SerpApi.Org
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has taken a major step towards integrating its existing high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure with quantum computing technology by acquiring a 20-qubit quantum computer from IQM. Dubbed Pathfinder, this marks the first sale of a commercially available quantum computer on US soil.
Though still in their early stages, quantum computers are regarded as the next frontier of computing, which will leave behind even the fastest supercomputers that exist today. Classical computers use bits as data storage units that can store values either in 0 or in 1.
In comparison, quantum computers use quantum bits that can store data in values of 0, 1 and everything in between, enabling exponential processing power that is unmatched in the history of modern computing. Research institutions and for-profit companies like IBM, Google and others are working to build commercially viable quantum computers, but Finnish company IQM is already engaged in the sale of quantum computers commercially.
On-site quantum computing
IQM’s approach to quantum computing involves deployment of on-site infrastructure that facilitates integration into high-performance computing (HPC) centers and data centers. The company’s Radiance series is available in configurations of 20, 54 and 150 qubits that deliver high-fidelity performance.
IQM’s approach allows institutions to take direct ownership and control of their quantum infrastructure as well as the intellectual property they build on it. “On-premises systems enable us to demonstrate quantum computing concepts that realize our goal of building a scalable, hybrid HPC ecosystem,” said ORNL Quantum Science Center Director Travis Humble in a press release.
“The presence of the IQM Radiance quantum computer on campus has already accelerated integration with our world-class HPC capabilities. Our research teams are now developing new methods and tools to demonstrate applications in materials simulations, chemistry, and artificial intelligence.”
What will Pathfinder do?
The newly acquired quantum computer, dubbed Pathfinder, has been installed at the Translational Research Capability (TRC) building in the Quantum Computer Deployment Lab at ORNL. Designed exclusively for quantum information science research, the laboratories in the TRC building are built on the ground floor and with high local vibration control at 250 microinches.
For use in hybrid computing research, Pathfinder will be connected to HPC systems at the National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) Technology Integration Group’s test bed, located in a different building at the ORNL campus.
Researchers at ORNL will use Pathfinder to develop new applications, algorithms, and architectures for quantum computing. The laboratory also hosts a six-qubit Quantum Brilliance cluster, which, alongside Pathfinder, the research team will use to build a hardware-agnostic software architecture for merging capabilities of two different computing technologies.
“Our idea is to formalize the interfaces for QHPC so you can have more uniform ways of running applications and integrating different types of hardware without having to change your entire infrastructure every time,” said Amir Shehata, HPC systems software engineer, leading the IQM integration effort in the Quantum-HPC Group in NCCS, in the press release.
“ORNL has been at the frontier of American science for decades,” added Jan Goetz, CEO and Co-founder, IQM Quantum Computers. “Bringing IQM’s first-ever U.S. on-premises quantum computer here represents a significant milestone for us as we continue to expand our global footprint and put quantum capability into the hands of world-class institutions that can advance quantum adoption.”
