All Quantum Computing Posts
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Quantum Computing
Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) Breakthroughs
The Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), introduced in 2014, has rapidly become a flagship algorithm for simulating ground-state properties on today’s noisy quantum computers. Rather than running long quantum circuits, VQE uses short circuits and a classical optimizer in tandem: the quantum processor prepares a trial wavefunction with adjustable parameters, and a classical computer iteratively tweaks those parameters to minimize the measured energy. This hybrid approach…
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Quantum Computing
Quantum Contrarianism
Contrarianism in quantum tech, as in any tech, is best viewed as a tool, not a truth. It’s a tool for questioning and refining the narrative, for ensuring we don’t delude ourselves. But it is not the final truth of what the technology will or will not achieve – that truth will be revealed only through continued research, engineering, and yes, a bit of imagination.…
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Quantum Computing
Quantum Technologies and Cybersecurity: Threats and Defenses
Quantum technologies introduce a new era for cybersecurity – one that is simultaneously perilous and full of potential. On the threat side, the advent of quantum computers threatens to upend the cryptographic protections we rely on daily, making it imperative that we transition to quantum-safe methods before quantum attackers emerge. At the same time, on the defense side, quantum physics offers unprecedented tools to achieve…
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Quantum Computing
Quantum Computing Benchmarks: RCS, QV, AQ, and More
As quantum computing hardware rapidly improves, simple metrics like qubit count are no longer sufficient to gauge a system’s true capability. Unlike classical computers where transistor counts roughly correlate with performance, quantum bits (qubits) can be error-prone and short-lived, so a few high-fidelity qubits can be more valuable than many noisy ones. This has led researchers to develop specialized benchmarks that capture different aspects of…
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Quantum Computing
Adiabatic Quantum (AQC) and Cyber (2024 Update)
Adiabatic Quantum Computing (AQC) is an alternative paradigm that uses an analog process based on the quantum adiabatic theorem. Instead of discrete gate operations, AQC involves slowly evolving a quantum system’s Hamiltonian such that it remains in its lowest-energy (ground) state, effectively “computing” the solution as the system’s final state. AQC and its practical subset known as quantum annealing are particularly geared toward solving optimization…
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Quantum Computing
Quantum Technology Initiatives in Europe and EU
Europe’s quantum technology landscape has evolved from disparate academic projects into a coordinated multi-billion euro endeavor encompassing the EU and its member states. The historical commitment to quantum science is now manifesting in tangible outputs: prototype quantum computers in laboratories and supercomputing centers, quantum-secure communication testbeds linking cities, and quantum sensors poised to revolutionize measurements from under the Earth to outer space. The European Union’s…
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Quantum Computing
Quantum Hacking: Cybersecurity of Quantum Systems
While these machines are not yet widespread, it is never too early to consider their cybersecurity. As quantum computing moves into cloud platforms and multi-user environments, attackers will undoubtedly seek ways to exploit them.
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Quantum Computing
The Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) – A Beginner’s Guide
At its core, QAOA is a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm that constructs a special kind of quantum circuit (or “ansatz”) to represent a candidate solution, and then uses a classical optimizer to tweak that circuit for better results. It was introduced in 2014 by Edward Farhi and collaborators as an algorithm that “produces approximate solutions for combinatorial optimization problems” and that improves in quality as you…
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