Quantum is arguably the pièce de résistance of tech. The most complicated and mind-boggling subsector in the industry for us non-techies. But don’t be tempted to dismiss quantum tech due to its reputation for being really complex. It may take a certain skill set to actually build the tech, but being aware of how it works and the capabilities it holds may come in handy later down the road.
As we know, technology moves fast, and the quantum sector has been working on some pioneering moves this past decade. Just as Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC) Director Mustafa Rampuri outlined in our piece How can Bristol diversify the talent pool in Quantum? 12 years ago quantum tech was known to only a handful of scientists, with most conversations being “in theory”.
Fast forward just over a decade, a further £2.5 billion of funding has been announced for the National Quantum Strategy to be spread over ten years, starting in 2024, more than doubling the £1bn already committed. “This level of investment is remarkable given the sector’s humble beginnings not so long ago,” says Mustafa. With such a respectable commitment to growing the UK’s quantum sector, the next decade is set to bring potentially unimaginable progress.
Before we can truly appreciate this, first things first: what actually is quantum?
We caught up with some of the brightest minds in the industry to help us digest what quantum technology is, what breakthroughs have been accomplished (as well as what more is yet to come), and how we can get involved as a tech community.
(Attempting to) Understand Quantum
We spoke to three experts to get their insights on the world of quantum. Most importantly, we asked them to summarise what quantum technology actually is, in as simple terms as possible.
Firstly, Anthony Laing, a Professor of Physics at the University of Bristol offers his explanation. Anthony has pioneered the use of photonic chips to realise quantum technologies. He co-founded Duality Quantum Photonics to design and manufacture quantum processors that address industrial and societally important problems, and to bring forth a new generation of nano-fabrication and manufacturing jobs to the UK.
He tells us that, in basic terms, quantum computing has enabled us to solve problems that ‘classic’ computers simply don’t have the power to solve: “Quantum computers exploit the peculiar properties of quantum mechanics to implement quantum algorithms, which solve certain problems in fewer steps than conventional algorithms.”
“Quantum systems [can] be in ‘many states at the same time'”
Naomi Solomans, PhD student at Bristol Quantum Engineering CDT and formerly a photonics theorist at Duality Quantum Photonics elaborates, “The calculations that ordinary (or ‘classical’) computers carry out follow a specific set of rules, which determines how efficiently they can solve certain problems. The fundamental constituents of a quantum computer are quantum systems (such as photons, or trapped ions) which are described by quantum mechanics, and behave in a different way to the electrical circuits that make up a classical computer.
“This gives us access to a much larger set of operations that we can carry out, which means we can design completely different (and often more efficient) algorithms to solve certain problems.”
In fact, Google states that their quantum computer solves a task that would have taken a supercomputer 47 years to complete.
CTO and co-founder at Siloton Limited, Euan Allen, substantiates these summaries. He says, “I’ve always thought of a normal (classical) computer at its most basic level as being a machine that takes ones and zeros and has some buttons and knobs that we can use to control the ones and zeros to do something useful.
“Quantum computing unlocks a few more knobs and buttons for us to use, ones that you have to describe using quantum physics, to make the computer more powerful (able to complete tasks either faster or with less memory). Not all tasks benefit from using these extra features, and so a quantum computer should only be used for specific applications.
“The challenge is that the new features are extra delicate/picky and so building quantum computers big enough to be useful is a significant challenge!”
When it comes to the key properties of quantum that scientists are excited about, two features that stand out are called entanglement and superposition. “Entanglement allows many distinct particles to be remotely connected,” says Anthony.
“Quantum computing and other quantum technologies really push the limits of our understanding of systems”
Naomi adds, “Essentially entanglement describes long-range connections between spatially separated objects.
“Superposition is typically described as the ability for quantum systems to be in ‘many states at the same time’ – really, this indicates that quantum systems can’t be fully described without simultaneously considering all of the possible states they could be in. These states interfere with each other, which is why quantum systems are so complex, and therefore more powerful in computational terms.”
So quantum computing unlocks new possibilities. It marks the next development in what we can discover, far beyond the capabilities of current computers, let alone the human brain. Slightly terrifying, but incredibly fascinating. Thanks to the simplified explanations, hopefully we have baseline access to what quantum is, but why is all of this significant or important?
Quantum in real-time use
With higher capability to solve huge scientific problems, brings incredible opportunities. Real-world applications of this include medicinal breakthroughs, making clean energy a reality, and vastly improved cybersecurity. Not to be hyperbolic, but quantum could hold the key to some of the biggest problems we face as a society.
Anthony explains how quantum computing is helping us design new drugs and materials through more accurate and efficient modelling: “The exponentially large configuration space that exists in atoms and molecules, which are quantum systems, makes their simulation very inefficient with conventional computers. But because the computational space of quantum computers can naturally match this large configuration space, they can be used to efficiently model chemical behaviour.”
We’re just scratching the surface of what this could mean in the future. “As our understanding of quantum computing develops alongside technological improvements, we are finding important but less obvious ways in which they can provide important benefits,” he adds.
Euan underscores the significance of quantum breakthroughs to the future of our planet: “There are some really significant challenges for society over the next 50-100 years: global warming, food and water supply, aging populations, resource depletion.
“Quantum computing and other quantum technologies really push the limits of our understanding of systems and the processes and mechanisms we use to build them. There are some great known applications that might help with these grand challenges, and I think an even greater area of currently unknown use cases.”
“If we are successful, we will have helped make clean energy a reality, mitigated climate change and reduced global conflict, and made the world fit to hand on to future generations”
Since quantum algorithms can solve problems that classical computers cannot, it massively opens the door to new innovation across the board. We asked our experts what uses of quantum tech they thought were most impressive at the moment.
Naomi tells us, “The answer you get to this question will definitely depend on who you ask!
“Outside of quantum computing, there are interesting uses of quantum for things like high precision sensing. One example is QLM, a Bristol-based startup using quantum technology to measure greenhouse gas emissions.
“For me, I’m currently most excited about quantum advantage experiments, which are used to show early-stage quantum computers carrying out specific (and admittedly, somewhat contrived) tasks that are impossible for classical computers. After an initial experiment by Google in 2019, there have been some very cool experiments by USTC in China, and Xanadu, a startup in Toronto. These are hugely impressive experimental tasks, and they also represent a big landmark in quantum computing.”
As Naomi predicted, Euan responds with a totally different point of view: “I’m always impressed by the quantum sensors used to map in 3D underground to help with planning and building works. It’s always surprised me how complex and challenging it is to know exactly what is under our feet as we walk along the street!”
A standout problem that quantum may help us to somewhat solve, or at least mitigate, is climate change. Anthony cites the work that Duality Quantum Photonics is doing with the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Tokamak Energy (a fusion energy company) to use quantum technologies to solve critical control problems in fusion reactors. Simply put, “If we are successful, we will have helped make clean energy a reality, mitigated climate change and reduced global conflict, and made the world fit to hand on to future generations.”
So no big deal, right?
Looking to the future
When it comes to technologies like quantum, we can’t yet dream up what will be possible later down the line. But we can always give it a go. So where do our experts think quantum will take us in the next 10 years?
Anthony says, “A handful of solid use cases will be demonstrated and will drive the industry forward. We will recognise the importance of developing new nano-fabrication infrastructure in the UK and make steps to create a new generation of manufacturing jobs.”
“If a technology is overhyped, people will lose interest and it may ultimately prove disastrous for the field”
Naomi approaches the question with caution, responding, “This isn’t an easy question to answer, because I know previous predictions of this sort have been very far off the mark!
“Of course, it’s always important to make sure that you give realistic expectations. If a technology is overhyped, people will lose interest and it may ultimately prove disastrous for the field. Quantum is a really exciting industry to be a part of right now, so I think most people are invested in making sure this doesn’t happen, and we continue to see stable growth.
“On the theory side, I think we still haven’t finished answering the question of what quantum is really capable of.”
Naomi outlines that continued research will of course give everyone a better understanding of what both classical and quantum computers alike are capable of. Presently, we’re still figuring out just what certain applications are capable of. Research into “several different platforms with which to build a quantum computer, including superconducting circuits, photonics, trapped ions, cold atoms, etc.” is ongoing.
“This may well be the case in 10 years, but it seems likely that some platforms might not prove able to scale up as well as others, and so one or two technologies will probably become the most popular. Every platform has some major hurdles to overcome before building large-scale machines, as well as the continued drive to push down error rates.”
As with every other sector, the direction quantum is taken in has a correlation with current trends. Naomi tells us the excitement around artificial intelligence will likely influence how quantum computers are developed: “I think we have yet to see whether quantum processes can provide a benefit to machine learning,” she adds, “so that will continue to be an area of study, but it will be interesting to see how they develop alongside each other.”
To this Euan adds, “I think we will see some quantum tech out there being used – probably something in sensing or cryptography/random number generation. I would hope that we would see some early but real evidence of quantum computation on a useful and hard problem (not otherwise solvable on a classical machine). Minimally I think we will see many off-shoot technologies that have benefitted from quantum computing development (like Siloton!).”
The possibilities are still very much open as to what applications quantum may take a lead role within, making it an incredibly poignant time to be holding these discussions. If you want to talk more about the topic, our experts urge you to reach out. In true South West tech community spirit, the industry holds collaboration in high importance. And most importantly, we’re eager to find out where you see quantum taking us?
If a potential career in quantum has piqued your interest, do check out this interview with Stasja Stanisic, Senior Quantum Engineer at Phasecraft where we discuss how she found herself in the sector and hasn’t looked back since.
Do explore all our Quantum Month features, kindly sponsored by QTIC. Don’t hesitate to reach out to continue the conversation!
