{"id":14443,"date":"2024-02-19T12:59:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T12:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1404030"},"modified":"2024-02-19T12:59:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T12:59:52","slug":"inside-finlands-state-of-the-art-quantum-computing-hardware-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=14443","title":{"rendered":"Inside Finland\u2019s state-of-the-art quantum computing hardware ecosystem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1965, cryogenics pioneer Olli V. Lounasmaa set up the Low Temperature Laboratory (LTL) at what is now Aalto University to research ultra-low temperature physics. Despite some initial scepticism because \u201cwhy would anyone want to research cold in Finland,\u201d the LTL has prospered, attracting researchers from all over the world \u2014 and laying the foundation for Finland\u2019s leading quantum computing startup ecosystem.  <\/span>
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Quantum computing<\/a> has long been the stuff of dreams. Arthur C. Clarke\u2019s statement from the 1970s that \u201cany sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,\u201d has never felt truer than when trying to wrap one\u2019s head around phenomena such as quantum entanglement<\/a>. However, individual pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit together at an ever-increasing pace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Making it through the NISQ era<\/h2>\n

Before we venture any further down the quantum<\/a> rabbit hole however, just a small public service announcement for those who might be wondering what exactly quantum computers, which use quantum bits, or qubits, as the basic unit of data, actually do. The truth is, not a whole lot \u2014 yet. However, their potential is nothing short of, well, magical. <\/span>
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If the reality the evangelists are hoping for comes to pass, quantum computers will be able to solve complex issues, including climate change, novel material engineering, new kinds of medicine, ultra-secure forms of encryption, and more. They could also literally \u201cbreak the internet\u201d on what is <\/span>known as Q-Day<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe ultimate goal would be to run some AI and accelerate that with the help of a quantum computer and that kind of system would be able to solve some questions on a, let\u2019s say, superhuman level,\u201d Juha Vartiainen, head of global affairs and co-founder of IQM, Finland\u2019s \u2013 strike that \u2014 Europe\u2019s leading quantum hardware company in superconducting circuits, tells TNW. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe some philosophical questions about the fabric of the world, sort of with first-hand access to the quantum realm,\u201d he muses. So basically, the ultimate questions of Life, the Universe, and Everything. <\/span><\/p>\n

But this is something like quantum utopia. Quantum technologies, and in particular quantum computers, are still in their infancy. Startups looking to carve out a niche in the field need to find means of financially surviving what is called the NISQ-era. This stands for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum, and refers to the current state of high error rates and limited number of qubits. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is considered a time of exploration and learning, more than one of actual commercial application. In turn, this means that it is difficult for investors to cash in on the promises of the technology within a customary time span. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are the camel startups,\u201d says Himadri Majumdar, founder and CEO of SemiQon, a company building silicon-based semiconducting quantum processors. \u201cWe take it slow, but at a steady pace.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

SemiQon, a spinout from Finland\u2019s state-owned non-profit \u200b\u200bresearch organisation VTT, has been able to leverage both private and public funding, Majumdar explains. \u201cWhat we are trying to do is to demonstrate in cycles how we can get to the scalability aspect with every iteration of fabrication that we do.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span>The geopolitical quantum realm<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Due to the difficulty in attracting capital, the edge in quantum computing mostly belongs to countries with governments ready to spend on what they believe will give them a leg up economically \u2014 or geopolitically \u2014 in the future. In 2022, China poured $15.3bn into the technology, followed by only $1.8bn from the US government, and $1.2bn from the EU. <\/span><\/p>\n

The quantum computing market, worth $9.3bn in 2022, is <\/span>expected to grow to $203.1bn<\/span><\/a> by 2032. Companies with significant quantum projects include tech giants like IBM, Google Quantum AI, Amazon, and Microsoft. And yet, a small country in the Nordics has built a world-leading quantum technology ecosystem \u2014 including a company without which there would be no quantum computers at all. <\/span>
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<\/span>\u201cFrom our point of view, the story has only started,\u201d says Jonas Geust, CEO of Bluefors, the global market leader for what are essentially quantum computer refrigerators. These are the golden \u201cchandeliers\u201d keeping the qubits chilled. They are a requirement for today\u2019s superconducting qubits to function, and entirely synonymous with quantum computers in the mind of the broader public.<\/span>
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<\/span>Although, as quantum computing systems begin to scale, that might change. Bluefors\u2019 biggest \u201cfridge\u201d to date is KIDE, built to support a 1,000 qubit system (such as IBM\u2019s <\/span>Quantum Condor chip<\/span><\/a>). KIDE is structurally different in the sense that it\u2019s standing on the floor, rather than hanging from the ceiling.  <\/span>
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<\/span>It is also a hexagon, where you can remove one of the doors, and then put another KIDE next to it, interlinking several quantum computers. \u201cWe are looking at how to build the scalability in terms of varying industrial needs,\u201d Guest adds. \u201cWe are working on what our customers will need in five years from now and the actual implementations that are still ahead of us.\u201d<\/span>
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<\/span>Bluefors was founded in 2008 by Rob Blauwgeers and Pieter Vorselman. It now employs 600 people, has a revenue of over \u20ac160mn, and considers the US \u201cits second home.\u201d The company is also exploring other applications for its cryogenic technology, such as cooling for sensitive sensors for astrophysics, hydrogen storage, and basic material science. <\/span><\/p>\n

Near-term quantum computer utility vs. million-qubit era<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n

Other quantum hardware startups are also defining revenue generating applications. IQM, for instance, has begun supplying research institutes with smaller scale qubit systems, on which tomorrow\u2019s quantum engineers can learn to read and handle qubits. The company launched in 2018, and in 2022 it raised \u20ac128mn in Series A2 \u2014 the largest ever funding round raised by a European quantum computing company. <\/span><\/span>
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<\/span>The company\u2019s first product is the \u201caffordably priced\u201d 5-qubit IQM Spark. \u201cQuantum education has historically been available to only very few physicists,\u201d Vartiainen says. \u201cAnd this was fine, because not that many quantum physicists were needed. But now things have changed, and very suddenly.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The idea behind Spark is that \u201cstudents can use it and play with it and run physics simulations, very fundamental discoveries of quantum physics, and run some simple algorithms and learn how a quantum computer works,\u201d Vartiainen explains. <\/span>
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<\/span>IQM is also getting ready to ship its larger system Radiance, ranging from 54 to 150 qubits, which it says will \u201cpave the way\u201d to quantum advantage (when a quantum computer can demonstrably solve a problem no classical computer can), helping businesses train on and navigate smaller systems before larger ones become commercially available. <\/span>
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<\/span>IQM has found a commercial niche as it helps train scientists with the quantum technology available now, using superconductors that require large refrigerating apparatuses. SemiQon on the other hand is building its semiconducting quantum chips that are much less affected by temperatures for \u201cthe million qubit era.\u201d  <\/span>
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<\/span>\u201cWhat we were doing at VTT was based on superconductors. So we were building superconductor-based quantum computers. But we also had this capability of doing semiconductor-based quantum processors or quantum computing devices,\u201d Majumdar says. \u201cAnd that was more interesting for me personally, because semiconductors are scalable, they are affordable, and the technology has a much bigger prospect of scaling.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The strength of the Finnish ecosystem and finding talent<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Beyond academic traditions, what are the foundations on which Finland has built this leading quantum business container? \u201cOne thing is that it\u2019s quite concentrated,\u201d IQM\u2019s Vartiainen says. \u201cActually, it\u2019s quite a small area \u2014 within maybe a radius of two, three kilometres, there are quite a lot of quantum players.\u201d <\/span>
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<\/span>\u201cThere is a lot of know-how in this ecosystem,\u201d Majumdar emphasises. \u201cThis means that we can find solutions, or persons who have the solutions, relatively easily and quite quickly compared to other places.\u201d <\/span>
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<\/span>Access to facilities and government-supported infrastructure, such as those at VTT just outside Helsinki, are also essential for startups working in fields like quantum. \u201cIf you need a measurement facility for a specific, very niche measurement, you find it here. And you don\u2019t have to go far,\u201d Majumdar says. <\/span><\/p>\n

For its part, Bluefors works actively with universities and takes on many summer trainees. Indeed, partnership seems to be the key also for solving workforce-related issues. When looking for micro-engineering skills, for instance, the company turned to its neighbours at the Finnish School of Watchmaking. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about the difficulty in finding talent for such high-skilled work, Geust states that: \u201cIt\u2019s a continuous challenge. I think this is what anybody working with new technologies is experiencing.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Then he utters what seems to summarise the Finnish ethos, and perhaps in part also explains how this ecosystem has managed to punch above its weight in attracting both talent and foreign investment. \u201cOn the other hand, I sort of come from the school that it doesn\u2019t help complaining, you know \u2014 we just need to do a better job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We are still some way away (not even experts can agree on exactly how far) from quantum supremacy. We still need to observe, learn, tinker, and, quite possibly, dream<\/a> enough for that day to become a reality. But until then, quantum computers will be able to work in conjunction with classical computers, running highly specific simulations.<\/p>\n

This is very much being explored in the quantum software engineering realm, a whole other chapter in the quantum saga, which we will feature in another story.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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