(HPCWire) Ampere Computing and Rigetti Computing today announced a strategic partnership to create hybrid quantum-classical computers designed to unlock a new generation of machine learning applications over the cloud.
Quantum computing is emerging as potentially one of the most transformative technologies in the world. It is expected to enable scientists and engineers to address problems of extreme computational complexity in areas like climate change, fusion energy, quantitative finance, drug development, and materials science. In each of these sectors, machine learning is playing a critical role in advancing potential solutions.
Pursuant to their partnership, the two companies will integrate Rigetti Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) with Ampere Altra Max cloud-native processors to create a hybrid computing environment intended to meet the rigorous demands of machine learning applications. This tight coupling of processing power has the goal of enabling the discovery and deployment of high performance machine learning algorithms, with Ampere Altra Max powered cloud servers expected to process vast amounts of data in concert with quantum calculations performed on Rigetti QPUs.
Hybrid architectures that leverage quantum computers operating in tandem with classical computers over the cloud have been pioneered by Rigetti since the company’s inception. Today this approach is the predominant quantum computing framework for solving a myriad of commercially valuable problems.
The two companies anticipate working together to optimize quantum computer simulation software to run on Ampere Altra Max processors. Quantum computer simulators enable developers to study and benchmark algorithms and applications by executing quantum circuits on classical computers before running the programs on actual quantum computers. With a simulator optimized for Altra Max, it is expected that Rigetti customers will have the ability to build and test quantum computations of increased complexity, with higher performance, at lower costs.
Ampere is designing the future of hyperscale cloud and edge computing with the world’s first cloud native processor. Built for the cloud with a modern 64-bit Arm server-based architecture, Ampere gives customers the freedom to accelerate the delivery of all cloud computing applications. With industry-leading cloud performance, power efficiency and scalability, Ampere processors are tailored for the continued growth of cloud and edge computing.
Rigetti and Ampere partner to develop hybrid quantum-classical computers
