(Pasqal.io) From molecules to quantitative finance, PASQAL’s quantum computers empower a fundamental machine learning concept to give a taste of what quantum advantage will look like. IQT-News shares a recent blog from Pasqal describing that quantum advantage in chemistry and the financial sector:
Two experiments have been run on PASQAL’s first-generation 100 qubit quantum processors with results that clearly state the relevance of applying graphs methods on PASQAL’s quantum processors with computational benefits in chemistry and the financial sector.
Some of the world’s most interesting data is relational and can be encoded in graphs: nodes and links in a network, atoms and financial indicators in a molecular diagram, etc. Graph structures can be rich sources of information, allowing us to uncover hot spots in a network, clusters in a dataset, or infer function from structure in chemical compounds.
PASQAL’s quantum processors are naturally suited to deal with such problems. Their quantum computers use neutral atoms as qubits. Each atom is trapped using a focused laser beam known as an optical tweezer. Using these tweezers, individual atoms can be positioned into 2D and 3D arrays in a split second. Then, by means of carefully tuned lasers, users can activate interactions between the atoms.
The financial industry faces challenging computational problems like in pricing financial instruments, optimizing portfolios, or estimating risk routinely. Financial institutions must be able to perform these computations fast and with great accuracy to remain competitive. This is why banks and other financial companies keep an eye on quantum computing as a critical tool to their future success.
Pasqal is already playing an active role in this revolution by working with one of the world’s leading financial institutions—Crédit Agricole CIB. Pasqal emphasizes the use of real quantum hardware, not just simulations. “One of the exciting problems we are exploring with our partners at Crédit Agricole CIB is that of anticipating the risk deterioration of a financial exposure. This isn’t a theoretical discussion but a serious question in finance as the stakes are key in the bank’s risk management, solvency and profitability,” explains PASQAL.
“Our collaboration with PASQAL has been very fruitful. We are very excited to see what real quantum hardware can do for our business. We look forward to continuing experimenting with their processors as they scale up.” Didier M’Tamon, Crédit Agricole CIB.
Sandra K. Helsel, Ph.D. has been researching and reporting on frontier technologies since 1990. She has her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.