobs in supply chain businesses and induced jobs from the rise in local consumer spending.

Luis Cordova, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Rounds Consulting Group, added: “Our findings indicate that the development of a quantum network hub in Arizona has the potential to create over 1,200 new jobs and generate over $250m in economic activity within a decade.

“However, given the nature of the fast-paced and evolving industry, this is likely an underestimation of the potential impact of quantum technology.”

As the quantum industry continues to evolve rapidly, the potential benefits are expected to surpass current estimations, signalling a promising future for quantum technologies in Arizona.

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March 22, 2024
Center for Quantum Networks welcomes UMASS Amherst in $26m quantum networking deal

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The University of Massachusetts Amherst is leading the core effort to design architectures and protocols for quantum networking for the National Science Foundation’s Center for Quantum Networks.

Under the leadership of Don Towsley, a Distinguished Professor at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS), the team are responsible for designing the infrastructure to support future city-scale quantum networks, an effort overseen by the Center for Quantum Networks.

The project is back by $26m in funding and is a five-year, renewable effort led by the University of Arizona, one of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Centers.

Opportunities for quantum networking

Quantum computing differs fundamentally from the bit-based computing we all do every day. A bit is typically expressed as a 0 or a 1 and represents an electrical current that is off or on.

Bits are the basis for all the software, websites and emails that make up our electronic world. Even the simplest digital artefacts are composed of thousands of them.

By contrast, quantum computing relies on quantum bits or qubits, which are like regular bits except that they represent particles in a quantum state. Matter in a quantum state behaves very differently, so qubits aren’t relegated to being only 0 or 1, on or off.

That difference in their behaviour opens up a range of possibilities for quantum networking. However, according to Stefan Krastanov, assistant professor of information and computer sciences at UMass Amherst and one of the researchers helping to design the quantum network, they are not magical.

He said: “For many computing problems, quantum computers are no more powerful than conventional ones.

“However, for a growing family of important problems like drug discovery, cryptography and scientific simulations, only quantum algorithms have a chance of providing solutions.”

The project could be a major step forward for digital security measures

One of the strange aspects of the quantum state is that matter can be ‘entangled’.

Entangling quantum computers over a quantum internet could provide unparalleled digital security –one of the main applications of the Center for Quantum Networks’ research – and vastly increase the computing power of today’s most powerful machines.

But for this to happen, a secure quantum network must exist that can link quantum computers and transmit entangled qubits.

Towsley explained: “The problem is that quantum information is incredibly fragile and very sensitive to environmental noise, such as heat.

“This requires the careful design of a network architecture, algorithms and protocols to protect against this noise.”

Towsley and his UMass colleagues, including Krastanov and Filip Rozpedek, assistant professor of information and computer science, as well as Taqi Raza, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, are working out how to send qubits without the risk of their loss or decay in a secure way.

“Security cuts across all the various specialities that must contribute to a successful quantum network. We are working to embed security principles in quantum networks from the start,” Raza stated.

Further research to advance quantum technology

Thanks to a seed fund created by anonymous donors, including a gift of $5m, Towsley is leading the creation of a UMass Amherst Center of Excellence to support research in quantum information systems that will work to develop a quantum internet and to provide network security to connect quantum computers.

“Our role as a core institution in the NSF Center for Quantum Networks is part of a broader, growing interdisciplinary initiative in quantum networking systems here at UMass, involving faculty and researchers in CICS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Physics in the College of Natural Sciences,” concluded Sanjay Raman, Dean of the College of Engineering.

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March 19, 2024
Never-Repeating Patterns of Tiles Can Safeguard Quantum Information

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This extreme fragility might make quantum computing sound hopeless. But in 1995, the applied mathematician Peter Shor discovered a clever way to store quantum information. His encoding had two key properties. First, it could tolerate errors that only affected individual qubits. Second, it came with a procedure for correcting errors as they occurred, preventing them from piling up and derailing a computation. Shor’s discovery was the first example of a quantum error-correcting code, and its two key properties are the defining features of all such codes.

The first property stems from a simple principle: Secret information is less vulnerable when it’s divided up. Spy networks employ a similar strategy. Each spy knows very little about the network as a whole, so the organization remains safe even if any individual is captured. But quantum error-correcting codes take this logic to the extreme. In a quantum spy network, no single spy would know anything at all, yet together they’d know a lot.

Each quantum error-correcting code is a specific recipe for distributing quantum information across many qubits in a collective superposition state. This procedure effectively transforms a cluster of physical qubits into a single virtual qubit. Repeat the process many times with a large array of qubits, and you’ll get many virtual qubits that you can use to perform computations.

The physical qubits that make up each virtual qubit are like those oblivious quantum spies. Measure any one of them and you’ll learn nothing about the state of the virtual qubit it’s a part of—a property called local indistinguishability. Since each physical qubit encodes no information, errors in single qubits won’t ruin a computation. The information that matters is somehow everywhere, yet nowhere in particular.

“You can’t pin it down to any individual qubit,” Cubitt said.

All quantum error-correcting codes can absorb at least one error without any effect on the encoded information, but they will all eventually succumb as errors accumulate. That’s where the second property of quantum error-correcting codes kicks in—the actual error correction. This is closely related to local indistinguishability: Because errors in individual qubits don’t destroy any information, it’s always possible to reverse any error using established procedures specific to each code.

Taken for a Ride

Zhi Li, a postdoc at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada, was well versed in the theory of quantum error correction. But the subject was far from his mind when he struck up a conversation with his colleague Latham Boyle. It was the fall of 2022, and the two physicists were on an evening shuttle from Waterloo to Toronto. Boyle, an expert in aperiodic tilings who lived in Toronto at the time and is now at the University of Edinburgh, was a familiar face on those shuttle rides, which often got stuck in heavy traffic.

“Normally they could be very miserable,” Boyle said. “This was like the greatest one of all time.”

Before that fateful evening, Li and Boyle knew of each other’s work, but their research areas didn’t directly overlap, and they’d never had a one-on-one conversation. But like countless researchers in unrelated fields, Li was curious about aperiodic tilings. “It’s very hard to be not interested,” he said.

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March 17, 2024
Quantum leap for UK and Germany science and research links

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A new partnership signed today will turbocharge science and research links between the UK and Germany.

The new agreement to boost science and research ties and plans for a joint group of science and research experts are part of shared measures announced by the UK and Germany today.

The UK Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger will announce these latest plans in London today.

They will then sign a Joint Declaration of Intent, committing both countries to broadening and deepening their science and research links.

High ambitions for science and research development

Today’s meeting also brings together a unique forum featuring some of the leading lights from both countries’ science and research communities – including the Max-Planck Society, the Royal Society, Universities UK, and the Helmholtz Association – to share and agree on promising opportunities for R&D teamwork in areas ranging from quantum and AI to clean technology and research security.

Moving forward, the UK and German governments will establish a Strategic Working Group to ensure that these high ambitions are matched with concrete delivery plans.

UK Secretary of State Michelle Donelan explained: “Germany is the UK’s second-largest trading partner and a critical science and research partner through Horizon Europe and CERN.

“By supporting our brightest minds and leading institutions to work together, we will maximise the opportunities for them to create new jobs, build new businesses, and ultimately deliver a better quality of life for us all.”

German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger added: “In the face of current challenges, it is all the more important that we move ahead together and prepare the ground for joint research solutions.

“The UK’s association to Horizon Europe is a major step in this direction. But we must also deepen bilateral cooperation.

“Our Joint Declaration of Intent provides the basis for good and close cooperation to strengthen science and research.”

Cementing UK and Germany research collaborations

The UK-Germany relationship on science and research is already deep and extensive.

Germany is the UK’s second-largest research collaborator globally after the US and its biggest research partner in Europe.

The two countries also play a key role together in some of the world’s foremost international scientific organisations, such as CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, and the European Space Agency.

To deepen links further, the UK government will also consider using funds available through the £337m International Science Partnerships Fund to enable UK researchers and innovators to collaborate with German partners on key projects.

Today also sees the award of the first two Global Innovation Fellowships, being delivered by the British Academy and the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

These one-year fellowships, to be hosted at DGAP’s headquarters in Berlin, will support collaborative work on the changing dynamics of global order. A second call for a further round of Global Innovation Fellowships between the Academy and DGAP will open later this year.

Together with Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the British Academy is also announcing that building on this June’s UK-Germany Knowledge Frontiers Symposium.

They will host three further symposia in the next three years that will bring together early career researchers from each country, boosting opportunities for joint work across humanities and social sciences.

Bilateral agreements like these, alongside the Horizon association, demonstrate the UK’s global ambitions to deepen collaboration with global leaders in science and research.

This agreement is a further demonstration of the UK’s ambition to cement its status as a science superpower through deepening collaboration on science and tech breakthroughs with like-minded nations like Germany.

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March 12, 2024
Protecting quantum computers from adversarial attacks

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A team of researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas has developed an approach with an industry collaborator to give quantum computers a layer of protection against adversarial attacks.

The solution, Quantum Noise Injection for Adversarial Defence (QNAD), counteracts the impact of adversarial attacks designed to disrupt the interference of quantum computers. This is AI’s ability to make decisions or solve tasks.

“Adversarial attacks designed to disrupt AI inference have the potential for serious consequences,” said Dr Kanad Basu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

The work will be presented at the IEEE International Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust on 6-9 May in Washington, DC.

Benefits of quantum computers

Quantum computers can solve several complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers. The emerging technology uses quantum mechanics and is expected to improve AI applications and solve complex computational problems.

Qubits represent the fundamental unit of information in quantum computers, like bits in traditional computers.

In classical computers, bits represent 1 or 0. However, qubits take advantage of the principle of superposition and can, therefore, be in a state of 0 and 1. By representing two states, quantum computers have greater speed compared to traditional computers.

For example, quantum computers have the potential to break highly secure encryption systems due to their computer power.

Challenges of quantum computers

Despite their advantages, quantum computers are vulnerable to adversarial attacks.

Due to factors such as temperature fluctuations, magnetic fields, and imperfections in hardware components, quantum computers are susceptible to noise or interference.

Quantum computers are also prone to unintended interactions between qubits.

These challenges can cause computing errors.

Leveraging quantum noise

The researchers leveraged intrinsic quantum noise and crosstalk to counteract adversarial attacks.

The method introduced crosstalk into the quantum neural network. This is a form of Machine Learning where datasets train computers to perform tasks. This includes detecting objects like stop signs or other computer vision responsibilities.

“The noisy behaviour of quantum computers actually reduces the impact of attacks,” said Basu, who is senior author of the study. “We believe this is a first-of-its-kind approach that can supplement other defences against adversarial attacks.”

AI application 268% more accurate with QNAD

The researchers revealed that during an adversarial attack, the AI application was 268% more accurate with QNAD than without it.

The approach is designed to supplement other techniques to protect quantum computer security.

“In case of a crash, if we do not wear the seat belt, the impact of the accident is much greater,” Shamik Kundu, a computer engineering doctoral student and a first co-author, said.

“On the other hand, if we wear the seat belt, even if there is an accident, the impact of the crash is lessened. The QNAD framework operates akin to a seat belt, diminishing the impact of adversarial attacks, which symbolise the accident, for a QNN model.”

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

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March 11, 2024
Quantum memory device could stop unhackable networks from failing

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A quantum version of RAM might improve long-distance quantum networks

Dmitriy Rybin/Shutterstock

A quantum version of a random access memory can read and write information 1000 times, and could eventually become a key component in long-distance quantum networks.

In conventional computers, random access memory (RAM) is essential for short-term information storage. Random access quantum memory (RAQM) is similar, and the expectation is that it will be vital for the smooth running of an unhackable quantum Internet connecting cities. This is because quantum information degrades easily as it travels – adding RAQMs at…

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March 8, 2024