Bromont, Quebec, September 22, 2023 The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec (PINQ), a non-profit organization (NPO) founded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec (MEIE ministre de lconomie, de lInnovation et de lnergie du Qubec) and the Universit de Sherbrooke, along with IBM, are proud to announce the historic inauguration of an IBM Quantum System One at IBM Bromont. This event marks a major turning point in the field of information technology and all sectors of innovation in Quebec, making PINQ the sole administrator to inaugurate and operate an IBM Quantum System One in Canada. To date, this is one of the most advanced quantum computers in IBM's global fleet of quantum computers.

This new quantum computer in Quebec reinforces Quebec's and Canada's position as a force in the rapidly advancing field of quantum computing, opening new prospects for the technological future of the province and the country. Access to this technology is a considerable asset not only for the ecosystem of DistriQ, the quantum innovation zone for Quebec, but also for the Technum Qubec innovation zone, the new "Energy Transition Valley" innovation zone and other strategic sectors for Quebec.

The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec (PINQ) announces the historic inauguration of an IBM Quantum System One Quantum Computer in Bromont, Quebec. (Credit: Ryan Lavine for IBM.)

The installation of this IBM quantum computer is a giant leap that will promote the growth of Quebec's quantum sciences ecosystem and the development of our DistriQ innovation zones in Sherbrooke and Technum Qubec in Bromont. This is a showcase for Quebec, which will be recognized as a force in quantum sciences, but also in international sustainable development, said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for Greater Montreal and the Montreal Region.

The objective of DistriQ is to create the worlds largest commercial quantum research infrastructure, explained Richard St-Pierre, General Manager, DistriQ, Sherbrookes Quantum Innovation Zone. PINQs hybrid quantum computer is a unique and powerful asset that will allow the Innovation Zones companies to reach their objectives; we are very proud of this partnership.

In addition to having access to an IBM Quantum System One, the high-performance computing centre (HPC) set up at the Humano District in Sherbrooke will enable PINQ to offer a hybrid computing approach. This technological capability will provide businesses with a unique opportunity to access a full range of hybrid quantum computing service. PINQ offers businesses an easy and seamless experience to assess the potential of digital and quantum technologies and innovations within their existing processes, with an emphasis on specific sectors such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, the environment and sustainable development.

As part of the partnership between PINQ and IBM announced in July 2023,the two organizations willleada world-class quantum working group dedicated toexploring quantum computing to developsolutionstosustainability challenges. This working group will be supported by the valuable contributions offoundingmembers: Hydro-Qubec and the Universit de Sherbrooke through its Institut Quantique.

For the energy sector, the ongoing energy and digital transitions impose the need for increasingly efficient calculations in terms of R&D and application development, a need that will grow significantly in the coming years, said Christian Blanger, Senior Director Research & Innovation at Hydro-Qubec. At our research center, we are already working hard to tackle the challenges of the energy transition. We believe that quantum technologies that PINQgives access to offers promising prospects and rich opportunities for value creation in terms of energy and technological solutions forHydro-Qubec. We will most certainly be exploring and harnessing the potential of these technologies as they evolve.

Discovery Accelerator

PINQ is currently the only entity to offer access to an IBM Quantum System One situated in Canada, and PINQ positions Quebec as the only other place in the world, outside of the United States, to be engaged in an IBM Discovery Accelerator associated with its own high-performance computing infrastructure and a quantum computer entirely dedicated to research and industrial innovation.

Quantum computing is accelerating at a rapid pace. This is in large part due to a growing global ecosystem that continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, said Jay Gambetta, Vice President, IBM Quantum. Our partnership with PINQ to deploy an IBM Quantum System One in Quebec, Canada marks a significant milestone in quantum technological and scientific progress, and enables the regions strong culture of innovation and talent to help extend the frontiers of quantum computings potential.

A first Centre of Excellence in quantum software development

PINQ is also proud to announce the establishment of its Center of Excellence, aimed at accelerating the adoption of quantum technologies by providing accessible access to PINQs infrastructure for businesses and researchers. The Center of Excellence will support a community dedicated to quantum software, making it easier to use, create, and foster dynamic collaboration, all while setting industry benchmarks in software engineering.

With the goal of making quantum technologies accessible to all, the Center of Excellence will evolve into a platform offering training opportunities, collaborative projects with universities and industry partners, and the development of open-source algorithms. As the inaugural partner in this initiative, the cole de Technologie Suprieure (TS) is contributing a team of researchers dedicated to democratizing best practices in quantum software.

A historic turning point for the province and the country

At PINQ, our passion for digital and quantum innovation is our driving force, said ric Capelle, General Manager of PINQ. The inauguration of an IBM Quantum System One quantum computer marks a historic turning point for Quebec and Canada. We are proud to play a key role in this technological revolution.

In addition to this news, PINQ is accelerating its services for businesses. We are working with a network of Canadian academic partners such as IVADO, Universit de Sherbrooke, University of Saskatchewan, Quantum Algorithms Institute and Concordia University to collaborate with this industry and train quantum talent.

We are also proud to announce the creation of a multidisciplinary team to accelerate the development of quantum business solutions through the Centre of Excellence in Quantum Hybrid Software Engineering, as well as the deployment on our platform of a first curriculum dedicated to professionals and available to PINQ customers.

About PINQ

The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec is a non-profit organization created by the Universit de Sherbrooke and the ministre de lconomie, de lInnovation et de lnergie du Qubec (Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy of Quebec) in 2020. Its mission is to support organizations in accelerating their digital transformation, to enhance collaboration, and to simplify technology transfers between industries and research, in addition to training the talents of tomorrow.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to effect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com

About IBM Quantum System One

Quantum computing is an emerging technology that exploits the laws of quantum mechanics to solve certain problems that today's most powerful supercomputers cannot practically solve. IBM Quantum System One is the first integrated quantum system with a compact design optimized for stability, reliability and continuous use. It has been deployed in a number of sites around the world, in Germany, Japan, the United States and now Canada. Its 127-qubit utility processor will offer improved coherence times and lower error rates than IBM's previous quantum systems.

*Pictured in image: L-R: Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow and Vice President Europe and Africa and Director IBM Research Zurich, IBM; Jamie Thomas, General Manager, Technology Lifecycle Services and IBM Enterprise Security Executive, IBM; Stphane Tremblay, Chief Director, Bromont, Site Location Executive, IBM Canada; Nathalie Le Prohon, Director, IBM Technologies, Qubec, IBM; Dave McCann, President, IBM Canada and Associate Director, IBM Consulting Canada, IBM; Isabelle Charest, Minister Responsible for Sport, Recreation and the Outdoors, Government of Qubec; Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President, IBM Quantum, IBM; Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Energy, Government of Qubec; Eric Capelle, CEO, PINQ; Marie-Eve Boulanger, Program Manager Quantum, PINQ; Richard St-Pierre, Executive Director of DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone of Qubec.

Press contacts:

Simon Fauchersfaucher@zonefrancherp.com514-402-3873

Marie Foucherotmfoucherot@zonefrancherp.com579-372-6015

Lorraine BaldwinIBM Canada Communicationslorraine@ca.ibm.com

Katia Moskvitchkam@zurich.ibm.com+41 78208 9666

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The Platform for Digital and Quantum Innovation of Quebec (PINQ ... - IBM Newsroom

Quantum computing is becoming more popular both as a field of study and in the public imagination. The technology promises more speed and more efficient problem-solving abilities, challenging the boundaries set by classical, conventional computing.

The hype has led to inflated expectations. But whether or not it can meet them, the raison dtre of a quantum computer is taken to be synonymous with the ability to solve some problems much faster than a classical computer can. This achievement, called quantum supremacy, will establish quantum computers as superior machines.

Scientists have been exploring both experimental and theoretical ways to prove quantum supremacy.

Ramis Movassagh, a researcher at Google Quantum AI, recently had a study published in the journal Nature Physics. Here, he has reportedly demonstrated in theory that simulating random quantum circuits and determining their output will be extremely difficult for classical computers. In other words, if a quantum computer solves this problem, it can achieve quantum supremacy.

But why do such problems exist?

Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, whereas classical computers use binary bits (0 and 1). Qubits are fundamentally different from classical bits as they can have the value 0 or 1, as a classical bit can, or a value thats a combination of 0 and 1, called a superposition.

Superposition states allow qubits to carry more information. This capacity for parallelism gives quantum computers their archetypal advantage over classical computers, allowing them to perform a disproportionately greater number of operations.

Qubits also exhibit entanglement, meaning that two qubits can be intrinsically linked regardless of their physical separation. This property allows quantum computers to tackle complex problems that may be out of reach of classical devices.

All this said, the real breakthrough in quantum computing is scalability. In classical computers, the processing power grows linearly with the number of bits. Add 50 bits and the processing power will increase by 50 units. So the more operations you want to perform, the more bits you add.

Quantum computers defy this linearity, however. When you add more qubits to a quantum computer, its computational power for certain tasks grows exponentially as 2n, where n is the number of qubits. For example, whereas a one-qubit quantum computer can perform 21 = 2 computations, a two-qubit quantum computer can perform 22 = 4 computations, and so forth.

Quantum circuits are at the heart of quantum computing. These circuits consist of qubits and quantum gates, analogous to the logic gates of classical computers. For example, an AND gate in a classical setup has output 1 if both its inputs are 0 or 1 i.e. (0,0) or (1,1). Similarly, a quantum circuit can have qubits and quantum gates wired to combine input values in a certain way.

In such a circuit, a quantum gate could manipulate the qubits to perform specific functions, leading to an output. These outputs can be combined to solve complex mathematical problems.

Classical computers struggle with #P-hard problems a set of problems that includes estimating the probability that random quantum circuits will yield a certain output.

#P-hard problems are a subset of #P problems, which are all counting problems. To understand what this means, lets consider another set of problems called NP problems. These are decision-making problems, meaning that the output is always either yes or no.

A famous example of an NP problem is the travelling salesman problem. Given a set of cities, is there a route passing through all of them and returning to the first one, without visiting any city twice, whose total distance is less than a certain value? As the number of cities increases, the problem becomes vastly more difficult to solve.

To turn this NP problem into a #P problem, we must count all the different possible routes that are shorter than the specified limit. #P problems are at least as hard as NP problems because they require not just a yes or no answer but the number of possible solutions. That is, when the answer is no, the count will be zero; but when the answer is yes, the count will have to be computed.

If a problem is #P-hard, then it is so challenging that if you can efficiently solve it, you can also efficiently solve every other problem in the #P class by making certain types of transformations.

To prove that there is a class of problems that can be solved by quantum computers but not by classical computers, Dr. Movassagh used a mathematical construct called the Cayley path.

The Cayley path is like a bridge that helps the travelling salesman move smoothly between two different situations in the study like one random route and one significantly complicated route. With quantum computers, one situation would be the worst-case scenario, like imagining the most challenging quantum circuit possible. The other would be the average case, a quantum circuit that has been randomly selected from the set of all possible circuits.

This bridge allows us to reframe the most challenging quantum circuit in terms of the average circuit like seeing how tough it might be to handle the worst traffic jam compared to your regular commute.

Dr. Movassagh showed that estimating the output probability of a random quantum circuit is a #P-hard problem, and has all the characteristics of a problem in this computational complexity class including overwhelming the ability of a classical computer to solve it.

His paper is also notable because of its error-quantifiable nature. That is, the work dispenses with approximations, and allows independent researchers to explicitly quantify the robustness of his findings.

As such, Dr. Mossavaghs paper shows that there exists a problem that presents a computational barrier to classical computers but not to quantum computers (assuming a quantum computer can crack a #P-hard problem).

The establishment of quantum supremacy will have a positive impact on several fields: cryptography is expected to be a particularly famous beneficiary, at least once the requisite advances in hardware and materials science have been achieved.

Dr. Movassaghs paper is also an advance in quantum complexity theory. The sets NP, #P, #P-hard, etc. were defined keeping the computational abilities of classical computers in mind. Quantum complexity theory is concerned with limits of complexity defined by quantum computers.

The theory also challenges the extended Church-Turing thesis, which is the idea that classical computers can efficiently simulate any physical process. Dr. Movassagh hopes to continue his work to investigate the hardness of additional quantum tasks and someday disprove the thesis.

Tejasri Gururaj is a freelance science writer and journalist.

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How can quantum computers be better than classical computers? - The Hindu

Simultaneously, while Raimondo acknowledged that the United States does not want to decouple from China, she held firm that the United States would not be compromising or negotiating on matters of national security. Period. Accordingly, the visit offers useful insight into U.S. policy at a critical time for the Chinese-U.S. relationship. While additional trade controls are likely in coming months, the visit demonstrates the possibility of continued dialog between both nations, informed by relevant industry stakeholders.

A Focus on Exports to ChinaThe past several years have seen significant restrictions placed on trade between the United States and China. In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry (BIS) issued restrictions on exports of certain advanced computing chips to China and Russia. The BIS cited concerns about foreign adversaries use of computer chips, such as for military modernization efforts. (See Pillsburys initial analysis of these rules.)

Reports indicate that the BIS is considering amendments to its regulations which could include additional limitations, such as restrictions on cloud computing services that provide a China-located user with access to advanced chips. These reports also suggest that further revisions could be made to the technical control parameters of what is considered an advanced computing integrated circuit.

Investment RegulationIn August 2023, the Biden Administration issued a long-awaited Executive Order (EO) on outbound investment, which lays the groundwork for forthcoming regulations to require notifications or, in some cases, outright prohibit U.S. companies from making certain investments in countries of concern, including China. The EO identifies semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) as the primary areas of focus. (See Pillsburys initial analysis of the Executive Order.) Comments on the Department of Treasurys notice of proposed rulemaking carrying out the EO are due September 28.

Congress has also focused on outbound investment regulation. Included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as passed out of the Senate, is the Outbound Investment Transparency Act (OITA), which would require companies exporting advanced semiconductors (among other covered sector technologies) to notify the Treasury Department 14 days prior to making investments in countries of concern. During Senator Caseys statements on the floor of the Senate supporting the OITA, he commented that outbound investment harms U.S. strategic interests when it facilitates technology transfer and that these investments can undermine the long-term competitiveness of American firms. Independent of the NDAAs passage, it appears likely that Congress will implement some form of outbound investment restriction or monitoring, though questions remain whether any legislation will go beyond what is already called for in the Administrations EO.

Separately, in January 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to create the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, commonly referred to simply as the Select Committee on the CCP. Over the summer, the Select Committee has launched a number of investigations into U.S. investments and business relations in China. Prior to Raimondos trip to China, the Committee wrote to Raimondo, urging her to declare that compromising on U.S. export controls with China is non-negotiablean action Raimondo did take. The Committee has made clear that they believe it is paramount to keep advanced semiconductors out of Chinas reach.

Given the increasing complexities to engage with trade in China, some U.S. companies have publicly expressed distress regarding the difficulty of operating in both jurisdictions. As noted by Raimondo on her trip to China, American firms still have a desire to do business in China and access the Chinese market.

Comments and Criticism of Limiting Semiconductor ExportsCompanies working with semiconductors at home and abroad should be mindful of the changing market landscape caused by evolving policies.

As outlined in the August 2023 EO, the prohibition on U.S. companies to sell semiconductors to countries of concern will limit Chinas ability to develop AI products in the short term. Companies that export chips to China have made clear that in response to export controls, China will dedicate massive resources to accelerate companies specializing in the development of graphics processing units (GPUs). American companies have also raised concerns about the long-term impacts of overly broad restrictions on exports to China, which can cause China to develop its own capabilities, impact visibility on technology developments in China, and result in displacing U.S. technology worldwide.

Chinas Ministry of Commerce, in reaction to the announcement of the 2022 export block, noted that the restrictions on advanced computer chips to China would hinder international scientific and technological exchanges and economic cooperation, and have an impact on the stability of global industrial and supply chains and the recovery of the world economy. To support the manufacturing strategies of domestic semiconductor companies, the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, known as the Big Fund, is set to launch a $40 billion investment fund, backed by the Chinese government. This would be the largest fund to datetwo prior funding rounds were released in 2014 and 2019. The goal of the fund is to make China self-sufficient. While it will take time to raise the investments and see results from the Big Funds initiative, it is indicative of the governments dedication to build up its domestic capacity in light of international restrictions.

Engagement OpportunitiesCompanies that may be impacted by future outbound investment regulations should submit comments and feedback to the Department of Treasury before the September 28 deadline. In addition, some companies may seek the opportunity to meet with members of Congress to help educate on chip supply chain issues as it relates to AI. Senator Schumer (D-NY), who announced the SAFE AI Innovation Framework in June, is hosting the AI Insight Forum this fall. On September 13, Schumer held a closed-door meeting with high-profile tech leaders to discuss potential AI regulation. The meeting was attended by 60 senators who, according to Schumer, all agreed that the government must play a role in regulating AI. Several bills and frameworks have already been proposed or discussed on the Hill, and we expect more to be introduced as the Senators glean more information during forum meetings. Companies may want to reach out to those attending the meeting, as well as coordinate with Senate staff to be involved in future AI Insight Forums.

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Recent Updates on Foreign Investment Restrictions and Export ... - Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

There's only a handful of legitimate Quantum companies in the world, and none of them have labs like the one that just opened at IonQ in College Park.

The ribbon cutting event for the National Quantum Lab on Sept. 19, 2023. (WTOP/John Domen)

In fact, theres only a handful of legitimate quantum companies in the world, and none of them have labs like the one that just opened at IonQ in College Park, Maryland.

Its why University of Maryland President Darryll Pines called the D.C. area the capital of quantum during the ribbon cutting event for the National Quantum Lab, known as the Q Lab, on Tuesday.

Its in its infancy, but its developing quickly, and will continue to advance by leaps and bounds, Pines said. This space will enable users from across the nation and around the world to work together on the next generation of engineering and computer science space and deliver meaningful breakthroughs in the future.

According to Pines, Quantum has the potential to unlock exponential advances in technology that will change every persons life on this planet.

The CEO of IonQ, Peter Chapman, said it will help power many of the breakthroughs you only see in the likes of science fiction stories.

This machine will plug into a couple of standard wall sockets, and be able to rival the worlds largest supercomputers, said Chapman, holding up an object smaller than a box of baking soda. Just to give you an idea of the computational power if I collected all the cellphones of all the humans on the planet and I use that as a supercomputer, you would be equal to about one of these chips.

I dont even think we can imagine what 20 years from now will be with quantum, he added.

The collaborative space concept was inspired by what the Department of Energy does with its own National Labs.

People come to them with their problems and say, Hey, if I can get this much time on your machine, I can deliver this kind of results, I can solve this problem,' explained John Sawyer, the director of strategic research initiatives at the university. So we are doing that with quantum computers, with the additional support to actually help people understand what a quantum computer can really do.

How did the University of Maryland get to this point first?

Overcoming the intellectual property barriers is often very hard, said Sawyer. A lot of people like to keep their cards close to their chest. And so the university is actually serving as kind of a buffer to enable these other users, whether thats coming from industry or the universities, to come in and work with them in a controlled space where you can share enough to be useful without putting at risk some of the secret sauce.

Ken Ulman, the chief strategy officer for economic development at the university, argued that this emerging computer industry will do for the D.C. area what the computer did for Silicon Valley and northern California, and that quantum companies are already moving in nearby.

There were local politicians at the ceremony including Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin and Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson but both made clear that what quantum computing does is beyond their expertise.

On the other hand, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller joked she was disappointed some of the speeches didnt get more technical.

Quantum computing will change the world in ways we cannot even begin to imagine, said Miller, who admitted the engineer side of her was overflowing with excitement. Imagine in the areas of privacy, climate change, finance, health care, artificial intelligence and technology, solving problems in one second that would take 300 trillion years on the worlds largest supercomputer. Thats what quantum is about. Imagine that.

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Will this computer lab do for the DC area what the PC did for Silicon ... - WTOP

Image Credits: Quantum Machines

Tel Aviv-based Quantum Machines today announced the OPX1000, the latest iteration of its quantum controller. Built for large-scale quantum computers, the OPX1000 can control 1,000 qubits and more, well beyond what its predecessors the OPX and OPX+ controllers could handle.

Quantum Machines controllers have allowed many of the leading quantum computer manufacturers to deliver on the existing roadmaps. But now, those companies are looking to build machines with 100,000 qubits or more within the next decade and beyond, getting the noise under control figuring out how to control them is yet another major challenge.

Quantum Machines co-founder and CEO Itamar Sivan told me that he believes the original OPX in 2019 and then the OPX+ drove a major paradigm shift in how people looked at quantum control and orchestration. It was a paradigm shift in the sense that people used to operate quantum processors with what you could call a memory-based control system, he explained. He likened those memory-based systems to memorizing massive multiplication and division tables. That allows you to program the quantum processors but its not a smart system. It cant quickly react to changes in the processing unit and it cant handle increasingly complex algorithms.

Quantum Machines original breakthrough was that it moved from memory-based to processor-based machines. The QPX1000 pushes this a step further by not just featuring an updated version of the companys Pule Processing Unit (PPU), but also an increased number of control channels (64 output and 16 input channels), which Quantum Machines says allows it to offer the highest in-class density of control and readout channels on the market right now. In part, its the improved networking stack that allows Quantum Machines to now scale its solution to more than 1,000 qubits.

All of this fits into a data center-ready 3U package and its worth stressing that this is very much a solution for some of the most sophisticated players in the quantum space. That also means that not everyone currently needs the OPX1000 and Quantum Machines will continue to offer the OPX+, too.

Currently, hundreds of research labs, HPC centers and quantum computer manufacturers are using the existing OPX controllers. For the OPX1000, Quantum Machines recruited a small number of beta users who are already testing the new systems. The company wasnt quite ready to go on the record with their names, though. The OPX1000 will be generally available later this year, though, and I expect well hear more from Quantum Machines customers then.

Looking ahead, Sivan explained that figuring out how to scale beyond 10,000 qubits is still an open question.

When if you have a wonderful Quantum Processing Unit with 20 cubits, lets say, if youre not using the most advanced control system in the industry, youre really not even getting a fraction of its capabilities, he told me. If you look beyond 10,000, theres still question marks. Even for players like Quantum Machines that have sold whats needed for the 1,000 [qubits], I can tell you for sure that there are still many open questions and a lot of research left to do with whats happening beyond that.

In part, he noted, thats why Quantum Machines recently partnered with Nvidia to combine classical and quantum machines.

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Quantum Machines next-gen quantum control solution that can scale beyond 1,000 qubits - TechCrunch