Technology Archives - Welcome to Quantum Guru

An Overview for Hybrid Algorithm and Its Architecture

admin — Mon, 09 May 2022 20:01:38 +0000

What is a Hybrid Algorithm?

While you were skimming over quantum programming, you’ll probably heard of “hybrid quantum-classical computing”. Hybrid quantum-classical computing is a hot topic among quantum computing enthusiasts and it typically refers to a set of programs that runs on a quantum processor. Programs such as variational quantum algorithms and quantum approximate optimization algorithms.

But what does “hybrid” really mean?

In layman terms, “hybrid” means a program that runs both classical and quantum code. Quantum code is defined as a sequence of quantum gates that is applied to one or multiple qubits on a quantum device or quantum processing unit i.e. QPU. “Classical” refers to a program that runs on a regular computer, written in available programming language. Typically anyone can choose to easily interface with quantum computing services.

Hybrid quantum computing is the preferred industry term for a simple idea: “A quantum computer and a classical computer working together to solve a problem.” It is an approach that takes the form of a back-and-forth collaboration where different aspects of a problem are passed between the quantum and classical tools best suited for each stage. According to scientists, hybrid quantum-classical algorithms are maybe one of the best ways for users to get the most out of a current or near-term quantum computer. Keeping in mind the edge existing classical systems possess in terms of hardware, there are a lot of things in which classical computers are better, or faster at. By letting the classical computer do what it’s good at and quantum computers do what it’s good at, could be a better solution.

Hybrid architecture for quantum algorithms:

The gate-based quantum computers are not universal. On the other hand, global unitary operations like the shift operator cannot be expressed within the circuit model, cannot be equally applied to machines with unlimited and limited memory and cannot be assumed to be equally available on different quantum hardware architectures.

To overcome the above restrictions, quantum programming uses a classical universal language to define the actual sequence of elementary instructions for a quantum computer, so a program is not intended to run on a quantum computer itself, but on a (probabilistic) classical computer, which in turn controls a quantum computer and processes the results of measurements. In the terms of classical computer science, you can describe this setting as a universal computer with a quantum oracle. Figure 1 shows the hybrid architecture.

Quantum algorithms such as Shor’s algorithm are in two separate parts: First part is classical algorithm which can be done on a classical computer and second part is Quantum algorithm which can be done on a quantum computer or can be simulated on classical computer.

Fig 1. The hybrid architecture between classical and quantum computers.

Naturally quantum algorithms are the hybrid algorithms that consist of a classical and a quantum component. However, the quantum part of the manu algorithm is probabilistic, often they need multiple runs to get desired result. The complete cycle of the hybrid architecture for the quantum algorithms will be done as follows:

Pre-calculate certain classical factors (initialize and run the classical part of the algorithm)
Running the quantum algorithm by the quantum circuit
- Initialize the quantum node (Initialize quantum circuit and define all gates, switches and unitary function)
- Prepare inputs state (store inputs on target and control registers)
- Execute the quantum portion of the algorithm (Apply gates and unitary transformation on input data)
- Measure the output of Machine State (Measure the output registers of the quantum circuit)
- Evaluate Measurement (If have the desired result, then doing post-processing in step 3)
- Exit if desired result (If solution found then exit from quantum circuit, else repeat step 2)
Finish post-processing (Run the second classical part of the algorithm)

Fig 2.

Steps 1 and 3 were executed on classical computers and step 2 was executed on quantum computers by quantum circuits. Measuring and evaluating the quantum circuit in steps 2(e) and 2(f) can be done on classical computers. The diagram in Fig. 3 shows the development of a general plan of hybrid architecture for the quantum algorithms and being simulated on classical computers. The quantum circuit is simulated on a classical computer.

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lambeq : Quantum Natural Language Processing

admin — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 17:37:47 +0000

Quantum Guru has been writing on different applications of Quantum Computing and here we once again touch upon a foreseeable Quantum Computing application, Quantum Natural Language Processing (QNLP). It is assumed that Quantum computing applications will be prevalent and applicable in our day-to-day life. Some of the potential applications of quantum computing are considered to be in the following domains:

Artificial intelligence
Logistics
Machine learning
Cryptography
Genomics
Optimization

Artificial Intelligence could reap substantial benefits of quantum computing. More specifically, it’s the Natural Language Processing (NLP) where quantum computing could have significant and even fundamental influence.

QNLP

Natural Language Processing (NLP) allows machines to break down and interpret human language. It’s at the core of tools we use every day – from translation software, chatbots, spam filters, and search engines, to grammar correction software, voice assistants, and social media monitoring tools. The compute speed for quantum computing is exponentially higher than that of classic computing. NLP could greatly exploit the increased computational speed for real world human-like experience. The hardware required for this kind of speed up will have to be quantum capable. Thus QNLP, though the research is still in infancy, aims at the development of NLP models explicitly designed to be executed on quantum hardware.

Categorical Compositional Distributional

Categorical compositional distributional semantics, known as is DisCoCat uses category theory to combine the benefits of two very different approaches to linguistics namely, categorical grammar and distributional semantics. First introduced in 2010, it’s a powerful mathematical model for composing the meaning of sentences in natural languages.

Two important QNLP resources are Quantinuum and Lambeq:

Quantinuum – Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum have joined forces as Quantinuum to accelerate the delivery of real-world, quantum solutions. By uniting best-in-class software and enabling tools with the best-performing quantum computers, Quantinuum is delivering on the potential of quantum technology today. Quantinuum team majorly focuses on QNLP
Lambeq – It is the world’s first high level Python library software for QNLP and is capable of converting the sentences into quantum circuits. Its motivation is to accelerate the development of practical and real world QNLP applications, such as chatbot, language translation, TTS, language generation, bioinformatics and text mining. Lambeq facilitates and automates the design and deployment of compositional-distributional (DisCo) NLP experiments, as described by CQ scientists. This deployment involves moving away from syntax/grammar diagrams, which encode a text’s structure, and toward TKET-implemented (classical) tensor networks or quantum circuits, which TKET can optimise for machine learning tasks like text categorisation. Furthermore, Lambeq is designed in a modular manner so that users can swap components in and out of the model and have architectural design flexibility.

Lambeq minimises the entry barrier for practitioners and researchers interested in AI and human-machine interactions, which could be one of quantum technology’s most important applications. TKET presently has a user base of hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Lambeq has the potential to become an essential toolbox for the quantum computing community looking to engage with QNLP applications, which are one of AI’s most lucrative sectors. QNLP will apply to the study of symbol sequences that originate in genomes and proteomics, according to a critical point that has lately become clear.

Natural language generation

Another critical component for realizing QNLP is Natural language generation (NLG). NLG uses artificial intelligence (AI) programming to produce written or spoken narratives from a data set. Some of the applications of NLG are OCR, Speech recognition, Machine translation and Chatbots. NLG process consists of five steps as follows:

Lexical analysis
Parsing
Semantic analysis
Discourse integration
Pragmatic analysis

Source: https://thenewstack.io/lambeq-a-toolkit-for-quantum-natural-language-processing/

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Quantum Key Distribution and its Application

admin — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 16:04:51 +0000

We have written on Quantum Key Distribution and received suggestions on complementing it with application of Quantum Key Distribution. This article tries to address that feedback.

What is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)?

The concept of QKD was first proposed in 1970’s. It is believed that QKD is the only provable secure communication method (at least till now) because it uses physics, not math to encrypt data. QKD also known as Quantum Cryptography is a technology that employs quantum physics aimed to secure the distribution of symmetric encryption keys. QKD is the technology that can address the long prevailing confidentiality issue of secured data.

Long-lived Cryptosystem

Among the latest applications of QKD is the long-term storage solution that aims to homogenize QKD with modern post quantum crypto technologies. The dynamics is changing so that quantum key distribution itself cannot protect confidentiality of data storage. For example, data relevant to human genome and health requires protection throughout its lifetime, which may be a century in time scale thanks to ever increasing life expectancy. Although research suggests that post quantum public key cryptography is expected to be resilient to quantum computers attacks, security for such a long time-scale cannot be guaranteed. So, the long-lived cryptosystems are foreseen to enable security for data storage applications.
The main pillars for long-lived Cryptosystem are as follows:
1. Confidentiality: The data should be accessible only to authorized parties. Theoretically secure encryption (not computational) should be used on the information
2. Integrity: The data should remain unaltered. Signature and authentication schemes should be employed
3. Availability: The data should be available whenever required. Redundant data backup and fail safe mechanisms needs to be in place
4. Functionality: The data can be processed without decryption. Fully homomorphic encryption is expected

Applications of Quantum Key Distribution

The articles touch on the following two QKD applications:
1. QKD Networks
2. QKD Platforms

Quantum Key Distribution Networks:

QKD networks are custom-built (and generally proprietary) networks for secure and seamless transfer of data and information. It is not surprising that QKD has been deployed in many (links and networks) areas and prominent among them are:
1. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – The DARPA Quantum Network pioneered the deployment of QKD in a metropolitan network and operates with 10 optical nodes across Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Secure Communication based on Quantum Cryptography (SECOQC) – SECOQC is a European project that integrated several QKD systems into one quantum back bone (QBB) network. It is developing a cross-platform interface to demonstrate (to start with) the encryption of voice transmission
3. SwissQuantum – The SwissQuantum network is believed to be the first international QKD network. A quantum layer is implemented with commercial QKD devices (ID Quantique, id5100). The layer is composed of the following three QKD point-to-point links:
a. Unige – CERN
b. CERN – Hepia
c. Hepia – Unige
4. Chinese networks – Though not the first one, the Chinese QKD network is the most advanced globally. It comprises over 2000 kilometers by fiber optics covering over four major cities of China (Shanghai, Hefei, Jinan and Beijing), and a 2600 kilometers satellite link between two observatories. The Chinese network spans around 4600 kilometers

Quantum Key Distribution Platforms:

The QKD networks are based on trusted nodes. These nodes themselves are physically protected vaults and keys from connected QKD links are securely stored and managed in these vaults. QKD networks are enterprise grade and connect two closely knit organizations. The security is tightly coupled as specifications are strictly confidential making it impossible to interconnect (external) systems.

This problem can be solved if the keys and the identifiers are properly managed in the trusted nodes thereby enforcing compliance among different QKD networks. The QKD platform plays an important role in supply and storage of keys to various applications. It can result in enhanced security of applications as well as seamless connection and security of links across QKD networks of many different organizations.

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Getting ready for post Quantum Era with open Source Software

admin — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 17:37:30 +0000

QuantumGuru recent articles have been on applications of quantum computers in addressing real world use cases. For the last three decades, software has been at the forefront of technology development and its application and scalability for general masses. Hence, this article is about some software frameworks that we foresee may influence quantum computer programming.

Software for classical computers is highly matured, but the computing enhancement brought by quantum computing will require significant changes in the current software paradigm. Tech giants like Google, IBM, Microsoft and Amazon are investing billions of dollars to bring commercially viable quantum computers – hardware to start with. However, all of these are software companies and invest considerably in software to enable programming of quantum computers. New age startups like Cambridge quantum, Orange Quantum, Qblox etc. are working creatively to overcome similar barriers. For example. Cambridge quantum, a company that creates agnostic quantum software, has merged with Honeywell Quantum Solutions, a quantum hardware company that uses trapped-ions for quantum computing to create Quantinuum, a blend of Quantum Continuum.

Some open source software in development for the post quantum era are:

1. Quantify

The open-source software platform is for qubit calibration and characterization routines. Qblox provides a completely open-source software stack, called Quantify, to control experiments on Qblox Cluster and SPI hardware. Quantify is a python-based, high-level data acquisition platform focused on providing all the necessary tools for Quantum Computing experiments. It is built on top of QCoDeS, and is the successor of the extensively tested PyQED measurement environment. The simple software framework enables setting-up typical characterization experiments and advanced experimental procedures with ease-of-use.

2. lambeq

lambeq is the world’s first software toolkit for quantum natural language processing (QNLP). It is capable of converting sentences into a quantum circuit. It is designed to accelerate the development of practical, real-world QNLP applications such as automated dialogue, text mining, language translation, text-to-speech, language generation and bioinformatics. lambeq has been released on a fully open-sourced basis for the benefit of the world’s quantum computing community. lambeg ecosystem is rapidly growing and includes quantum computing researchers, developers and users. lambeq works seamlessly with Cambridge Quantum’s TKET, the world’s leading and fastest-growing quantum software development platform that is also open-source. This provides QNLP developers with access to the broadest possible range of quantum computers.

3. pyQuil

PyQuil is a Python library for quantum programming using Quil. Quil is a quantum instruction language developed by Rigetti Computing. PyQuil has the following three main functions:

Easily generates Quil programs from quantum gates and classical operations
Compiles and simulates Quil programs using the Quil Compiler (quilc) and the Quantum Virtual Machine (QVM)
Executes Quil programs on real quantum processors (QPUs) using Quantum Cloud Services (QCS)

4. Pennylane

Pennylane is a cross-platform Python library for differentiable programming of quantum computers. It aims to build rich and flexible hybrid quantum-classical models. It trains a quantum computer similar to that of a neural network. Pennylane connects to quantum hardware using standard neural networks frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, Keras or NumPy. It is fully device independent and executes the same quantum circuit on different quantum backends. Plugins are needed in order to access even more devices, including Strawberry Fields, Amazon Braket, IBM Q, Google Cirq, Rigetti Forest, Qulacs, Pasqal, Honeywell, and more

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Role of Quantum Computer in Metaverse

admin — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 17:36:08 +0000

Hope you all are finding QuantumGuru content interesting. Our goal is to provide collateral for all segments of the quantum user base Here we take a little bit of a different turn to write on Metaverse, which we foresee as an important application for quantum computing.

What is the Metaverse?

Metaverses are virtual worlds in which people can do many of the things they do in real life. For instance, they will be able to work, have fun, shop, exercise and socialize. This virtual environment goes far beyond what we can envision — people can set up their own businesses, buy land, make art, go to concerts, to name a few. Metaverses uses virtual reality, augmented reality, social media and blockchain technologies to create places where people want to interact and spend time. Utilization of other adjacent and complementary technologies will happen as Metaverse evolves. They are virtual worlds with virtual economies, not to mention that many are still in their infancy.

In the future, besides buying clothes for yourself (and fill your closet), you might buy clothes for your avatar online. In addition to buying a piece of art to hang on your wall, you might buy a piece of digital art to display in a virtual gallery.

Speculating on the look and feel of Metaverse — it could be a big digital world with enormous crowd sharing and doing interesting activities together. They can pick out a list of key parts other than VR hardware that are being backed-up with quantum computers using exceptionally fast internet connections. In previous blogs, we have listed out changes and benefits that quantum computers can bring in the fields of virtual reality, gaming, cyber security, cryptocurrency etc.

Cryptocurrency monotonic growth trajectory is an example of the future role of digital currencies. Metaverse and digital currencies will be inseparable growth drivers for each other. Facebook changing its name to “Meta” and gradual AR/VR development is making Metaverse a reality before anyone could predict. Back in the 1980’s when cryptographic algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s were discovered, no one would have thought these could be the spine of the blockchain trillion-dollar industry.

Quantum will play defining role in many of the following key components of Metaverse:

3D Audio
Big Crowds
Reputation
Interconnected Spaces
Infinite Detail
Live Editing
Programmable Atoms
Payments

World of Interconnected Spaces, Infinite Detail, Live Editing and Programmable Atoms

Yes we heard of this kind of world before “Hyper Realistic game” in a few mainstream games by Tencent gaming and Rockstar games. However, with best in class hardware setup connected with super-fast internet connection will make it possible. The whole ecosystem is eager to know whether that outsize computing muscle will transform the gaming industry. The natural question is “What can quantum computers do for Metaworld?”. Some of the following ways in which quantum computing can influence the feature of Metaworld are:

Better than ever graphics with infinite detailing
Programmable elements that could be atoms and molecules, very much similar to gaming ones
Truly random event generation with one in billionth probability — now imagine what quantum means for Metaverse

Payments

Every virtual economy needs money. Cryptocurrencies work like virtual cash in virtual worlds. Transactions are almost instantaneous and the blockchain technology(Link to our article) behind them is designed to build trust and ensure security.

Let’s look into these metaverse cryptos:

Decentraland (CCC:MANA-USD)

Market Cap: $9.1B

Decentraland is a crypto-powered virtual reality game or more correctly a virtual living platform written on the Ethereum (CCC:ETH-USD) blockchain. Using MANA tokens you can purchase land, outfits, scenes, and a host of other virtual assets. Some of these can grow to great value and you can later sell them to others, so in effect, it becomes an alternative reality. In effect, it is a “world owned by users.”

The Sandbox (CCC:SAND-USD)

Market Cap: $6.1B

The Sandbox is another virtual world where people can “build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences.” It is a virtual metaverse owned by its users. Ownership of assets in the game comes in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).

Floki-Inu (CCC:FLOKI-USD)

Market Cap: $34.4M

Floki is the name Elon Musk wishes to give to his future pet Shiba. Floki Inu has a token burn of 1% each transaction, transaction fees of 5%, and a transaction redistribution to holders of 5%.

Efinity Token (CCC:EFI-USD)

Market Cap: $86 million

Efinity bills itself as a “next-generation blockchain for NFTs.” It is next-generation since it is a scalable, decentralized, cross-chain network. It is built on the Polkadot (CCC:DOT-USD) blockchain network as a parachain startup, with just $500 million in trading volume as of March 2021.

Terra Virtua Kolect (CCC:TVK-USD)

Market Cap: $202 million

Founded in London in 2016 by two entrepreneurs, Terra Virtua bills itself as “a fully immersive, blockchain-driven VR entertainment experience.” Originally started as a blockchain game, it is now deeply involved in NFTs, including a marketplace for digital art and collectible NFTs, a gaming environment, and a token called the Terra Virtua Kolect token.

Epik Prime (CCC:EPIK-USD)

Market Cap: $49 million

Epik Prime started producing “premium digital items” in 2018. The team felt these digital items would be the “future of consumer products and would play a central role in ownership.” The company claims to be the global leader in bringing brands into video games and producing unique in-game items, events and experiences.

Highstreet (CCC:HIGH-USD)

Market Cap: $69 million

Highstreet is a metaverse blockchain gaming company with an MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online role-playing game) game where players can fight monsters and complete quests. In addition, it is starting a new type of NFT marketplace where “physical products are traded as nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, in a fully open phygital experience.”

Stocks to buy for metaverse:

Unity Gaming

Current Price: $178.80

Market Cap: $51.144B

Unity Software Inc. operates a real-time 3D development platform. Its platform provides software solutions to create, run, and monetize interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content for mobile phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and virtual reality devices. The company offers its solutions directly through its online store and field sales operations in North America, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea, as well as indirectly through independent distributors and resellers worldwide. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Mettaport

Current Price: $27.11

Market Cap : $6.596B

Matterport, Inc., a spatial data company, focuses on digitizing and indexing the built world. It offers Matterport digital twins, a 3D data platform to design, build, operate, promote, and understand spaces. The company offers Matterport Capture, an application that enables to capture depth, data, and imagery of a space using 3D cameras, 360 cameras, and iPhones; Matterport Workshop application to customize, add additional details, and share spaces; Matterport Showcase application for audience view and explore space in its final format; and Matterport VR to experience virtual reality. It offers solutions for real estate, photography, travel and hospitality, retail, insurance and restoration, industrial and facilities management, architecture, and engineering and construction industries. Matterport, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Source: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/into-the-metaverse%3A-your-guide-to-crypto-and-virtual-worlds

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Qu&Co – Airbus Coalesce for Flight Physics Simulation

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 15:41:08 +0000

Amsterdam, 8 June 2021 – Qu&Co to collaborate with Airbus on research, development and testing of quantum computational methods for flight physics simulations

Qu&Co, a leading European quantum computational software developer, has signed a collaboration agreement with Airbus for research, development and testing of quantum computational methods for flight physics simulations relevant for the European aerospace and defence sector.

The collaboration follows the recent publication by Qu&Co together with its research partner the University of Exeter (UK), of novel quantum computational methods for solving nonlinear differential equations, which in time could provide quantum advantages for solving multiphysics problems like those related to fluid dynamics.

Flight physics, the broad denomination of all scientific and engineering aspects related to the flight of aircraft, encompasses many computationally difficult problems including problems, which are governed by complex differential equations.

“We are excited that Airbus recognized the relevance of our quantum computational algorithms and is willing to support our research efforts in this field.” Said Dr. Vincent Elfving, CTO at Qu&Co. “Airbus is a central player in the European aerospace and defense sector, and we would be honoured if, in time, our methods could make a significant contribution to the long-term technological sovereignty and competitiveness of this important European industry.”

About Qu & Co

Qu&Co is a quantum computational software company founded in 2017 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its software will empower corporate researchers to run complex chemistry and multiphysics simulations on future quantum processors with unprecedented accuracy and speed. Qu&Co’s SaaS quantum solutions include unique and patented quantum algorithms and are distributed as backend integrations to leading conventional software packages. Qu&Co clients include corporate researchers from a range of large multinationals, and it has partnerships with US and European quantum hardware players and R&D collaborations with leading Universities from around the world.

Source: www.quandco.com

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Search Engine using Quantum Realm Sounds Interesting!

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 18:11:13 +0000

Internet search engines are “go to” place for browsing users, but it’s the “how” part of these engines that is most exciting, not much known and least paid attention by users. A list of Web pages, organized by relevance, pops up on any word or phrase search. Behind the scenes, complex algorithm using involved data sets are used to figure out exactly what qualifies as most relevant Web page for a particular search. An example is Google that uses page ranking algorithm rumored to be the largest numerical calculation carried out anywhere in the world.

On an average, a user spends around 38 minutes daily to search for effective contents meeting his/her needs. However, technology is evolving fast thanks to scientists/engineer for creating entirely new computing paradigm where memory-size and speed is far beyond the reach of any other computer available. This coupled with advancements of search algorithms will continue to provide ever more meaningful search result or, as it’s called, to provide the point answer of search query. It is assumed that Google search will become an effective way to use technology for acquiring/updating user knowledge base.

minutes every day

Google search accept queries as normal text as well as individual keywords, giving back results against search query is a complex task. Google’s search algorithm PageRank patented by Larry Page in 1998, was similar to site-scoring algorithm Rankdex developed by Robin Li in 1996. Li moved to China and built hugely successful Baidu leveraging Rankdex.

As the Internet continues to grow, the time and resources needed to run the calculation which is done daily grow with it. Every google search consumes 1KJ of energy.

Following are some important Google Search metrics:

The average time for the first click is 14.6 secs
65% of searches end on the first page of Google
Remaining 35% users tries for new query with similar keywords for relevant search result
0.44% of the user visit second page of search result

The above statistic can make user easily draw that conclusion that effective search algorithm and crawling is yet to be introduced? Another inference can be the computational limit with which algorithm has to work? Here come quantum computers comes to save our day. A quantum computer is million times faster than world’s most powerful supercomputer. As opposed to traditional computer bits, which can encode distinctly either a one or a zero, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can encode a one and a zero at the same time. This property known as superposition gives an edge to quantum computers to perform certain calculations much faster than traditional computers.

Search engines using Quantum Computing

Even though classical PageRank computation time scales modestly with the problem size n, in practice its evaluation for the actual WWW already takes weeks, a time which can only be expected to grow if current computational methods remain the norm, given the rapid pace of expansion of the web. Furthermore, it is often desirable to have multiple personalization vectors, which means that more than one PageRank needs to be evaluated for each WWW graph instance. Considering also the fact that the web-graph is an evolving dynamic entity, it is clear that it is important to speed up the computation of the PageRank in order to provide up-to-date results from the ranking algorithm.

Currently, there is no quantum computer in the world anywhere near large enough to run Google’s page ranking algorithm for the entire Web. To simulate how a quantum computer might perform, the researchers generated models of the Web that simulated a few thousand Web pages.

The simulation showed that a quantum computer could, in principle, return the ranking of the most important pages in the Web faster than traditional computers, and that this quantum speedup would improve the more pages needed to be ranked.

Further, the researchers showed that to simply determine whether the Web’s page rankings should be updated, a quantum computer would be able to spit out a yes-or-no answer exponentially faster than a traditional computer.

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ARQIT’s QuantumCloud and Quantum Encryption

admin — Fri, 21 May 2021 07:28:24 +0000

QuantumCloud allows organisations to simplify and strengthen their encryption on a global basis, appliance-free. It uses symmetric encryption that is said to be is better suited for an increasingly connected world, compared with public key infrastructure (PKI) that is used to encrypt most of the world’s communications.

Over the past four years, Arqit claims to have invented and patented technology which provides the benefits of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to end point devices. It puts a lightweight agent at any end point device, which is able to create an unlimited number of symmetric keys with partner devices.

QuantumCloud’s reach is due to be expanded further through the usage of pioneering satellite technology. Currently, the symmetric keys used in data encryption are created terrestrially. However, by 2023 Arqit plans to launch two quantum satellites, which will build on established QKD protocols to extend the capability to both create and transmit secure keys to the data centres of Arqit’s customers globally.

Arqit is not disclosing who is building its satellites, which will support quantum encryption technology it calls QuantumCloud. The startup says its technology will secure communications links of any networked device against hacking, including attacks from a quantum computer.

Arqit’s QuantumCloud software generates an unlimited number of encryption keys at the end point of customer devices to protect against hacks.

However, Arqit plans to use satellites to create a backbone of secure keys within data centers around the world.

“This is a deep tech company which is many years ahead of the market. Arqit has protected its IP by remaining in stealth mode whilst filing over 1,000 claims on more than a dozen patent applications.”

David Williams

Chairman at Arqit

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Quantum Supremacy Google And USTC(China)

admin — Fri, 14 May 2021 07:00:44 +0000

What is Quantum Supremacy?

An experimental demonstration of quantum computer’s dominance and advantage over classical computer by performing calculations that was impossible. To confirm that quantum supremacy has been achieved, computer scientists must be able to show that a classical computer could never have solved the problem while also proving that the quantum computer can perform the calculation quickly.

Computer scientists hope that quantum supremacy will lead to the cracking of Shor’s algorithm — a currently impossible calculation that is the basis of most modern cryptography — as well as advantages in drug development, weather forecasts, stock trades and material designs.

Applications of quantum supremacy

Some people believe a quantum computer that achieves quantum supremacy could be the most disruptive new technology since the Intel 4004 microprocessor was invented in 1971. Certain professions and areas of business will be significantly impacted by quantum supremacy. Examples include:

The ability to perform more complex simulations on a larger scale will provide companies with improved efficiency, deeper insight and better forecasting, thus improving optimization processes.
Enhanced simulations that model complex quantum systems, such as biological molecules, would be possible.
Combining quantum computing with artificial intelligence (AI) could make AI immensely smarter than it is now.
New customized drugs, chemicals and materials can be designed, modeled and modified to help cultivate new pharmaceutical, commercial or business products.
The ability to factor extremely large numbers could break current, long-standing forms of encryption.

Overall, quantum supremacy could start a new market for devices that have the potential to boost AI, intricately model molecular interactions and financial systems, improve weather forecasts and crack previously impossible codes.

Experiments Performed

Google-Nasa 2019
USTC China 2020

Google-Nasa 2019 Sycamore Processor Experiment

Take an example of newbie, created basic Computer algorithm which in Quantum computing at this stage is a model/circuit of 1000’s of Quantum logic gates. As there is no structure in random circuits that classical algorithm can exploits and emulation of that circuit will take a huge effort of modern superComputer.
Each run of Quantum circuit on a Quantum Computer produces a bitstring (0001000). Due to some Quantum interference some bitstring are much more likely to occur than others when experiment is repeated.
Finding exact bitstring for a random circuit becomes exponentially difficult on classical Computer as number of qubits and number of gate cycles/depth grows.
Firstly a simplified circuit of 12 to 53 qubits while keeping circuit depth constant ,post verifying system conditions,
Random hard circuits with 53 qubits and increased depth till the point classical simulation became infeasible.
Result of this experiment of first experimental challenge against extended Church-Turing Thesis which states that classical Computers can efficiently implement any “reasonable” model of computation.
Success was due to using new type of control nob that is able to turn off interaction between neighbouring systems to reduce errors.
New control calibration was developed to avoid qubit defects.

Jiuzhang- Boson Sampling USTC Experiment

Generates a distribution number that is exceedingly difficult for a classical Computer to replicate
Firstly photons are sent into a network channels ,then photons are encountered a series of beam splitters ,each of which sends the photon down two path simultaneously, called a Quantum superposition
Paths also merged together and repeated splitting and merging causes the photon to interfere with one another according to Quantum rules.
At end number of photons in each of the output channels is measured.
When repeated many times, this process produces a distribution of number based how many photons were found in each output.
If operated with large number of photons and many channels, the Quantum Computer will produce a distribution of number that is too complex for a classical Computer to calculate.
Limitation of Jiuzhang: It can perform only a single type of task i.e. Boson Sampling while Google’s Quantum Computer can be programmed to execute variety of algorithm, but on the other hand including Xanadu’s are programmable.

Google-Nasa 2019 Sycamore Processor Experiment

Jiuzhang- Boson Sampling USTC (China) Experiment

Google-Nasa 2019 Sycamore Processor Experiment

Jiuzhang- Boson Sampling USTC (China) Experiment

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Bitcoin Blockchain and Quantum Computer-I

admin — Wed, 12 May 2021 11:58:24 +0000

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a form of contactless payment for online (and in future offline) goods and services. The company issue its own cryptocurrency called tokens for buying its goods or services. It is similar to arcade tokens or casino chips and requires exchanging real currency for the cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrencies work based on a decentralized technology called blockchain. Blockchain ledger spread across many computers to records transactions making it more trustworthy and secure.

Major Cryptocurrencies in circulation

Bitcoin

Launched in 2009, bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization
Unlike fiat currency, bitcoin is created, distributed, traded, and stored with the use of a decentralized ledger system, known as a blockchain
Bitcoin’s history as a store of value has been turbulent; it has gone through several cycles of boom and bust over its relatively short lifespan
As the earliest virtual currency to meet widespread popularity and success, bitcoin has inspired a host of other cryptocurrencies in its wake

Ethereum

Ethereum is an open-source blockchain-based platform used to create and share business, financial services, and entertainment applications
Ethereum users pay fees to use dapps. The fees are called “gas” as they vary depending on the amount of computational power required
Ethereum has its own associated cryptocurrency, Ether or ETH
ETH is now second only to Bitcoin in market value

Tether

Tether (USDT) is a stable coin, a type of cryptocurrency which aims to keep cryptocurrency valuations stable
Tether is used by crypto investors who want to avoid the extreme volatility of other cryptocurrencies while keeping value within the crypto market
In April 2019, the New York Attorney General accused Tether’s parent company of hiding an $850 million loss
Tether tokens trade under the USDT symbol

Binance Coin

Binance Coin is the cryptocurrency issued by the Binance exchange and trades with the BNB symbol
BNB was initially based on the Ethereum network but is now the native currency of Binance’s own blockchain, the Binance chain
Every quarter, Binance uses one-fifth of its profits to repurchase and permanently destroy, or “burn,” Binance coins held in its treasury
Binance was created as a utility token for discounted trading fees in 2017, but its uses have expanded to numerous applications, including payments for transaction fees (on the Binance Chain), travel bookings, entertainment, online services, and financial services

Impact on Bitcoin Blockchain

Deloitte Warns 4,000,000 Bitcoin Worth $28.6 Billion Vulnerable to Quantum Attack, presently which is about 25% of the Bitcoins in circulation.

Bitcoin is a decentralized system for transferring value. Unlike the banking system where it is the responsibility of a bank to provide customers with a bank account, the user of Bitcoin is responsible for generating his or her own random address. By means of a simple procedure, the user’s computer calculates a random Bitcoin address (related to the public key) as well as a secret (private key) that is required in order to perform transactions from this address.

Moving Bitcoins from one address to another is called a transaction. Such a transaction is similar to sending money from one bank account to another. In Bitcoin, the sender must authorize their transaction by providing a digital signature that proves they own the address where the funds are stored. It is believed that someone with an operational quantum computer and public key could falsify this signature, and therefore potentially spend anyone’s Bitcoins!

One of the most important features of Blockchain is immutability. Blockchain data, hashes and signatures are perpetual and therefore liable to attacks by hackers. Quantum technology can simply hash calculations and make hash collisions retrieval achievable thereby compromising blockchain security. Also, blockchain signatures can allow attackers to retrieve the associated private key.

So, current blockchains will require its own migration. This will likely take the form of fork or a protocol update, creating a new post-quantum chain or addresses and a limited window of time for users to migrate their data and assets. Even if everyone takes the same protection measures, quantum computers might eventually become so fast that they will undermine the Bitcoin transaction process. In this case the security of the Bitcoin blockchain will be fundamentally broken. The only solution in this case is to transition to a new type of cryptography called ‘post-quantum cryptography’.

Adapting blockchains to the post quantum era will require increased storage and computing resources. The evolution of technology will account for that in most cases. Perhaps IoT applications, where resource constraints are greatest, will have greater difficulty in adapting.

Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/nl/nl/pages/innovatie/artikelen/quantum-computers-and-the-bitcoin-blockchain.html

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