IBM Reveals Five Year Quantum Development Roadmap

Every year we get closer to the routine use of quantum computers. IBM is continuing its approach to achieve this with the phased deployment of new quantum hardware and software. Last year, IBM unveiled its plans for a series of computers with growing numbers of squares (quantum beats) to 2025. In this latest release, IBM outlined the new capabilities of their quantum computers to faster computing and new capabilities. In addition, he announced plans to build a software ecosystem and solution around specific problem sets, including natural sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.), optimizations, finance, and machine learning. These are areas of research with many problems to solve.

Early today, developers are looking at where to use quantum. What are the problems to solve? These are areas where developers need to make a decision today in preparation for new systems and capabilities coming online soon. But even at this early stage, quantum has brought business value to some of IBM’s corporate and government customers.

While AI is getting the most attention and venture capital, there are some problems that quantum can solve more effectively than classical (Von Neuman) and AI. While quantum computing will never replace classic computing anytime soon, it promises to solve some intangible computing problems. Researchers have recently gained access to real quantum computers (IBM opened their quantum computers 5 years ago), so we are at an early stage in applying quantum computers to solve search problems. and business.

In today’s use of quantum computers, a classical computer runs most of the code and then passes the quantum problem to the quantum computer. Administrators set up the quantum cycles, run the circuit, and return the results. The quantum setup and return takes a lot of time. IBM has introduced the Qiskit Runtime (Qiskit is IBM ‘s open source quantum development platform) which is now capable of using local processing to run quantum cycles more efficiently and efficiently. could lead to 100x faster performance than without Qiskit Runtime.

IBM Quantum Hardware Circuits Improvements

The figure below shows the three key attributes that IBM is aiming for improvement: Quality, Capability and Variability. IBM has been working not only to develop more quantum rotation capacity, but also with more capabilities, allowing a wider variety of circuits that can be run on IBM Quantum computers and run these circuits faster.

With IBM’s Qiskit Runtime, a classic computer close to the quantum computer controls the quantum rotation results and any logical decisions, such as those in nesting loops. Previously, the product had to travel from the quantum computer, through the cloud, and to the developer’s computer to make decisions on whether to continue bending. With Qiskit Runtime, execution can be up to 100x faster on a loop algorithm, increasing quantum capability.

Another important development of IBM quantum computers is the addition of dynamic tours. With dynamic cycles future performance may depend on earlier measurements, which is roughly equivalent to branching performance in a classical computer. The implementation of dynamic rotation is based on mid-cycle measurements.

Also, with dynamic rotations, it is possible to perform mid-cycle repositioning of squares so support rotations can be repositioned and re-used without rejecting the entire rotation, this increases a combination of tours and increasing capacity. This also leads to better level estimation performance, an important algorithm for quantum. Dynamic cycles are essential for error detection and quantum circuit correction – leading to logical qubits that are tolerant to defects.

All of these improvements are important for kernel circuit developers – low-level programming of quantum computers, roughly equivalent to microcode programming in classical computers. This is programmed for the most experienced quantum user.

Making Quantum software without interruption

IBM also released their roadmap for its quantum software development for the next five years. By 2023 IBM will provide new support to developers for “off-the-shelf” development for mainstream programmers using familiar languages ​​like Python to keep the development environment user-friendly and encourage wider adoption. Ultimately, only call action and results (figure below) should be necessary. This simplifies the use of the developer, performing different quantum call functions than classical tasks, which is what IBM calls uninterrupted.

Based on IBM’s roadmap (see below), we can expect faster computing in 2021 based on the availability of Qiskit Runtime. In 2022, dynamic tours will be available at IBM. In 2023 the company expects to have more than 1,000 qubits. At the same time, rotating libraries and quantum run times are expected to be pre-built for the uninterrupted workflows. The goal is to make it anonymous for the use of quantum cloud computing by 2023.

For 2024, IBM is exploring the possibility of error correction. Beyond that, there is the potential for high-performance classics to enable new quantum capabilities. The key for the next few years is to develop workflows and experiments with a combination of classic (including HPC) and quantum.

Access to Quantum is essential to know how to use Quantum

Quantum developers early today are looking at where to use quantum to solve difficult problems that are not easily solved by existing computers, such as those that do not scale linearly. These are areas where developers need to make a decision today in preparation for new systems and capabilities coming online.

The IBM Quantum Network has 140 partner organizations, indicating a strong interest in learning and experimenting with quantum computers. IBM currently operates twenty quantum devices of various angles, ten of which are available free of charge. Developer activity continues to grow and now has up to two billion runs per day.

The progress IBM is making on devices should increase the accessibility of quantum computing. Finally, there will be no excuse for not having quantum computing as a tool for solving urgent problems. IBM is making steady progress and offering companies a roadmap to plan against.

_{Tirias Research tracks and consults for companies across an electronic ecosystem from semiconductors to systems and sensors to the cloud. Members of the Tirias Research team have consulted for IBM, and other companies across the cloud ecosystem.}