Quantum computing is having a moment right now. Many will recognise Australian start up Q-CTRL as a global leader in this rapidly expanding sector and founder and chief executive, Professor Michael Biercuk, as one of its leading lights.

Figure 1. Q-CTRL error-correction methods boost quantum algorithm success

“Quantum computing is as different from conventional computing as today’s computers are from an abacus,” explains Prof Biercuk.

“We shouldn’t think of quantum computing as the next generation laptop or cloud server. Instead, we should think of it as a totally different way to encode and process information.”

It is theorized a quantum computer will eventually be able to calculate problems it would take a contemporary supercomputer billions of years to solve.[1]

"Our benchmarking experiments demonstrate that there's hidden performance inside today's quantum computers that can become available with the right error-correcting software tools -- no changes to hardware are needed," Q-CTRL founder and CEO Professor Michael J. Biercuk.

Australian quantum startup Q-CTRL claims it has increased the likelihood of quantum computing algorithm success on hardware by over 1000 times, after it carried out its latest hardware benchmarking experiments demonstrating its autonomous error-correction techniques.

According to the company, most quantum computers are currently error prone meaning that only the shortest and simplest algorithms can run, inhibiting on quantum computational capabilities being delivered to end users.

However, through its research activities, the company said it has identified methods using AI and automation to reduce the number of errors.

At the same time, the research was completed using conventional cloud access to commercial quantum computers and did not require any special hardware access.[2]

“We’re excited to offer this technology to researchers, end users, and manufacturers worldwide to accelerate the path to quantum advantage and bring real-world applications closer to fruition.”

Q-CTRL said it will deliver its software tool for error reduction through its flagship product, Boulder Opal.

This latest research by Q-CTRL surpasses the results it produced in November when it had reported improving the success of quantum algorithms on real hardware by more than 25 times through its algorithmic benchmarking experiments [2]

More importantly, the result wasn’t just improved performance, but in some cases, a total transformation of the hardware to extend its reach. For the Bernstein–Vazirani, and QFT algorithms, this meant we could sometimes take the algorithmic success from less than random chance. These benchmarks make clear that Q-CTRL solutions can dramatically extend the reach of today’s hardware and deliver valuable solutions to previously inaccessible problems.[3]

References:

1. https://www.innovationaus.com/finalist-q-ctrl-and-quantums-quiet-obsession/
2. https://www.zdnet.com/article/q-ctrl-touts-error-correction-methods-boost-quantum-algorithm-success-by-1000-times/
3. https://q-ctrl.com/blog/q-ctrl-boosts-quantum-algorithms-by-greater-than-25x-in-benchmarking/?utm_source=q-ctrl.com&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=aps-release-2022

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2021), Q-CTRL error-correction methods boost quantum algorithm success, AnaTechMaz, pp.21