Quantum Computers and Quantum Communications

What is a quantum computer?

A quantum computer is a means of computing, where the work of the central processor is based on the laws of quantum mechanics. Such a computer is fundamentally different from traditional PCs based on silicon chips.

This device does not apply classical algorithms for calculation, but quantum nature processes - quantum algorithms that use the effects of quantum mechanics, such as quantum parallelism and quantum entanglement.

The basis for calculations of this type is the qubit - a system in which the number of particles is similar to the pulse, and the phase variable (energy state) is the coordinate. The phase qubit was first implemented in the laboratory of Delft University and has been actively studied since then.

In the figure, the elementary diagram of the phase qubit and its photograph. Source: t-z-n.ru

Unlike a regular bit capable of having only values of 1 and 0, a quantum bit (qubit) can be in a superposition of these states, that is, simultaneously in a value of 1 and 0. In practice, a qubit can exist in a variety of combinations of these values, which in the future will allow creating ultra-fast computers. Qubits will become the building blocks of future quantum computers capable of solving problems practically inaccessible to classical digital computers. To perform calculations on a quantum computer, it is necessary to interact several qubits, and in such a way that they form a single quantum system. Then this system should be allowed to develop according to the laws of quantum mechanics and after a certain time find out what state it has come to.

With the increase in the number of combined qubits, the computational power of such a quantum system grows exponentially. In theory, this allows a quantum computer to cope with tasks that would take an ordinary digital computer millions of years. For example, the so-called Shore algorithm has long been known, which allows you to quickly decompose large numbers into prime factors (a task necessary to crack modern ciphers). Conventional computers solve this problem by enumerating possible divisors, so modern computers can process long numbers for years. A quantum computer would cope with such a task in a matter of minutes or even seconds, depending on performance.

Why do quantum computers matter?

The amount of data created daily is simply huge, and modern computers no longer always keep up with such volumes. Modern supercomputers are still too slow to perform some of the most important scientific tasks, such as testing the effects of new drugs at the molecular level.

Thanks to the ability to perform very complex calculations much faster, or even simulate these drugs at the molecular level, quantum computers are able to provide such a necessary increase in performance and speed. Most experts agree that quantum computers are our chance to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.

Second quantum revolution

The first quantum revolution took place in the second half of the 20th century and led to the emergence of lasers, transistors, nuclear weapons, and later - mobile telephone communications and the Internet. The technologies of the first quantum revolution are used in computers, mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, communication systems, LED lamps, MRI scanners, scanning tunneling microscopes, etc.

The market volume of relevant products in the world is $3 trillion per year. At the same time, the "Moore's Law," according to one of the statements of which, the performance of processors should double every 18 months, no longer works.

Since the end of the 20th century, the world has been on the verge of a second quantum revolution. In the first quantum revolution, technologies and devices were built on the management of collective quantum phenomena.

In the second quantum revolution, technologies will be built on the ability to drive complex quantum systems at the level of individual particles, such as atoms and photons. Technologies based precisely on such a high level of control over individual quantum objects, it is customary to combine the term quantum technologies.

Scientific research on quantum computing

Main article: Scientific research on quantum computing

Global Quantum Computer Market

Main Article: Quantum Computers (Global Market)

Quantum computers and networks in Russia

Main article: Quantum computers and networks in Russia

Russian Quantum Center (RCC)

Main article: Russian Quantum Center (RCC, Russian Quantum Center, RQC)

Digital Economy Quantum Communication Platform

Main article: Digital Economy Quantum Communication Platform

Quantum computer "Rosatom"

Main article: Quantum technologies of Rosatom

Quantum technologies in Russian Railways

Main article: Quantum technologies in Russian Railways

Quantum computers in the United States

Main article: National Quantum Initiative in the United States (National Quantum Initiative)

IBM Quantum Computers

Main article: IBM Quantum Computers

Quantum Computing in Medicine

Main article: Quantum Computing in Medicine

Quantum Internet

Main article: Quantum Internet

Quantum and post-quantum cryptography

• Quantum cryptography
• Post-quantum cryptography

Quantum physics

Main article: Quantum physics

2024

Protocol released to protect communications from quantum attacks

In early November 2024, China announced a "quantum-resistant" protocol to protect communications from modern cyber attacks. This protocol will help government agencies around the world protect themselves in the event that an attacker tries to use quantum computers to hack traditional encryption methods. Read more here.

Classical computers have begun to defeat quantum ones. New discovery clarifies boundaries between them

At the end of October 2024, researchers from the Center for Computational Quantum Physics (CCQ) at the Flatiron Institute reported that they were able to successfully use a classical computer to solve a problem that, as previously thought, only quantum systems could cope with. The achievement is said to help better define the boundary between the capabilities of traditional and quantum computers.

The project participants worked to create algorithms and codes to solve complex quantum problems using classical computers. In particular, a two-dimensional quantum system of inverting magnets was studied. On quantum scales, an individual magnet can be oriented up or down, or it can be in a superposition - a quantum state in which it simultaneously points up and down. How much the magnet is directed up or down determines the amount of energy it has when it is in the magnetic field.

𝓲

nature.com

In the initial state, all magnets were directed in one direction. The system was then perturbed by a small magnetic field, which caused some magnets to flip, which also prompted nearby magnets to flip. This behavior - where magnets affect each other's state - can lead to entanglement, that is, binding of superpositions. Over time, the increased entanglement of the system makes it difficult to model it on a classic computer.

But, as noted in the work, there is only a certain amount of energy in the closed system, which limits the growth of entanglement. And this allows the system to be simulated with an array of tiny flipping magnets on a conventional computer, not just on a quantum platform as previously thought. Moreover, in terms of performance, a traditional PC in this case can surpass a quantum system.^[1]

Europe's largest photon quantum computer commissioned

On October 7, 2024, researchers at the University of Paderborn in Germany announced the commissioning of Europe's largest photonic quantum computer. A system called Paderborn Quantum Sampler (PaQS) is expected to help with complex challenges in areas ranging from healthcare and manufacturing to logistics and finance. Read more here

New quantum algorithm brings encryption collapse closer

On August 23, 2024, US researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced the development of a new algorithm for quantum computers that brings the collapse of traditional encryption closer. In the long term, the results of the work may contribute to the emergence of cryptographic methods that can resist hacking using quantum computers. Read more here

Breakthrough in quantum communications: Common and quantum internet combined

In early August 2024, German researchers from the Gottfried University of Hanover Wilhelm Leibniz reported a breakthrough in the field of quantum communications. They managed to combine the ordinary and quantum Internet.

Experts have proposed a new type of transceiver that allows you to transmit entangled photons over fiber. This achievement paves the way for the formation of a quantum Internet - a network with the highest level of information protection. It is assumed that encrypted data in such a system will not be able to decode even high-performance quantum computers of the future. As part of the work, the scientists demonstrated that entangled photons and laser pulses can be transmitted over a single optical fiber.

𝓲

Bloomberg

For quantum internet to become a reality, we need to transmit entangled photons over fiber-optic networks. At the same time, we want to continue to use optical fibers for traditional data transmission. Our study is an important step towards combining conventional and quantum Internet, says Professor Michael Kues, one of the project participants.

The researchers showed that the entanglement of photons persists even as they are sent along with the laser pulse. You can change the color of a laser pulse using a high-speed electrical signal so that it matches the color of entangled photons. This effect, according to scientists, allows to combine laser pulses and entangled photons of the same color in the optical fiber and separate them again. Previously, it was not possible to use the same channel in fiber for transmission of both entangled photons and laser pulses. The fact is that usually entangled photons block the channel in the optical fiber, preventing it from being used for traditional data transmission.^[2]

Top 10 most promising quantum communication technologies

On July 18, 2024, the Institute for Statistical Research and Knowledge Economics at the Higher School of Economics shared with TAdviser a list of the most promising areas of development that, according to researchers, will set the vector for the development of quantum communications in the world for the next few years. The top ten technologies were identified using the iFORA big data mining system.

In general, quantum communications are a fundamentally new physical approach to ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of data and one of the most promising areas for the development of the telecommunications industry, the Higher School of Economics and Economics emphasized. According to analysts, by 2032, the global demand for quantum communications technologies, which are already rapidly conquering the market, may exceed $8 billion (an increase of almost 10 times in a decade). The timely transition to quantum-resistant solutions to protect critical infrastructure is becoming a priority information security task for the state and business, and its importance is increasingly growing against the background of the prospects for the emergence of quantum computers that will make traditional cryptographic methods vulnerable. However, the massive introduction of quantum communications technologies is still hindered by the high cost of deploying quantum networks and a number of physical and technical limitations of their implementation, the need to overcome which is outlined by certain areas of development (Table 1).

𝓲

HSE ISIEZ

According to ISIEZ HSE, quantum Internet (No. 1 in the ranking) is the most anticipated quantum-secure communication technology. The deployment of a single quantum network will allow quantum processors and various devices and sensors (for example, remote atomic clocks or telescopes) to be connected, ensuring the highest accuracy in synchronizing operations. The foundation for the implementation of the quantum Internet is quantum teleportation - the process of transferring the quantum state of a physical object to an identical object located elsewhere, without direct transfer of a quantum particle. The first experimental prototype of quantum Internet has already been created in the Chinese capital: in 2023, with the help of a deployed quantum communication channel with a length of 64 km, they demonstrated a record data transfer rate (7.1 qubits per second). As the researchers noted, the achieved speed of quantum teleportation is not yet enough to deploy a full-scale quantum Internet. And in the foreseeable future, it is unlikely to replace the current World Wide Web, and, most likely, will be used as a companion technology of a hybrid computing ecosystem to solve specialized problems in certain industries - public administration, the financial sector, transport, etc. In the long term, the creation of quantum Internet will lead to a shift in the security paradigm of global communications and precedes the emergence of universal quantum computers.

The high interest of the banking sector in protecting financial transactions between countries has led to the emergence of the concept of quantum banking, or quantum financial system (No. 3), based on blockchain and quantum computing technology. One of its components will be quantum money - a decentralized form of digital currency, protected from counterfeiting by quantum cryptography. But to fully deploy a quantum financial system, it is necessary to create a fault-tolerant quantum computer. According to a number of estimates, this may happen by 2035, noted in the ISIEZ HSE.

The most mature and technologically developed, according to researchers, the direction of quantum communications is the quantum distribution of keys (No. 2). Implemented as of July 2024 in quantum communications systems, the solutions are a hardware complex for data transmission with hybrid quantum-classical protection of a telecommunications network and provide only secure key transmission over an open communication channel between subscribers, and the forwarded information itself is still protected by classical methods and can still be vulnerable in the event of potential attacks by quantum computers. According to representatives of ISIEZ HSE, the high cost and low compatibility with the existing network infrastructure restrain the widespread introduction of this technology. Its use is most useful in organizations working in critical areas.

Most current solutions and protocols allow only two parties to exchange information, which also limits the practical applicability of quantum key distribution. In this regard, the creation of multi-node quantum networks (No. 9) that simultaneously support communication between a large number of subscribers becomes relevant. In 2018, Austria created a quantum network with a fully connected architecture, in which one source of entangled photons distributes quantum states between many users, minimizing the load on the computing resources of each of them. At the same time, the network can be easily scaled to a significant number of subscribers without reducing the level of security. An experimental prototype of the most advanced multi-node quantum network of three nodes in 2023 was developed in China on the territory of Hefei, the HSE National Research Institute said.

According to the principle of physical implementation, quantum communications are divided into fiber-optic (No. 8) (ground communication channel), deployed using a quantum satellite (No. 6) (atmospheric communication channel) and hybrid (No. 10) (combining atmospheric and ground channels). Modern quantum key distribution systems are developed mainly on the basis of fiber-optic communication lines with a direct connection connecting only two subscribers, and have physical limitations of the range of transmission of quantum information (only a few hundred kilometers). To solve this problem, at different points in the network, several nodes are created in a trusted environment (that is, in a space with a guaranteed level of security), which makes their implementation very expensive.

Removal of extension restrictions is a key condition for creating a long-range quantum connection (No. 4). To maintain high-speed terrestrial quantum communication at long distances, special devices are being developed - quantum repeaters (repeaters) (No. 7). The success of creating a quantum Internet largely depends on their effectiveness. The first prototype of a full-fledged repeater with an efficiency of more than 80% was created in 2021 in China. Two years later, Austria developed another prototype of an ion-based quantum repeater in a trap that allows the transmission of quantum information over a distance of more than 800 km.

For effective operation of quantum signal repeaters, quantum memory (No. 5) is required - a device capable of preserving the quantum state of light particles for a long time. There are many different approaches to implementing quantum memory based on different physical systems (superconductors, atoms, ions, molecules, crystals, etc.). However, many of the prototypes created have low operating speeds and are poorly compatible with existing quantum communication systems. In 2023, a prototype of quantum memory on ions in a trap was created in the world, which has a record storage time for quantum states (about 10 seconds). Later, they introduced quantum memory based on atoms, which can be suitable for mass production and use.

In addition to quantum repeaters, quantum satellites (No. 6) in low Earth orbits can increase the transmission range of quantum information. They allow encrypted messages to be transmitted to ground stations, while significantly longer distances between the communication parties compared to the terrestrial quantum communication method, the researchers explained. A similar system was created only in China on the basis of satellites "Mo Tzu" (Mozi, 2016) and Jinan-1 (Jinan 1, 2022). However, Chinese devices still have a serious technical limitation - the low speed of key generation. In addition, the Mo-Tzu satellite is still operating only at night.

Quantum technologies are shaping a new landscape of data transmission and protection. But before the solutions described in this review radically change the scope of communications and the principles of information security, scientists will have to overcome a number of physical and technical restrictions that restrain the development of this cluster of technologies in certain areas, according to the HSE Research Institute of National Research and Technology. Thus, the researchers called the short transmission range, low speed, and a small number of interacting users a serious obstacle in the implementation of solutions significant for quantum-secure communication based on quantum key distribution. Possible scenarios for overcoming this kind of complexity involve, for example: the creation of quantum repeaters and memory to ensure a longer range of ground networks, the development of a quantum satellite to form an atmospheric information transmission channel, and the implementation of the principle of quantum teleportation to launch the most ambitious quantum communication project - quantum Internet.^[3]

Quantum computer released that has become the most powerful and accurate in the world

On June 5, 2024, Quantum introduced the 56-quant H2-1 computer, which is said to combine industry-leading precision and performance with error correction capabilities. According to Cantinuum, the new system is bringing the era of universal fault-tolerant quantum computing closer. Read more here.

10 times less qubits, but twice the performance. Developed the world's most powerful quantum computer

In July 2024, it became known about the creation of the most high-performance chip for a quantum computer. High-performance quantum chip manufactured by Oxford Ionics broke records for the performance of two-bit and one-bit valves. Read more here.

US imposes sanctions on Chinese developers of quantum computers

On May 9, 2024, the U.S. Commerce Department imposed export restrictions against 37 Chinese companies and entities. Some of them are conducting research and development in the field of quantum technologies, which, according to Washington, threatens US national security. Read more here.

Goodbye GPS. The application of the first quantum navigation for aircraft, which cannot be hacked, has begun

The application of the first quantum navigation for aircraft, which cannot be hacked, has begun. A new technology called Q-INS (Quantum Inertial Navigation System) could replace GPS. This was announced in May 2024 by the Deputy Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology of Britain Andrew Griffith, who is in charge of the country's space projects. Read more here.

China has created a powerful quantum computer. Access to it will be opened through the cloud

At the end of April 2024, the Center for Innovative Research on Quantum Information and Quantum Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced the development of a 504-qubit chip. A product called Xiaohong will become the basis of the most powerful quantum computer in China, which is being created by China Telecom Quantum Group and QuantumCTek. Read more here.

US Geological Survey begins using quantum technology to search for minerals

January 16, 2024 USGS and the company Q-Ctrl announced the conclusion of a cooperation agreement, the purpose of which is to use quantum technologies to find useful ones. minerals In addition, the parties will explore new methods for predicting natural disasters. More. here

2023

Global Quantum Sensor Market Reaches $327.7 Million

In 2023, costs in the global quantum sensor market amounted to approximately $327.7 million. This sector is developing steadily, which is explained by technological progress in the field of quantum computing and the growing demand for more accurate measurements. Market trends are addressed in the Fortune Business Insights survey published in late September 2024.

Quantum sensors are high-precision measuring devices, the work of which is based on the effects of quantum mechanics. Such sensors are extremely sensitive, thanks to which they are able to make measurements that are not available to classic devices. Quantum sensors, in particular, serve to detect changes in gravity, magnetic fields, temperature and other environmental factors. These sensors provide capabilities critical to modern manufacturing processes, robotics, automation and medicine. Quantum accelerometers and gyroscopes provide high-precision inertial navigation, which is used on submarines, aircraft and autonomous vehicles operating in the absence of GPS.

The study says that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a twofold impact on the market. On the one hand, disruptions in supply chains and a slowing economy have negatively affected production and triggered delays in some projects. But, on the other hand, the pandemic has increased demand for advanced medical diagnostic tools, which has increased investment in quantum sensor technologies for healthcare.

One of the key drivers of the industry is the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Quantum sensors generate huge amounts of data, and generative AI algorithms can process and analyze them in real time, providing more accurate results. In addition, AI can be used to simulate and optimize the design of quantum sensors.

At the same time, there are a number of restraining factors. The development and production of quantum sensors requires significant investment in advanced technologies, materials and qualified personnel. High upfront costs can be an obstacle for many organizations, which slows the development of the market. In addition, the transfer of quantum sensor technologies from laboratory conditions to practical and large-scale applications causes significant difficulties.

The industry's leading players include Campbell Scientific, AOSense, Apogee Instruments, SandboxAQ, M Squared Lasers Limited, QDM.IO, ID Quantique, Muquans SAS, Atomionics Pte, SBQuantum, Oxford Instruments and Nomad Omatics. By application, the market is divided into automotive, health and life sciences, military and defense industries, agriculture, oil and gas industries and others. The automotive segment took the largest share in 2023 due to the widespread use of advanced sensor technology for safety, navigation and autonomous driving systems. The leader in spending on quantum sensors is North America - $113.3 million at the end of 2023. At the same time, the Asia-Pacific region is showing the highest growth rates.

Fortune Business Insights analysts believe that in the future, the CAGR (compound percentage CAGR) in the global quantum sensor market will be 15.7%. As a result, by 2032, costs on a global scale are projected to reach $1.21 billion.^[4]

Banks begin to use protection of operations from attacks from quantum computers

On December 6, 2023, HSBC announced that it was the first bank in the world to implement quantum protection of AI transactions related to foreign currency trading. The new method, as noted, will be able to protect financial systems from powerful next-generation cyber attacks - including those that use quantum computers. Read more here.

The world's first modular quantum computer presented

On December 4, 2023, IBM announced the world's first modular quantum computer, the Quantum System Two platform. This system is based on the latest IBM Heron quantum processors with 133 qubits (quantum bits). Read more here.

Alibaba curtails quantum computing lab due to lack of money

On November 27, 2023, the Chinese technology corporation Alibaba Group Holding announced the closure of the quantum computing research laboratory. This decision is associated with a lack of money and the need to improve financial performance in an unstable macroeconomic situation. Read more here.

Quantum computer created with record 1,225 qubits

On October 24, 2023, startup Atom Computing announced the industry's first quantum computer with more than 1,000 qubits. The company says this is a landmark development, as with the advent of similar systems, universal quantum computers will begin to transform the high-performance computing (LDC) industry. Read more here.

China has created a photon quantum computer that solves the tasks that supercomputers will cope with in 20 billion years in a split second

On October 11, 2023, researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei (an urban district in Anhui province) announced the development of a photonic quantum computer JiuZhang 3. It is claimed that the system is capable of solving ultra-complex mathematical problems in millionths of a second, while the world's most powerful supercomputer will take billions of years. Read more here.

China launches largest cloud quantum computing platform

On August 19, 2023, China's largest cloud quantum computing platform began operations. It is expected that the system will speed up the solution of resource-intensive tasks in various areas, including the aerospace industry and the transport sector. Read more here.

Laser chip could be key to building scalable quantum memory

Quantum memory is an important component for creating quantum networks compatible with fiber-optic links. They are needed for high-quality communication, fast data transfer, as well as for efficient calculations and much more. Engineers and IT specialists have not yet been able to recreate such a network in large sizes. This became known on August 1, 2023.

A team of researchers led by Xueying Zhang described how to provide multimode storage of a single photon on a chip written. laser The development will significantly increase the transmission rate information compared to single-mode storage (single-mode quantum communication channels).

The storage device based on lithium niobate doped with erbium ions is integrated with fiber optic components of the telecom range. This paves the way for the creation of quantum networks based on integrated photon circuits.

Zhang and colleagues designed a waveguide directly related to the single-mode fiber. Optical collimators were used for compatibility with fiber optic communication. The chip implemented a quantum memory system based on an atomic frequency crest with a width of 4 GHz.

In multimode storage experiments, bound pairs of photons were generated in a lithium niobate waveguide. A single laser pulse was used for single-mode storage.

To create an atomic frequency crest, erbium ions were introduced into a periodic structure with a tooth interval of 5 MHz.

Thus, it was possible to demonstrate a new way of storing non-classical light with a large time bandwidth. Scientists have created quantum memory on a chip with a storage time of as much as 200 nanoseconds.

The results of the experiment will help improve high-speed quantum networks. At the same time, improvements will be needed to create a full-fledged device, in particular, the integration of photon sources with memory^[5].

Europe is not ready for a quantum apocalypse: a new report reveals all the weaknesses of the EU in terms of cybersecurity

On July 17, 2023, a list of recommendations for the European Union to ensure the protection of member states from a new type of cyber attack using quantum computing was released. Read more here.

A device has been developed that allows you to store quantum information in sound waves

On June 22, 2023, American scientists from the California Institute of Technology announced the development of a new technology for storing information in quantum computers. We are talking about the translation of electric quantum states into sound waves. Read more here.

China has developed a quantum computer that copes with AI tasks 180 million times faster than supercomputers

In early June 2023, scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China said they had reached another milestone in quantum computing, saying their Jiuzhang device could perform tasks commonly used in AI 180 million times faster than the world's most powerful supercomputer. Read more here.

Drone-based quantum key distribution system presented in China

In early June 2023, scientists at Nanjing University, led by Tian Xiaohui, developed a new approach that will increase the range of protected quantum communications, as well as make it more mobile and accessible outside the walls of cities. So, scientists have created a compact installation for quantum key distribution, which can be installed on any drone.

Drone-based quantum communications have the potential to implement a mobile quantum network, and the entanglement distribution has been demonstrated with one and two drones. Tian Xiaohui reported the first drone-based quantum key distribution (QKD), with an average safe key rate of over 8 kHz average safe rate, using a deceptive state and polarization coding BB84 protocol.

Drone-based quantum key distribution system presented in China

The Compact Collection, Guidance and Tracking System (APT) and QKD modules were designed and installed on a home-made octocopter whose take-off weight does not exceed 30 kg. Scientists at the University of Nanjing have shown how a reliable connection is established between a flying octocopter and a ground station located at a distance of 200 m, and QKD is performed in real time for 400 seconds.

The successful implementation of this experiment suggests the possibility of using drones equipped with systems to organize future mobile quantum communication systems. The quantum key distribution method uses quantum phenomena to guarantee secure communication and makes it possible for two users to detect the presence of a third party trying to get information about the key, said project head Tian Xiaohui.

A study done by scientists at Nanjing University shows the potential of drone-based quantum communications for future mobile quantum networks worldwide. Due to the fact that it is possible to increase the transmission range of quantum information by exchanging data not through fiber optic cables, but through communication satellites or using atmospheric lasers. ^[6]

Scientists from the University of Minnesota in the USA have created a super-conductive diode

State communications operator China Telecom created a company for the development of quantum computing and invested $422 million in it

On May 30, 2023, the Chinese state telecom operator China Telecom announced the formation of a company in the field of quantum information technology - Quantum Information Technology Group. Investments in the project amounted to 3 billion yuan (approximately $422 million at the exchange rate as of May 31, 2023). Read more here.

Rolls-Royce begins to use quantum computing in the development of aircraft engines

On May 21, 2023, Nvidia, Rolls-Royce and Classiq announced a breakthrough in quantum computing that is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of jet engines. Read more here.

Physicists have learned to control quantum light. This opens up great opportunities for medvisualization and quantum computers

On March 20, 2023, a team of Australian and Swiss scientists announced that they had for the first time been able to demonstrate the possibility of manipulating a small number of interacting photons. This opens up fundamentally new possibilities for the creation of quantum computers and other devices, for example, medical imaging systems.

The work was attended by employees of the University of Sydney and the University of Basel. The researchers were able to capture stimulated radiation from single photons. In particular, scientists were able to measure the direct time delay between one photon and a pair of coupled photons scattered on one quantum dot. Physicists say it opens the door to manipulating what could be called "quantum light."

Scientists managed to romanipure a small number of interacting photons

According to experts, the system created by them induces such strong interactions between photons that you can observe the difference between one and two particles. As a result, with the use of quantum light, more accurate measurements with increased resolution can be made using fewer photons. This approach will be in demand in a number of fields, in particular in biological microscopy, when high light intensity can damage samples or when the observed features are extremely small. In addition, experts intend to find out how the results of their research can be used to create light states useful for fault-tolerant quantum computing.

We noticed that one photon lingers for longer compared to two photons. With this really strong photon-photon interaction, the two photons become entangled in the form of what is called a two-photon bound state, said Dr. Natasha Tomm of the University of Basel.[7]

China builds quantum satellite network

In early March 2023, it became known that Chinese research institutes are working to create a quantum communication network using satellites in low, medium and high Earth orbits. Read more here.

China begins mass production of 24 qubit quantum computers

China has installed its first serial quantum computer that can be used to solve practical problems. This was announced at the end of January 2023 by the newspaper of the Ministry of Science of the PRC. Read more here.

2022

China bypasses the United States in the number of patents on quantum technologies

In the period from 2003 to 2022, China accounted for 37% of applications for patents related to quantum technologies on a global scale. For comparison, the United States had this figure of a little more than 28%. Such figures are given in the study, the results of which were released at the end of March 2024.

It is noted that China and the United States adhere to different strategies in the development of quantum technologies. In particular, the PRC emphasizes quantum cryptography to protect communications, while the United States prefers quantum computing. However, according to data released by China's Intellectual Property Authority, Beijing is changing its approach to implementing a quantum strategy. In particular, technologies related to quantum computing were described in 56.5% of the total number of patents in the relevant field issued in China from 2013 to 2022. Quantum communications accounted for 30.3% of patents in the PRC for the specified period.

𝓲

Unsplash

At the same time, it is noted that the United States is leading in such areas as quantum computers and quantum sensing. A report submitted by London-based analytics firm GlobalData in 2022 said China was about five years behind the US in quantum computing. But in a study by GlobalData, published in February 2024, it is said that these countries go almost "shoulder to shoulder." In other words, the gap between the PRC and the United States has decreased to a minimum.

The American nonprofit research organization RAND notes that China's achievements in certain areas of quantum computing make US leadership "controversial." At the same time, quantum technologies appeared in the US national planning program in 1994, and in China only in 2013. In 2009, China overtook the United States for the first time in the total number of patent applications in the quantum sphere.^[8]

Quantum tech startups raise $2.35 billion in venture capital investments

Quantum computing can give the world an incentive for the development of new industries based on big data processing, according to the analytical report "Quantum Computing: Prospects for Business," which representatives of Sberbank shared with TAdviser on September 21, 2023. In addition, they can provide increased performance and efficiency of algorithmic intelligence, accuracy of models and simulations of complex systems (such as new drug molecules, chemical reactions or physical processes), as well as provide a new level of calculations in finance and logistics, new solutions to climate problems and cryptographic algorithms that will provide a higher level of security.

According to data available for April 2023.

As noted in the report, the leaders, countries of the world understanding the breakthrough potential of this area, include quantum technologies in national programs and allocate all the largest budgets for research. The leader here is the China total amount of state financing in the amount of $15.3 billion, which is 4 times higher than the same indicator USA and 2 times higher than the indicator. EU

At the same time, more and more attention in the world is being paid to supporting startups in the field of quantum technology. So, in 2022, venture investors around the world invested $2.35 billion in them.

Also in 2022, almost 1,600 patents were issued and published in the world in all sub-areas of quantum computing: from physical implementations of quantum equipment and error correction to AI and machine learning, the document says.

The world's leading technology corporations have their own development programs. So, IBM which has already manufactured quantum processor 433, qubit plans to increase the number of qubits to 1121 in 2023 Google , and intends to show a device per thousand qubits after 2025. The corporation announced its intention to develop a full stack of technologies for quantum computing Intel and has already launched quantum chips on spin qubits, produced using technologies for the release of classical ones. semiconductor transistors

According to data available for April 2023.

In turn, in Russia, work in the field of quantum computing is being carried out on four key physical platforms: superconducting qubits, photon circuits, neutral atoms and ions in traps. A pool of organizations has been formed, among which both companies and scientific institutes and universities that conduct research and development, study the applicability of quantum computing to practical tasks.

The report notes the following main technological results achieved in Russia:

• experimental samples of an 8-qubit quantum processor based on superconductors, a 4-qubit quantum computer based on photon chips and a 16-qubit quantum computer based on neutral atoms have been created (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Quantum Center (RCC));
• presented is a 16-qubit ion processor in kudit-based traps (FIAN, RCC). The accuracy of quantum logical operations of each of the qubits and their pair interactions is worked out;
• a demonstration circuit of an 8-qubit quantum simulator on superconductors (MIPT, MISiS) has been developed. According to the results of 2022, as part of the work on the roadmap, for the first time in Russia, a machine learning algorithm was implemented on it.

For the progressive development of quantum computing in Russia, according to the conclusions of the analytical report, it is necessary that there are more researchers in the Russian quantum community, and business is more involved in setting tasks and developing applied technologies. Corporations need to be more open to introducing a new one and invest, among other things, in training personnel for the new industry.

In general, the authors of the study come to the conclusion that, although no one in the world has yet been able to demonstrate practical quantum superiority, nevertheless, companies should plan today what will happen after it is achieved. Quantum computing can be seamlessly integrated into data processing workflows using adaptation tools for popular programming languages ​ ​ and interfaces.

"Sberbank, in collaboration with partners, analyzed the situation with quantum computing in Russia and the world not just from the point of view of science, but also from the point of view of business, finding out how" quanta "will affect technology companies. Having studied dozens of reports, investment strategies, national programs and roadmaps of the world's leading countries and corporations, we concluded that the introduction of quantum computing could yield a multiple of the efficiency of financial and logistical processes, will speed up the development of new drugs and materials with specified properties, process huge amounts of data and do it not only quickly, but also with significant savings in computing resources and energy, - said Albert Efimov, Vice President, Director of the Research and Innovation Department of Sberbank. - And the synergy of "quantum" and AI opens the way to a new technological revolution, led by a strong artificial quantum intelligence. This will be a new level of smart machines that will become full-fledged interlocutors, assistants and human assistants. "

You can read more about Sberbank's report "Quantum Computing: Prospects for Business" at the link. The document was prepared by the bank together with partners - VNIIA named after N. L. Dukhov and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence AIRI. The collection gives an assessment of the current state and concludes on the development of quantum computing, obstacles and restrictions that have to be overcome on the path of the practical use of quantum computers both in the world and Russia. The report also contains a list of tasks that business can solve using quantum computing, and an overview of key Russian and foreign players in this area.

Hacking the RSA cryptographic algorithm using a quantum computer

On December 23, 2022, the results of a study by Chinese scientists were released, saying that RSA encryption keys were hacked using|quantum computers. Read more here.

How quantum technology is helping Toyota assemble cars

On October 21, 2022, Japanese auto giant Toyota and Fujitsu Limited announced cooperation as part of a project to introduce Fujitsu Digital Annealer technology at car manufacturing facilities. Read more here.

Baidu unveils its first quantum computer

On August 25, 2022, the Chinese company Baidu, developing the search engine of the same name (the largest in the PRC), introduced its first quantum computer. It was named Qianshi. Read more here.

Nvidia unveils Quantum Optimized Device Architecture computing platform

Nvidia has unveiled its Quantum Optimized Device Architecture (QODA) computing platform, which aims to bridge the gap between quantum and classical applications. This became known on July 13, 2022. Read more here.

Fujitsu introduced a quantum computer simulator

At the end of March 2022, Fujitsu introduced a quantum computer simulator capable of processing 36-qubit quantum circuits in a cluster system with a PRIMEHPC FX 700 supercomputer equipped with the same processor as the world's fastest Fugaku supercomputer. Read more here.

2021

Hitachi has developed a quantum computer to control train traffic

In mid-October 2021, the Japanese industrial giant Hitachi announced the development of an automation system based on quasi-quantum computing technology to optimize the operation of railways. According to the developers, their solution makes up a staff schedule in just 30 minutes, while usually this process takes 3-5 days. Read more here.

Sales of the world's first sver­khprovodyashchego processor for quantum komp­yuterov have begun

In mid-July 2021, the Dutch startup QuantWare released the world's first commercially available superconducting processor for quantum computers (QPU). Experts believe that this development could significantly accelerate the revolution in quantum computing. Read more here.

China has created the world's most powerful quantum computer

In mid-July 2021, Chinese researchers demonstrated the most powerful in the world, quantum computer squeezing processor Sycamore away from Google leadership positions. More. here

Toshiba has created a hacking-resistant quantum network

In mid-June 2021, researchers from the Cambridge Research Laboratory Toshiba Europe demonstrated that quantum information can be successfully transmitted over optical fibers that are longer than 600 km. A new record distance will pave the way for the transmission of quantum information over long distances between megacities. It is also argued that the created quantum network cannot be hacked.

One of the most difficult technological challenges in building a quantum internet is the problem of transmitting quantum bits over long optical fibers, the researchers explained. Previously, the transmission of qubits over fiber-optic networks was limited by the small length of the network. Minor changes in the environment, including temperature fluctuations, can trigger cable expansion or compression, leading to information destruction.

Toshiba introduced a quantum network immune to hacking

To reduce environmental impacts, Toshiba created a method called dual-band stabilization. It involves transmitting data through two signals, one of which compensates for rapidly changing deviations, and the second is designed to more accurately adjust the phase. Thus, engineers have achieved the ability to qualitatively transmit information at a distance of up to 600 km.

Thanks to the latest achievement, engineers will be able to create a new generation network through which data can be safely transmitted between cities and even countries.

Our vision is a quantum information technology services platform that will provide not only secure connectivity on a global scale, but also transformative technologies such as cloud quantum computing and distributed quantum sensing.

The first use of the new technology is likely to be to apply it to quantum key distribution (QKD). The information transmitted by the optical fiber is encrypted using QKD technology. Scientists explained that, to form encryption keys, the protocol uses quantum networks that practically exclude penetration. In a potential network hack, both sides will be alerted.^[9]

NSA launched a laboratory to develop quantum computing

In early May 2021 United States Army , the Army Research Office and the Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the National Security Agency announced NSA the launch of a research center for development. quantum computing The project was named. LPS Qubit Collaboratory (LQC) More. here

Toshiba brings quantum computing to conventional computers

In early April 2021, it became known that Toshiba implemented the ability to integrate its Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm or SBA with a programmable gate array (FPGA), which can be connected to workstations. Read more here.

How fuel and energy complex companies use quantum computing

At the end of March 2021, the Smart Energy International portal published an article on how companies in the fuel and energy complex (fuel and energy complex) use quantum technologies to solve business problems. One application of such developments is to predict the amount of electricity consumption.

In addition, quantum computing helps enterprises develop new technologies and environmental projects, and in the future can help in making investment decisions, experts say.

Fuel and Energy Complex companies began to use quantum computing to solve environmental problems

Balancing output and consumption in an increasingly decentralized power system is increasingly challenging. As the amount of distributed energy grows and the consumption trend becomes increasingly erratic, the calculations become more complex and time-consuming. As a result, energy companies resort to computing on a quantum computer, the publication says (quoted by TASS).

As an example, it is reported that ExxonMobil, in collaboration with IBM, is exploring several options to improve the environmental friendliness of the oil company, including optimizing the power system and developing new materials for carbon capture. In addition, BP is IBM refusing to help solve environmental problems.

Enel Group hopes that quantum computing in the future will help optimize human resources processes and even make investment decisions. By the end of March 2021, the company uses algorithms based on quantum concepts to optimize the time group employees spend traveling to the distribution site or business trip. Each year, the group distributes more than 32 million employees in 13 companies of the group, computer computing has already helped reduce the travel time of Enel Group employees to the place of business trips.^[10]

Quantum Brilliance quantum accelerator announcement at room temperature

At the end of March 2021, Quantum Brilliance introduced, according to the company, the world's first diamond-based quantum accelerator that can operate at room temperature. Read more here.

Announcement of Origin Pilot - operating system for quantum computers

In mid-February 2021, the Chinese company Origin Quantum announced the development of an operating system for quantum computers. This product, according to its creators, can several times increase the efficiency of existing quantum computing systems. Read more here.

2020

Announcement of the Honeywell System H1 quantum computer

At the end of October 2020, Honeywell introduced the System H1 quantum computer, which has 10 qubits. According to the American company, the system provides twice the performance due to quantum volume increased to 128. Read more here.

US President Trump allocated $1 billion for 7 AI institutes and 5 quantum computing centers

At the end of August 2020, Trump allocated $1 billion to create seven research institutes of artificial intelligence and five research centers of quantum computing for five years. Under the leadership of the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy 12 interdisciplinary centers will investigate new technologies and train future employees. Read more here.

Start using Honeywell's most powerful quantum computer

In June 2020, Honeywell announced the launch, according to the company, of the most powerful quantum computer in history. Several customers have already started using the system, including JP Morgan Chase. Read more here.

US increases government spending on quantum technologies by 20%

On April 27, 2020, it became known that the Presidential Administration USA Donald Trump , when planning the state budget for 2021, decided to increase spending on quantum computer science by 20% to $237 million. At the same time, it reduces the cost of scientific activity in 2021 as a whole by 10%.

Of the $237 million indicated, the US Department of Energy plans to spend $25 million in 2021 on the development of quantum Internet.

This level of funding will allow us to start developing the foundations for complex, practical and highly efficient quantum networks, "said David Auschalom, a quantum engineer at the University of Chicago.

Existing at the same time as traditional Internet for public use, quantum Internet can offer new unique opportunities. For example, scientists would be able to develop completely new drugs and materials, modeling the behavior of atoms on network quantum computers, and financial institutions and governments could get more reliable data channels. Many countries are investing in the study of quantum technologies, and with the proposal of the budget for 2021, the Trump administration seeks to increase these efforts.

Quantum Internet is a promising area, so the United States decided to increase investment in it. As of April 2020, the country has prototypes of quantum networks in Chicago and New York. In 2020, scientists conducted a successful experiment in the Chicago network.

We created confusing states of light, "Aushalom said," and tried to use them as a vehicle to test how entanglement works in the real world.

Similar experiments are being conducted on the East Coast of the United States, where researchers send entangled photons over fiber optic cables connecting Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York with the University of New York at Stony Brook at a distance of about 18 kilometers.^[11]

Honeywell develops the most powerful quantum computer

In early March 2020, Honeywell International announced that it was joining the race to build a quantum computer. The company is preparing to release the most powerful system in the world. Read more here.

India allocated $1.12 billion for the development of quantum computers

In early February 2020, the Indian government approved its budget for 2020, allocating about $1.12 billion for the development of quantum computers. These funds will go to the development of the National Program on Quantum Technologies and Applications. Read more here.

2019

Quantum computers have begun to protect cars from cyber attacks

In early January 2020, the Canadian company ISARA, a leading supplier of quantum cybersecurity systems, unveiled the updated Karma Revero GT, which, according to the developers, is capable of sending and receiving electronic voice messages without fear that information will be intercepted and decrypted - even using a quantum computer. ISARA created a communication solution using quantum communication. Read more here.

Who wins the quantum race: Leaders on patents

A joint 2019 study by Rostelecom, Innopraktika and FIPS of the patent landscape in quantum technologies helps clarify some points.

• Intel is the world leader in the number of quantum patent applications submitted. This speaks of the productivity of their research center, Pavel Krasovsky, one of the authors of the study, deputy director of the center for strategic innovations at Rostelecom, explained to Necifrovaya Ekonomiya.

• However, the Japanese Toshiba has the most patents already received. She is one of the main companies in the field of quantum encryption.

• The most cited patents in other applications are from the Canadian D-Wave and the American military-industrial company Northropp Grumman. These companies have the greatest "strength of patents," Krasovsky explains, that is, they invented technologies that are of great importance to researchers.

• Google and Alibaba Group are world leaders in the number of countries where their quantum technologies are patented (12 countries each). In third place is the Swiss company Quantique (11 countries).

The number of countries, Krasovsky said, shows how close companies are to commercializing their technology. Filing patent applications is a very costly procedure, and companies begin to spend money on this only if they see commercial prospects in a particular market.

Interesting situation now with Chinese companies. According to Krasovsky, Chinese patents are usually considered "garbage," since Chinese research centers have KPIs tightly tied to the number of patents at the state policy level. Therefore, they patent a lot domestically, but if they try to patent the same technology abroad, they usually get rejected due to lack of novelty.

However, a number of Chinese companies, such as Ruban Quantum Technology, have recently begun to actively apply. So far, they have no patents, so this process takes at least six months, but if you conduct the same study in a year, then there is a possibility that Ruban Quantum Technology will be among the leaders.

Positions of Russia

Russia ranks 9th in the world in terms of the number of patents in the field of quantum technologies, follows from a joint study by Rostelecom, Innopraktika and FIPS. The top five include the United States, China, Japan Korea and Germany.

• Most patent families in Russia have the Russian Academy of Sciences (including the Kurchatov Institute) - 6 families. In second place is the Advanced Research Foundation, it has three patent families related to quantum technologies. Two patent families each at the Cascade IEC, and the Optical-Fiber Instrument Laboratory. The other six organizations have one family each. Among them are the Russian Quantum Center, InfoTeCS, Photonic Nano-Meta Technologies, as well as two Nizhny Novgorod Universities and one Irkutsk.

• The authors of the study also note a large number of patent applications in Russia by foreign companies. For example, British Element Six Technologies, Fisk Software and University of Cophengagen.

• Most actively, Russian companies were engaged in patenting in the field of quantum technologies in 2012-2015. The report's authors attribute this surge to increased funding.

• If we take the international patent classification, then most often in Russia quantum technologies are patented in the field of devices for secret or hidden communication, automatic control of frequency or phase and synchronization, quantum communication and in devices or methods of data processing.

Google has created the most powerful quantum computer in the world

In mid-September 2019, Google announced that it had been able to create the world's most powerful quantum computer. Information about the device was published in a NASA report, which was subsequently removed from the organization's website. Read more here.

Germany to invest €650m in quantum computing

In mid-September 2019, it became known that the German government will invest 650 million euros over the next two years to support the transition of quantum technologies from basic research to ready-to-use applications. Read more here.

20 years of development of quantum computing. Infographics

For August 2019, Rigetti, a quantum computing startup, is expected to launch the 128-qubit system in 2019. This could be an important achievement in the quantum arena.

The fundamental difference between modern computers and the computing systems with which we interact is the enormous speed and way information is processed on the server. The creation of such machines threatens modern data encryption standards.

Bank starts using quantum computing to protect against cyber attacks for the first time

At the end of June 2019, it became known that ABN Amro was the first among banks to use quantum computing to combat cyber attacks. To do this, the Dutch company began cooperation with the research  institute QuTech, which was created by the Delft Technical University in conjunction with the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research. Read more here.

Launch of the world's first commercial quantum network in Britain

At the end of March 2019, the world's first commercial quantum network was launched in Britain. The secure network will apply quantum key distribution (QKD): to protect encrypted messages, the principles of quantum mechanics are used, and not complex mathematical calculations. Read more here.

2018

Ford to use NASA quantum computer to solve transport problems

On December 5, 2018 Ford , within the framework of the next project, it will develop comprehensive route maps for diesel trucks that will help maintain the normal operation of particulate filters. In 2019, the company will gain access NASA to the artificial intelligence Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.

Ford specialists, together with NASA representatives, will work with a computer operating on the principle of quantum relaxation (quantum annealing), which will help solve the most difficult problems. Quantum computing capabilities will be applied to the development of solutions in the field of managing large car parks. Read more here.

Microsoft Quantum Computer

In March 2018, it became known that researchers at the Dutch center Microsoft, located  at the Technical University   of Technology, are working to create a quantum computer with a much lower error rate than in projects that are being tested by competing companies such as IBM and Google. 

According to a study published in the journal Nature, Microsoft has obtained reliable evidence of the creation of Majorana fermions - an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle - in a wire consisting of semiconductor and superconducting materials. The unique properties of these fermions mean they can be used to create quantum computers. 

Microsoft's' quantum refrigerator'preserves qubits at ultra-low temperature needed for computer computing

They are trying to get them in the Dutch division of Microsoft in Delft, where there are several refrigeration plants worth more than $500 thousand each. They cool special circuits to ultra-low temperatures, at which it becomes possible to obtain Majorana fermions. Hanging next to several fridges are giant 68-pound magnetic rings, which the Microsoft team is using to reduce the error rate in computing. Magnets, however, as physicist Leo Kouwenhoven admits, are a double-edged sword, since their large size and weight make experiments difficult.

According to Kouwenhoven, Microsoft believes that the calculations of its quantum computer - if it can be created - will be 1,000 and 10,000 times more accurate than those of existing models. Young researchers are working in the same room next to the refrigerators, analyzing colorful graphs, but so far there are no signs of the appearance of fermions. Accurate measurements in a dense magnetic field are harder to obtain, and while the theory is on the side of the researchers, they may simply not have enough time to build a quantum dream computer. The goal of the Kouwenhoven group is to obtain stable Majorana fermions by the end of 2018.

Other tested versions of quantum computers make too many calculation errors to be used in practice, for example, to create new chemical catalysts or hack encryption codes, which the creators originally hoped for. Therefore, despite the high costs, Microsoft is trying to get fermions to create qubits - a quantum discharge or the smallest element for storing information in a quantum computer. 

Until now, Microsoft has been inferior to competitors: Google and IBM already have machines that are believed to be close to achieving "quantum superiority" - the ability to solve problems that are too difficult for standard computers - while Microsoft has not even received a working qubit yet. However, qubits based on Majorana fermions can become the basis for a potentially more efficient quantum computer. Therefore, Microsoft gathered a group of scientists who set to work in laboratories in,, USA Netherlands Denmark and Australia. Responsible for the project was one of Microsoft's most experienced executives, Todd Holdhal, who had previously worked on game consoles Xbox and game glasses. augmented reality HoloLens 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella explained that quantum developments along with artificial intelligence and augmented reality will be critical to the company's future, and in November 2017, Holdhal said in an interview with Bloomberg that Microsoft will bring its own quantum computer to market within the next five years.^[12]

2017

Intel Quantum 17 qubit processor

In October 2017, it was announced the supply of an experimental superconductivity-based 17-qubit processor Intel technology to a Dutch research center QuTech engaged in physics research with Intel quantum., Processor manufactured at Intel's production facilities, has a unique crystal structure that allows you to increase the yield of suitable crystals on the plate and achieve a significant increase in productivity.

Quantum communication was first established between the ground and the plane

Physicists from Waterloo University (Canada) first implemented a quantum communication channel to distribute secret encryption keys between a flying aircraft as a recipient and a ground station as a sender. As part of the experiment, scientists managed to generate a secret key in 6 attempts out of 14. In the future, the system may find application for quantum communication between aircraft and satellites. The study is published^[13] in the journal Quantum Science and Technology, briefly reported by^[14] Physics World^[15][16][17].

Existing cryptography systems are based on the existence of a secret key with which information is encrypted. Without knowing this key, decryption is essentially impossible. For example, in the encryption notepad method, both the recipient and the sender store absolutely identical sets of random data that are summed up with the text of the message. Without a notebook, enumerating all possible keys will give all possible messages of this length.

However, the key must be passed in some way between the communication participants. Intercepting the key at this stage will allow the attacker to completely decrypt all correspondence. In order for such an interception to be impossible at the level of the laws of physics, scientists have developed an algorithm for quantum key distribution. It is based on the transmission of single photons prepared in a random state ("zero" or "one") and in a random basis (in vertical/horizontal or diagonal polarization). When an attacker tries to measure the polarization of a photon, the state of the latter will change. This will be able to easily track the sender and recipient and discard the compromised key.

To implement such communication protocols, it is necessary to establish quantum communication between the sender and the recipient. In the case of urban networks, this can be done using fiber optic lines. Also, the distribution of the key between stationary objects can be organized "through the air" using a laser and a detector. These approaches have already been implemented - the maximum distances are about several hundred kilometers in both cases. The technique is limited by losses in fiber and scattering on turbulent flows in the air.

The authors of the new work demonstrated the fundamental possibility of quantum key distribution between a flying aircraft and a ground station. To receive and transmit signal photons, physicists used a pair of motorized telescopes. The receiver was mounted on a Twin Otter aircraft that flew around the ground station in an arc or in a straight line at an altitude of 1.6 kilometers. Nominal distances between the source and receiver ranged from 3 to 10 kilometers. In the installation, methods were taken to protect against the simplest attacks, including the Trojan Horses.

In total, the plane performed 14 flights near the ground station at a speed of about 200-250 kilometers per hour. In exactly half of the cases, the researchers managed to establish a quantum communication channel and in six of them - to generate a secret key. Quantum communication time ranged from 30 seconds to four and a half minutes, the maximum size of the secret key was 867 kilobits.

It took scientists almost eight years to prepare the experiment. Previously, a similar experiment was staged in Germany, but the aircraft contained a photon source, not a receiver. According to physicists, it is in the new production of the experiment that the key can be successfully generated for communication between the satellite and the aircraft. The advantage of using a satellite in the absence of natural interference between the sender and the recipient, for example, is a much more rarefied environment.

Microsoft is working to create a quantum computer

Microsoft announced in June 2017 that it was developing a quantum computer. Such machines are capable of turning the entire industry around, as they will allow processing in seconds volumes of data, the analysis of which would now take years. The technology used in them is based on qubits (quantum bits), which can simultaneously be in two states - 0 and 1, while ordinary bits are in only one of them. In the future, this technology will affect areas such as cryptography and ultra-secure communications, as well as climate modeling and the search for dark matter^[18].

The project to create a quantum computer Microsoft is led by Todd Holmdahl, who was previously among the leaders of the Kinect, HoloLens and Xbox development teams. He now talks about quantum computing as a new direction in business, not theoretical or research projects. And he is confident that it is Microsoft that will become a pioneer in this area by introducing quantum technologies into its cloud platforms.

The Todd Holmdahl-led team, part of the newly formed Microsoft AI and Research Group, will work on both the hardware and software parts of the quantum computer. "Like classical high-performance computing, we need not only hardware, but also optimized software," comments Matthias Troyer, professor of computational physics at the Swiss Higher Technical School of Zurich, who was specially invited to participate in the Microsoft research team project.

Microsoft is confident that the knowledge accumulated by Microsoft Research has reached the level that will create a real breakthrough in the creation of a quantum computer. Asked when Microsoft will be able to build its first topological qubit, Holmdahl, now 52, doesn't provide an exact answer. However, he noted that he would soon retire and the event would happen before that moment.

2016

Microsoft Research Project

In November 2016, it became known that Microsoft it was developing a quantum computer. To do this, the company formed a separate research project, led by Microsoft veteran Todd Holmdahl, who was among the leaders of the development teams, and Kinect HoloLens. Xbox

Quantum computing suggests that computer systems using them can be in two states at the same time. If traditional PCs write bits of information sequentially (in zero or one states), then quantum ones can perform several calculations in parallel, encoding two values ​ ​ at once.

Todd Holmdal is head of Microsoft's quantum computer project

Microsoft intends to create a "topological" quantum computer with two-dimensional particles called enions, forming three-dimensional interlaces with two spatial dimensions of enions and time. The company plans to use such systems in artificial intelligence projects, clinical research, modeling climatic conditions, etc.

In addition to Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft's team of quantum computing researchers also included well-known specialists in the field - professors Leo Kouwenhoven from Delft University of Technology, Charles Marcus from the University of Copenhagen, David Reilly from the University of Sydney and Matthias Troyer from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Microsoft became interested in the concept of quantum computing back in 2005, then creating the Station Q research laboratory under the guidance of mathematician Michael Freedman. In 2015, Microsoft introduced the LIQUi|> (Language-Integrated Quantum Operations) simulator, which allows anyone to study the possibilities of quantum computing^[19]

China to build new quantum communication line

China plans to build a new quantum communication line with a length of more than 300 kilometers by the end of 2017, the China Daily newspaper writes, citing the Chinese aerospace company (CASIC).

The construction of the line, which will connect the city of Wuhan and Hefei, will begin in the near future. As CASIC spokesman Wu Xiaofeng noted, the line will be used by government agencies and then become available to local business. The investment is estimated at $29 million. This line will later be connected to the line between Beijing and Shanghai, scheduled to open in late 2016.

In China, in November 2016, the world's longest quantum communication line was opened, its length is 712 kilometers. It connects the city of Hefei in Anhui and Shanghai. It is part of a project of a quantum communication line with a length of 2 thousand kilometers, the creation of which began in 2013. There are 11 ground stations on the line.

China began developing a quantum communications satellite in 2011. In mid-August, the world's first quantum communications satellite, Mo-Tzu (Micius), was successfully launched.

As academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Pan Jianwei said earlier, all satellite systems work properly. It was noted that the Mo-Tzu, after three months of testing in orbit, will be commissioned in the second half of November. Prior to that, Pan Jianwei also said that China could create a global quantum communications network by 2030.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, scientists have been developing methods for encrypting and securely transmitting information. They have two key disadvantages - they can be hacked when applying sufficient computing power (for example, a quantum computer), or information can be extracted by "eavesdropping" on its transmission via a data channel.

So-called quantum networks solve both of these problems due to the fact that the fundamental position of quantum physics - the Heisenberg uncertainty principle - does not allow the "third superfluous" to read information from the data channel and match the key to it.

2015: Google says it's likely to build quantum computers

Quantum computers will never benefit from modern classical computers unless they acquire the ability to independently correct errors that destroy the "fragile" quantum states of their quantum bits, qubits. The Google group of companies, leading research in the field of quantum computing, has demonstrated the world's first system capable of independently correcting emerging errors - a step that brings the field of quantum computing closer to its practical implementation^[20].

Процессор квантового компьютера D-Wave, 2014

The achievement was made possible by the transfer to Google of a group of scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the fall of 2014. At one time, she developed and manufactured a system of quantum superconducting circuits operating with a level of accuracy and reliability sufficient to implement error elimination technology.

"This is the first time in the history of information technology that" natural "errors resulting from the impact of various environmental factors on qubits can be corrected," said Rami Barends, engineer at Rami Barends. "We have created the first quantum device that can independently correct errors that occur during its operation."

Those interested in the field of quantum computing are well aware - the main problem faced by the creators of quantum computing systems is the need to preserve the quantum state of qubits for a long time. A fragile quantum state can be disturbed by the intervention of any, from a sufficiently large set of external factors, from which it is not possible to completely isolate itself fundamentally. The solution to this problem is the quantum error correction code, the basis of which is the classical error elimination method, which is quite widely used in modern computer technology.

But the main problem that the researchers had to face is that the developed correction code does not have the ability to detect the error that occurred in a direct way, without disrupting the quantum state of the qubits.

The researchers bypassed this problem using the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, by which one qubit can share information with other qubits through a "ghost" quantum connection. The correction code included in the quantum system measures the value of the quantum state of a qubit entangled with several adjacent qubits, which helps keep its original state unchanged.

The created error correction code works by using a certain spatial arrangement of qubits, which is somewhat reminiscent of a chessboard. In the white squares of this board there are information qubits involved in performing quantum computational operations, and in the black squares there are "measuring" qubits used to correct errors arising in adjacent information qubits.

To demonstrate the technology, the researchers manufactured a simple device consisting of nine qubits ordered as a 3 by 3-element matrix. And the work of this system, more precisely, the work of the correction code was checked using 90 thousand specialized computing operations, which made it possible to collect the required amount of statistical data.

"This was proof that the years spent on theoretical research did not go to waste and the practical implementation of error correction technologies is possible," said Julian Kelly, an engineer at Google.

Another achievement: the researchers demonstrated that the rates of successful error elimination in a quantum system increased with increasing qubits. For example, the error rate for a five-qubit system was 2.7 times less than the error rate for a single-qubit system. And the difference in these levels between systems with one and nine qubits was just over 8.5 times.

This is exciting news for the field of quantum computing. Everything indicates that systems with a large number of quantum bits can be stable and will not collapse under the pressure of an avalanche of emerging errors, "said Julian Kelly. "And this, in turn, means that quantum computers operating with a large number of qubits can still be created."

2013: Lockheed Martin uses Canada's D-Wave quantum system

As of July 2013, even modern, not yet very advanced, quantum computing systems enjoy the great interest of the world's leading campaigns. Thus, the Canadian quantum computer D-Wave is used by the defense company Lockheed Martin, and in early 2013, D-Wave strengthened Google's computing power. D-Wave is not a universal quantum computer, although it can be used as the basis for its development. D-Wave is a 512-qubit superconducting ring computer designed to solve so-called combinatorial optimization problems, such as genome analysis, protein folding options, etc. Google will use D-Wave to design self-learning artificial intelligence systems.

See also

• Digital Economy Quantum Communication Platform
• Quantum cryptography
• Post-quantum cryptography
• Russian Quantum Center (RCC, Russian Quantum Center, RQC)
• Supercomputer
• Photon integrated circuit (FIS)

Notes