IBM and CERN, they have a plan!
IBM quantum computing roadmap and quantum advantage in high energy physics | The convocation day | arXiv forum
Hey there!
As quantum computing units improve on scalability and quantum algorithms grow mature, scientists are venturing into the realm of quantum advantage. In this issue, I will share about the IBM quantum computing roadmap which aims to unlock the near future quantum advantage, and about the specific possibilities that IBM has identified in collaboration with CERN and other pioneering institutes in the field of high energy physics. Additionally, I will share a memory from my Ph.D commencement address.
Quantum leaps and bounds
IBM quantum computing roadmap and quantum advantage in high energy physics
In the last issue, I shared about the high-risk, high-reward approach of Microsoft regarding quantum computers. Their efforts are to achieve accurate quantum computing by improving the hardware and build robust units in the next 25 years. In this issue, I will share about the IBM roadmap which in contrast centres around improving error correction algorithms and unlock the near future quantum advantage. Additionally, in collaboration with CERN and others, IBM has identified specific problems in high energy physics where quantum computing can shine.
At the heart of IBM’s roadmap is the 100⊗100 challenge, slated to be achieved by 2025. The challenge is to achieve a quantum volume of 2^100 by running a circuit with 100 qubits and a depth of 100. Now, here are a few terms to ponder upon:
Qubit: Fundamental functional unit of a quantum computer.
Depth: Number of quantum gates to execute an operation.
Quantum volume (QV): QV = 2^(number of qubits) * fidelity, where fidelity is the average probability that a correct output is produced.
Here is an analogy that might help understand better. Imagine the game of “Simon Says” in which you have to follow the instructions Simon gives. You respond to the instructions to do a task, and if you do it wrong, you lose. Clearly, if Simon gives a lot of instructions, then the game is harder. In quantum computing terms, number of instructions correspond to depth, i.e., larger the depth, higher the chance of errors. The capability to handle information and performing task correctly corresponds to quantum volume.
Thus, IBM wants to do quantum computing with a significant number of qubits but not increasing the depth much to control the fidelity. To further improve the quantum volume they want to achieve a three-nines fidelity (99.9%) through error mitigation algorithms such as Zero Noise Extrapolation (ZNE) and Probabilistic Error Cancellation (PEC). Here is the summary of the IBM roadmap (image taken from A. D. Meglio, et. al. arXiv:2307.03236).
Importantly, IBM in collaboration with CERN and other pioneering institutes, has identified problems in the field of high energy physics which can access the quantum advantage. The high-energy physics community shares a mutual interest in exploring innovative computing due to the multitude of computational challenges they face in theoretical and experimental realms. Quantum computing integrated in high energy theory simulations can provide an access to real-time dynamics of colliding particles. On the experimental side, the large energy colliders produce gigantic data sets which require advanced computation for data processing, and the quantum leap can enable better data analysis for exploring new particles and fields which constitute our nature. A detailed account can be found in the white paper “Quantum Computing for High-Energy Physics State of the Art and Challenges Summary of the QC4HEP Working Group” available on arXiv. Click here to read it.
Living the scientific life
The convocation day
26 July 2023, I had the commencement address for my degree, Doctor of Philosophy which I proudly earned after all the hard work of over four years. Here is my memory from the day, and gratitude to all those who supported me.
Expert’s arena: cond-mat arXiv forum
The first room temperature ambient-pressure superconductor
There is a big claim in the market that a room temperature superconductor has been found. In a recent research, scientists from Korea have claimed to fabricate a special material called LK99 (copper doped lead-apatite) which is a superconductor up to temperatures as high as 400K at ambient pressure. Click here to read the preprint.
Well, that’s not the first time such claims have been made, and unfortunately most of them don’t end up as nice stories. Nevertheless, the claim is big and certainly calls for attention. I will share more about LK99, previous claims about high temperature superconductivity, and their fate in the next issue.
So, that’s that. Until next time, stay curious!