Quantum News Briefs: December 6, 2023: EPB Quantum Network powered by Qubitekk adds Qunnect as first customer; IonQ opens up Forte quantum computing platform for use on Amazon Braket Directly; Meet Quantacet, Qubec’s new $20 million fund for quantum technology startups and MORE!
Quantum News Briefs: December 6, 2023:
EPB Quantum Network powered by Qubitekk adds Qunnect as first customer for quantum collaboration
EPB Quantum Network, powered by Qubitekk, recently announced a collaboration with Qunnect, a company specializing in quantum-secure networking technology. This partnership involves a series of on-site collaborative validation runs where Qunnect will use the EPB Quantum Network to test the interoperability of various quantum technologies. This event marks a significant milestone as it’s the first instance of two commercial quantum networking companies jointly supporting a distribution protocol with their hardware. EPB’s President and CEO, David Wade, emphasized the collaborative nature of this initiative and its role in advancing quantum technologies into commercial use. Both EPB Quantum Network and Qunnect’s GothamQ are pioneers in the U.S., offering commercially available quantum networks, a rarity in today’s mostly private quantum network landscape. This collaboration aims to transition quantum technologies from research to practical, deployable applications, furthering the development of the quantum internet. Qunnect’s GothamQ network, spanning 50 kilometers in New York, and EPB Quantum Network’s 8-kilometer loop in Chattanooga, Tenessee, are key infrastructures in this endeavor. This partnership reflects the trend of moving quantum technology from theoretical research to real-world commercial applications.
IonQ opens up Forte quantum computing platform for use on Amazon Braket Directly
IonQ, a Maryland-based quantum computing company, has made its advanced IonQ Forte platform publicly available through Amazon’s Braket Direct Program. This move, expanding the platform’s accessibility, follows IonQ’s announcement of manufacturing more advanced hardware in a Seattle-area facility. IonQ Forte, which joins the earlier Harmony and Aria systems, is now an option on Amazon Web Service’s Braket quantum computing service. Richard Moulds, general manager of Amazon Braket, highlighted that Braket Direct will enable customers to extend their research and development in fields such as materials research and machine learning by providing access to quantum technologies. IonQ’s CEO, Peter Chapman, emphasized the importance of cloud-based access to Forte for optimizing trapped ion algorithms and exploring new applications. Meanwhile, IonQ is preparing to launch its Forte Enterprise system with enhanced capabilities and an even more advanced Tempo system in the future. The company is also progressing in setting up a new manufacturing facility in Bothell, Washington, to produce these advanced systems, with significant investments made to expedite the facility’s readiness.
Meet Quantacet, Qubec’s new $20 million fund for quantum technology startups
Quantacet, a new venture capital fund based in Quebec focusing on quantum technology startups, has recently announced its first closing of $20 million. This significant development places Quantacet as a prominent player in Quebec’s innovation ecosystem, dedicated to nurturing and growing the quantum industry in the region. The fund, a collaborative effort of public and private sponsors, including a $10 million investment from Investissement Québec, aims to support early-stage quantum startups in Quebec. Quantacet also plans to invest strategically in foreign companies considering operations in Quebec. The fund’s focus areas include quantum computing, communications, sensors, materials, and technologies essential to the quantum industry supply chain. Managed by experienced quantum industry specialists Martin Laforest, Chloé Archambault, and Ghyslain Goulet, Quantacet aims to invest in about 20 companies over the next five years, accelerating the development of quantum technologies and positioning Quebec as a global hub for the quantum industry. Additionally, Quantacet collaborates with ACET, a leader in business coaching for startups, and is a co-founding partner of QV Studio, a startup studio specializing in quantum technology companies.
New theory claims to unite Einstein’s gravity with quantum mechanics
Physicists at University College London (UCL) have published two groundbreaking papers proposing a new theory that unifies gravity and quantum mechanics while preserving Einstein’s classical concept of spacetime. This novel approach, conceptualized by Professor Jonathan Oppenheim and his team, suggests that quantum theory should be altered instead of modifying spacetime (as per general relativity). This “postquantum theory of classical gravity” predicts random, substantial fluctuations in spacetime, impacting the predictability of objects’ weight. A corresponding experiment has been proposed to test these predictions by measuring a mass’s weight fluctuations over time. This theory challenges the long-standing contradiction between quantum mechanics and general relativity and suggests a classical nature of spacetime rather than a quantum one. The UCL team’s research, which has been rigorously tested over five years, offers a new perspective on understanding the fundamental nature of gravity and could reshape the pursuit of a quantum theory of gravity. This development could have profound implications not only for theoretical physics but also for practical experiments aimed at understanding the nature of spacetime.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Managing Editor at Inside Quantum Technology and the Science Communicator at JILA (a partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST). Her writing beats include deep tech, quantum computing, and AI. Her work has been featured in Scientific American, Discover Magazine, New Scientist, Ars Technica, and more.
