Quantum News Briefs November 7: IonQ to Acquire Qubitekk, Furthering Expansion in Quantum Networking • South Korea’s Yonsei University Deploys IBM Quantum at Country’s First Quantum Computing Hub • D-Wave Highlights Performance Gains with 4,400+ Qubit Advantage2 Processor Calibration • The Photonics Advantage in Computing at Light Speed
IonQ to Acquire Qubitekk, Furthering Expansion in Quantum Networking
IonQ announced November 6 that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the operating assets of Qubitekk, Inc., a leading Vista, CA-based quantum networking company according to November 6 news release.
As part of the transaction, the Qubitekk team will join IonQ to further enhance IonQ’s leading position in the quantum networking industry. IonQ anticipates closing the acquisition within the next six months, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions.
Quantum networks are expected to become essential infrastructure, enabling critical applications especially in the defense, finance, and energy sectors. The technology enables multiple nodes to communicate via entangled qubits, offering ultra-secure communications, precise timing synchronization, a foundation for distributed quantum computing, and a transport layer for quantum sensing. Having designed and deployed the nation’s first commercially available quantum network in Chattanooga Tennessee, the EPB Quantum Network, Qubitekk has distinctive acumen in the quantum networking category.
From the start, IonQ has prioritized quantum networking as a key strategy for scaling its quantum computers. Specifically, IonQ’s architecture plans to use photonic interconnects to link multiple quantum computers together, creating a more powerful cluster. The years that IonQ has dedicated to developing this technology for its computing efforts have allowed IonQ to quickly advance its offerings in the quantum networking industry.
Once closed, the Qubitekk acquisition will represent a major addition to IonQ’s quantum networking capabilities and customer set. IonQ believes the transaction will contribute to near-term bookings and revenue opportunities, extending IonQ’s commercial leadership in quantum networking.
Qubitekk’s executive team and employee base including physicists, engineers, software developers, and others will join IonQ to further drive quantum networking efforts. The Qubitekk team joining IonQ includes Co-Founder and CEO Stan Ellis, Co-Founder and CTO Dr. Duncan Earl, Chief Revenue Officer Corey McClelland, and President Keith Clark.
The deal will also significantly expand IonQ’s quantum networking expertise and technology portfolio with 118 U.S. and international patents in the areas of quantum networking hardware and quantum network security and protection.
In Other News: DataCenterDynamics reports “South Korea’s Yonsei University Deploys IBM Quantum at Country’s First Quantum Computing Hub”
South Korea’s Yonsei University has established the country’s first quantum computing hub at its Songdo International Campus as reported by Charlotte Trueman in November 7 DataCenterDynamics.The Quantum Computing Center will house an IBM Quantum System One, powered by a 127-qubit IBM Quantum ‘Eagle’ processor and is due to open later this month on November 20, 2024.
According to Cheong Jae-ho, head of the university’s quantum business division, the IBM Quantum System One will be used to support quantum research for biotech applications, including drug development.
To date, researchers in South Korea have only had access to experimental quantum computers with a maximum performance of 20 qubits. Researchers have also had to contend with high fees and delays associated with connecting to quantum computers, largely in the US, via the cloud.
In addition to its new quantum hub, Yonsei University is also developing a quantum research complex on the same site. When complete, the Quantum Computing Center and research complex will total 8,500 sqm and provide a space for organizations, academics, and researchers to collaborate.
D-Wave Highlights Performance Gains with 4,400+ Qubit Advantage2 Processor Calibration
D-Wave Quantum Inc., a leader in quantum computing systems, software, and services and the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers, announced on November 6 that it has completed the calibration and benchmarking of a 4,400+ qubit Advantage2 processor.
This milestone marks a significant step forward in D-Wave’s ongoing development of its sixth-generation annealing quantum computing system. The latest Advantage2 processor shows substantial performance gains over the current Advantage system in solving customers’ complex computational problems in areas such as optimization, AI, and materials science.
Recent performance benchmarks demonstrate that the 4,400+ qubit Advantage2 processor is computationally more powerful than the current Advantage system, solving a range of problems – including 3D lattice problems common in materials science – 25,000 times faster. The processor also delivers five times better solutions on problems requiring a high degree of precision. Furthermore, it surpasses the current Advantage system in 99% of tests on satisfiability problems, highlighting its capabilities across a wide range of quantum applications.
In Other News SciTechDaily reports “The Photonics Advantage in Computing at Light Speed“
The integration of photonics into quantum computing is reshaping various fields with significant implications according to a November 4 article reprinted by SciTechDaily and summarized below.
Photonic quantum computing stands out as a game-changing technology. The photonics industry is projected to reach $837.8 billion by 2025, underscoring the field’s rapid expansion.
By harnessing the unique properties of light, photonic quantum computing encodes information in photons, allowing for data processing at remarkable speeds and efficiency levels. This breakthrough enables photonic quantum computers to tackle complex problems far beyond the reach of traditional methods.
Key applications that photonic quantum computers can exponentially accelerate include cryptography, materials science simulations, and optimization algorithms. Photonic quantum computing also shows promise in fields like healthcare, artificial intelligence, secure communications, and molecular simulations essential for drug discovery—making it invaluable for industries that require intensive computation.
NOTE: The original publication referenced above is available in PDF for download and is: “Information processing at the speed of light” by Muhammad AbuGhanem, 29 September 2024, Frontiers of Optoelectronics.
DOI: 10.1007/s12200-024-00133-3
