In the coming decades, more companies are expected to use the power of quantum computer to solve complex challenges in cybersecurity, finance, life sciences, logistics and sustainability – problems that increasingly need to be solved with technology more powerful than a traditional computer.
global quantum technology financing and investment activity surpassed $1.4 billion more than double that of 2020 in 2021, according to McKinsey & Company.
Quantinuum, founded in 2021 by the combination of Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantumaims to accelerate the development of quantum computing and deliver real-world applications powered by quantum.
Quantinum’s latest milestone: his H1-1 quantum computer expanded from 12 to 20 fully connected qubits and increased the number of quantum operations that can be performed in parallel.
Here’s what you need to know.
A qubit – short for a quantum bit – is the smallest unit of data in quantum computing. Unlike the smallest unit of data in classical computer science — called a binary digit or bit, which is in an off (zero) or on (one) position — qubits can exist as zeros and ones at the same time. That’s a property of quantum computing that makes it more powerful than classical computing.
So, for researchers using the H1-1 quantum computer, the upgrade from 12 to now 20 fully connected qubits to perform more complex computations than was previously possible without sacrificing performance.
The improved system has already been put into operation. In a private example of the H1-1 quantum computer, JP Morgan Chase was able to use the computer to produce an algorithm for: Natural Language Processing: An area of artificial intelligence focused on training computers to understand words and conversations like humans. Their results were posted in a pre-print publication to arXiv†
In addition to improving the hardware capabilities of the H-series, Quantinuum is also developing the software and algorithms for use on quantum computers. Quantinuum recently announced the release of their new Quantum Chemistry software package, InQuanto. In collaboration with Honeywell PMT, Quantinuum uses InQuanto to investigate how quantum computing can aid development of new refrigerants with a low global warming potential (GWP).
Cybersecurity is another area where experts are looking to harness the power of quantum, and Quantinuum’s platform Quantum Origin enables the generation of cryptographic keys from the H1 quantum computer that provide superior protection against rapidly advancing cyber threats.
Quantinuum’s hardware development has used a unique product strategy to continuously upgrade their hardware after the first product release, in parallel with customer use. The recent upgrade from H1-1 to 20 qubits was an example of such an upgrade. And similarly, the second version of the System H1 machine, H1-2, will see similar upgrades later in the year.
Quantinuum is also developing its next-generation hardware technologies, including more complex stair designs and other upgrades that will enable the company to bolster its computing capabilities. They all align with the hardware technology roadmap that Quantinuum has made public.