NVIDIA has announced a new family of open models called NVIDIA Ising, designed to address quantum processor calibration and quantum error correction. These are two of the main engineering challenges limiting the scalability of current quantum systems, where noise and instability in qubits reduce the reliability of computations. The Ising models are intended to automate parts of this process using machine learning, enabling faster calibration cycles and more efficient decoding of quantum errors during execution. The Ising family includes two main components. The calibration model is a vision-language system that interprets measurement data from quantum hardware and adjusts parameters in near real time, reducing manual intervention and shortening calibration cycles. The decoding models are based on 3D convolutional neural networks that process error syndromes for quantum error correction, with variants optimized for either latency or accuracy. According to NVIDIA, these models can outperform existing approaches such as pyMatching in both speed and accuracy, enabling more practical real-time error correction workflows. The models are released as open source and can be deployed locally or adapted to specific quantum hardware setups. NVIDIA is also providing supporting datasets, workflow examples, and NIM microservices to help developers integrate and fine-tune the models. The system integrates with CUDA-Q for hybrid quantum-classical programming and NVQLink for connecting quantum processors with GPUs, allowing error correction and control loops to run alongside classical compute workloads. Compared with other approaches in the quantum ecosystem, NVIDIA Ising reflects a shift toward using general-purpose AI models for control and error correction rather than relying solely on physics-based or heuristic methods. Traditional tools like pyMatching and other decoding libraries are highly optimized but typically static, requiring manual tuning for different hardware topologies. In contrast, Ising uses learned models that can adapt to different noise patterns and system configurations. Other vendors, including IBM
Apr 30, 2026 · via infoq.com
- United States - / - Semiconductors - / - NasdaqCM:RGTI A Look At Rigetti Computing (RGTI) Valuation After Its Planned US$100 Million UK Quantum Expansion Rigetti’s UK quantum expansion draws fresh attention to the stock Rigetti Computing (RGTI) is back in focus after outlining plans to invest up to US$100 million in the United Kingdom to install a quantum computer targeting more than 1,000 qubits. See our latest analysis for Rigetti Computing. The UK expansion headlines arrive after a mixed run in the stock, with a 14.53% 1 month share price return sitting against a 31.86% year to date share price decline, while the 1 year total shareholder return of 75.93% points to strong longer term momentum. If this quantum build out has you thinking about where else breakthroughs might show up first, it could be worth scanning 26 quantum computing stocks With Rigetti’s shares sitting well below the average analyst price target and recent returns sending mixed signals, you now have to ask: is this quantum story on sale, or is the market already pricing in future growth? Most Popular Narrative: 34.4% Undervalued With Rigetti shares at $16.08 and the narrative fair value at $24.50, the story centers on a sizeable gap between price and what the narrative suggests. The trajectory of quantum computing, particularly in the context of Rigetti Computing and the Quantum Benchmark Testing System (QBTS), could witness significant shifts. Trump's emphasis on "America First" policies might lead to increased funding for public private partnerships and The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)'s R&D works in critical technologies, including quantum computing, as part of national security and technological supremacy initiatives. According to LongTermer, this valuation leans heavily on rapid revenue expansion, a future profit margin inflection and a premium earnings multiple. It may be useful to
Apr 30, 2026 · via simplywall.st
As quantum computers advance, they’re expected to be able to break tried-and-true security schemes that currently keep most sensitive data secure from attackers. Scientists and policymakers are working to design and implement post-quantum cryptography to defend against these future attacks. MIT researchers have developed an ultra-efficient microchip that can bring post-quantum cryptography techniques to wireless biomedical devices, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps. Such wearable, ingestible, or implantable devices are usually too power-constrained to implement these computationally demanding security protocols. Their tiny chip, which is about the size of a very fine needle tip, also includes built-in protections against physical hacking attempts that can bypass encryption to steal user data, such as a patient’s social security number or device credentials. Compared to prior designs, the new technology is more than an order of magnitude more energy-efficient. In the long run, the new chip could enable next-generation wireless medical devices to maintain strong security even as quantum computing becomes more prevalent. In addition, it could be applied to many types of resource-constrained edge devices, such as industrial sensors and smart inventory tags. “Tiny edge devices are everywhere, and biomedical devices are often the most vulnerable attack targets because power constraints prevent them from having the most advanced levels of security. We’ve demonstrated a very practical hardware solution to secure the privacy of patients,” says Seoyoon Jang, an MIT electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) graduate student and lead author of a paper on the chip. Jang is joined on the paper by Saurav Maji PhD ’23; visiting scholar Rashmi Agrawal; EECS graduate students Hyemin Stella Lee and Eunseok Lee; Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; and senior author
Apr 30, 2026 · via todaysmedicaldevelopments.com
A delegation from VTT at the Quantum Australia Conference to discuss potential areas of collaboration with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, under VTT’s new ‘Quantum Leap’ project. The Quantum Leap project will focus on the practical implementation of quantum computing, including quantum software, error correction and mitigation, and components to make quantum computers more energy efficient, reliable and scalable. Anu Kärkkäinen, Research Manager at VTT, said that an essential part of the Quantum Leap Project is about building strong networks with global quantum communities: “Quantum technologies are anticipated to provide unprecedented advances in computing, sensing and communications, with the potential to transform business and society globally. By joining forces with CSIRO, VTT aims to accelerate the development and real-world impact of quantum solutions. Collaboration is key to finding new opportunities." CSIRO’s Dr Anthony Chesman said they were looking forward to continuing discussions with VTT and other Finnish partners through the Quantum Leap Project. “Through collaborative opportunities, CSIRO seeks to accelerate implementation and adoption and deliver practical quantum advantage outside the lab,” he said. “Working with partners who have complementary infrastructure and expertise helps us learn faster and reduce duplication, which is critical in a fast-moving field like quantum. “A partnership with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland would provide a practical way to connect people across our ecosystems,” Dr Chesman said. In addition to the discussions in Australia, VTT has also brought several Finnish organisations into the project including Tampere and Jyväskylä Universities and quantum companies: IQM, SemiQon, Neste, Vexlum and Quanscient. VTT’s Quantum Leap project will include research exchanges, joint workshops, white papers, industry-focused dissemination events and scientific publications. These activities are intended to support knowledge transfer, ecosystem development and the identification of new industrial use cases. VTT’s quantum work VTT provides the project with its manufacturing facilities and
Apr 30, 2026 · via vttresearch.com
The UK’s most powerful quantum computer, which will accelerate research and discovery in quantum science, engineering, and a range of other applications, will be based at the University of Cambridge as part of a new partnership with the quantum technology company IonQ. The collaboration is the University’s largest-ever corporate research partnership. The partnership will support the creation of the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre to be based at the Ray Dolby Centre, the new home of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory. The Centre will house a state-of-the-art IonQ 256-qubit quantum computer, which will be the most powerful quantum computer in the UK when it is installed. As part of the collaboration, Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency and part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will provide access and computing time for UKRI’s National Quantum Computing Centre over three years. This support will enable researchers and early-stage companies from across the UK to make use of the enormous power of the first commercial-scale quantum computer at a UK university. The new IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre will host a research portfolio across quantum computing, quantum networks, quantum sensing, and quantum security. The partnership will also support new academic positions, postdoctoral fellows and PhD students at the University. “Cambridge is already a critical player in the UK’s national quantum technology programme, and this partnership will supercharge that role,” said Professor Mete Atatüre, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory. “This is a true partnership, with long-term investment, shared research and co-development in all areas of quantum technology, bringing together physics, engineering, medicine, computer science, policy and more.” Quantum computers harness quantum phenomena to achieve a level of performance which is otherwise unattainable, based on science which cannot be explained by classical physics. The shift from lab-scale quantum computers to truly application-focused systems could greatly accelerate the pace
Apr 30, 2026 · via enterprise.cam.ac.uk
A delegation from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is at the Quantum Australia Conference to discuss potential areas of collaboration with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, under VTT’s new ‘Quantum Leap’ project. The Quantum Leap project will focus on the practical implementation of quantum computing, including quantum software, error correction and mitigation, and components to make quantum computers more energy efficient, reliable and scalable. Dr Anu Kärkkäinen, Research Manager at VTT, said that an essential part of the Quantum Leap Project is about building strong networks with global quantum communities. “Quantum technologies are anticipated to provide unprecedented advances in computing, sensing and communications, with the potential to transform business and society globally,” she said. By joining forces with CSIRO, VTT aims to accelerate the development and real-world impact of quantum solutions. Collaboration is key to finding new opportunities,” Dr Kärkkäinen said. CSIRO’s Dr Anthony Chesman said they were looking forward to continuing discussions with VTT and other Finnish partners through the Quantum Leap Project. “Through collaborative opportunities, CSIRO seeks to accelerate implementation and adoption and deliver practical quantum advantage outside the lab,” he said. “Working with partners who have complementary infrastructure and expertise helps us learn faster and reduce duplication, which is critical in a fast-moving field like quantum. “A partnership with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland would provide a practical way to connect people across our ecosystems,” Dr Chesman said. In addition to the discussions in Australia, VTT has also brought several Finnish organisations into the project including Tampere and Jyväskylä Universities and quantum companies: IQM, SemiQon, Neste, Vexlum and Quanscient. VTT’s Quantum Leap project will include research exchanges, joint workshops, white papers, industry-focused dissemination events and scientific publications. These activities are intended to support knowledge transfer, ecosystem development and the identification of new industrial use cases.
Apr 30, 2026 · via csiro.au
Building on a long-standing MIT–IBM collaboration, the new lab will chart the convergence of AI, algorithms, and quantum computing CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today announced the launch of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, advancing their long-standing collaboration to shape the next era of computing. The new lab expands its scope to include quantum computing, alongside foundational artificial intelligence research, with the goal of unlocking new computational approaches that go beyond the limits of today's classical systems. The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab builds on a distinguished history of scientific excellence at the intersection of research and academia. Evolving from the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, which originated in 2017 on MIT's campus, the new lab reflects a transformed technology landscape—one in which AI has entered mainstream deployment, and quantum computing is rapidly advancing toward practical impact. Together, MIT and IBM aim to help lead research in AI and quantum and to redefine mathematical foundations across both domains. "We expect the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab to emerge as one of the world's premier academic and industrial hubs accelerating the future of computing," said Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow, and IBM chair of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab. "Together, the brightest minds at MIT and IBM will rethink how models, algorithms, and systems are designed for an era that will be defined by the sum of what's possible when AI and quantum computing come together." "For a decade, the collaboration between MIT and IBM has produced leading-edge research and innovation, provided mentorship and supported the professional growth of researchers both at MIT and IBM," said Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT's provost, who as then-dean of the School of Engineering spearheaded the creation of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and will
Apr 29, 2026 · via prnewswire.co.uk
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been selected to lead a project that will receive $4.1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) as part of the Quantum Computing for Computational Chemistry (QC3) program. QC3 seeks to develop and apply quantum algorithms to accelerate simulations of chemistry and materials science to advance commercial energy applications ranging from superconducting power lines, advanced batteries, engineered rare-earth magnets and breakthrough catalytic systems. LLNL will develop quantum and machine learning-accelerated software tools and apply them to discovering ultra-strong, lightweight magnets that are crucial for electronic motors, generators and high-performance information technology. The core innovation is a hybrid classical-quantum algorithm that can accurately predict material performance. The result could have a huge impact on how America uses energy. “Anytime you want to convert energy between electrical forms and mechanical forms, like in wind turbines, electric vehicles or hydro power, you need to have a magnet that mediates that process,” said LLNL scientist and project lead Ilon Joseph. “If we can do much better calculations of magnetic materials science, we can find new kinds of magnetic materials that can power our energy technology.” New magnet materials could circumvent China’s critical material supply chain and offer improvements in terms of weight, strength, robustness and resistance to corrosion. Even slight enhancements could also decrease the resources needed to power artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT). Much of the energy consumption in AI and IT comes from writing and erasing information stored in memory. For MRAM-based chips, which store data using magnetic states, reading and writing requires flipping the magnetization of tiny thin-film magnets. Because AI and IT are predicted to dominate U.S. electricity consumption by the end of the decade, magnetic memory that takes less energy to flip — even
Apr 29, 2026 · via newswise.com
An emerging technology that uses lasers to measure temperature at microscopic scales could pave the way for faster, more powerful computing devices, longer-lasting batteries and more, according to a University of Virginia professor and his colleagues. “The limiting factor in all device designs right now is the heat,” said Patrick Hopkins, Whitney Stone Professor of Engineering and co-author of an article in Nature Reviews Methods Primers, a publication of the journal Nature. “That’s why iPhones can’t be faster, computers can’t be faster, servers can’t be faster.” Hopkins, who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at UVA, teaches in the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The journal approached him and his co-authors to create a guide to build and use a method called time-domain thermoreflectance, or TDTR, a technique for measuring temperature change at very small scales. Hopkins’ Experiments and Simulations in Thermal Engineering (ExSiTE) lab at UVA specializes in laser-based techniques that are uniquely capable of characterizing thermal properties at the smallest time and space scales. The Way to Smaller, Faster Devices Understanding these properties is fundamental to developing new materials for ever-shrinking devices that can stay cool while delivering the computing power that today’s technologies — such as generative AI or high-density energy storage — demand. TDTR helps provide that fundamental knowledge, and it’s becoming more important as researchers work with smaller and smaller materials, Hopkins said. The technique is showing up in research across fields like quantum computing, semiconductor materials and battery technology. The Nature Reviews Methods Primer article gives future researchers a primer on the technique, so it could be more widely used in other areas of research. Hopkins, who also holds courtesy appointments in the materials science and engineering and physics departments, co-authored the paper with Ramya Mohan, a
Apr 29, 2026 · via engineering.virginia.edu
NVIDIA will host a conference call on Wednesday, May 20, at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) to discuss its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, which ended April 26, 2026.
The call will be webcast live (in listen-only mode) on investor.nvidia.com. The company’s prepared remarks will be followed by a Q&A session, which will be limited to questions from financial analysts and institutional investors.
Ahead of the call, NVIDIA will provide written commentary on its first-quarter results from Colette Kress, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer. This material will be posted to investor.nvidia.com immediately after the company’s results are publicly announced at approximately 1:20 p.m. PT.
The webcast will be recorded and available for replay until the company’s conference call to discuss financial results for its second quarter of fiscal year 2027.
Apr 29, 2026 · via nvidianews.nvidia.com
Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to build the nation’s “most robust quantum ecosystem” in South Chicago took a quantum leap forward Wednesday, thanks to a stronger partnership IBM aimed at ensuring that “everyone benefits” from the quantum computing revolution. Sixteen months after IBM became the first Fortune 500 company to join the planned Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on the South Side, IBM agreed to open a new FutureNow Chicago delivery center at the park that will create 750 full-time jobs. The groundbreaking investment includes IBM’s commitment to hire one-third of the qualified graduates from a new apprenticeship program to be started at the City Colleges of Chicago. Pritzker announced the new partnership at Olive Harvey College, one of the seven City Colleges whose current and future students stand to benefit from the apprenticeship program and the pipeline to permanent jobs it will create. Pritzker called it a quantum leap in his drive to ensure the economic opportunities created by the new campus will benefit everyone in the state. “With a transformation that’s this big, I intend to make sure that our working families and communities are at the core of the economic success that these changes are going to bring” to Chicago, the state and the nation, Pritzker told the gathering of political, business, civic and education leaders that included Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Through a new innovative workforce collaboration between IBM and City Colleges of Chicago and philanthropic partners, our people here in Illinois will benefit from the opportunities ahead. At IBM’s FutureNow Chicago center, residents of the South Side will be able to reap the economic lift from this new wave of technology. City Colleges are supporting 500 apprentices at IBM. Even more exciting, IBM has committed to hiring more than a third of qualified participants for full-time positions.”
Apr 29, 2026 · via chicago.suntimes.com
Building on its growing Chicago quantum footprint, IBM is planning to open a FutureNow delivery center at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, with a commitment to create 750 new full-time technology jobs on the city’s South Side. The center, one of a handful scattered across North America, will serve as an IBM innovation hub to solve business and technology challenges for its clients. It also expands the computer giant’s role in developing the state’s nascent quantum ecosystem, while providing a pipeline for Chicago tech talent to launch their careers. “With this new era of quantum computing upon us, I actually do believe that we are now a couple of years away from this making a profound difference to industry and to people’s lives,” IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said during an announcement Wednesday at Olive-Harvey College. “This is the moment to double down on our cooperation and our investment.” As part of the program, IBM will participate in a new City Colleges apprenticeship program to support 500 students to work at the innovation center over the next five years. IBM has committed to hire at least 180 apprentice alumni to help reach its employment targets with the state. Krishna was joined Wednesday by Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson, City Colleges leadership and other politicos onstage at Olive-Harvey on the city’s Far South Side, heralding the latest development in the state’s ambitions to become the center of the quantum universe. “IBM is launching a truly innovative workforce partnership with City Colleges that ensures the benefits of the quantum revolution are felt here and all across the city of Chicago, that everyone in Chicago benefits,” Pritzker said. The new IBM innovation center was incentivized by tax credits through the state’s Economic Development for a Growing Economy program Under the terms of
Apr 29, 2026 · via chicagotribune.com
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Apr 29, 2026 · via youtube.com
Quantum Physics, Biomedicine, and Computer Gear Fill Wednesday’s Schedule Physics, biomedicine, and computer networking were the dominant projects for the Expedition 74 crew aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The orbital residents also continued unpacking cargo from a pair of resupply ships while keeping up life support maintenance. NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir spent her shift servicing hardware for a pair of advanced space physics investigations. Meir reviewed procedures and trained to connect delicate fiber optic cables inside the Cold Atom Lab that chills atoms to near absolute zero for quantum research into atomic wave functions, general relativity, and the search for dark matter. The sensitive cables emit light that helps trap, move, and measure the chilled atoms with high accuracy. Next, she set up research gear inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox to explore how weightlessness affects tiny particles floating in a Jello-like substance, known as a colloidal solid. Results may lead to advanced manufacturing techniques leading to new medicines, better food textures, and improved personal‑care products on Earth and in space. Flight engineer Sophie Adenot from ESA (European Space Agency) continued her biomedical research exploring how to create intravenous (IV) fluid, or a saline solution, using a spacecraft’s clean drinking water to treat medical conditions in space. She collected fluid samples generated by the new Intravenous Fluid Generation – Mini device to analyze how evenly mixed the IV fluid is. The technology demonstration seeks to promote crew self-sufficiency farther away from Earth, reduce a crew’s dependence on cargo missions, and avoid expiration of medical supplies on a spacecraft. Adenot earlier began installing new computer hardware inside the Columbus laboratory module to update a ground controller’s ability to monitor scientific payloads and download research data in real time. NASA flight engineer Chris Williams replaced ethernet cables in between Columbus
Apr 29, 2026 · via nasa.gov
Back to Journals » Drug Design, Development and Therapy » Volume 20 Quantum Computing and Quantum Technologies in Drug Discovery and Therapeutics: Evidence, Benchmarking, and Translational Integration Authors Niazi SK Received 21 December 2025 Accepted for publication 26 March 2026 Published 30 April 2026 Volume 2026:20 590730 DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S590730 Checked for plagiarism Yes Review by Single anonymous peer review Peer reviewer comments 3 Editor who approved publication: Professor Anastasios Lymperopoulos Sarfaraz K Niazi Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA Correspondence: Sarfaraz K Niazi, Email [email protected] Abstract: Quantum technologies—quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum-enabled materials—are increasingly proposed as tools to accelerate drug discovery. Yet “quantum advantage” is frequently asserted without standardized benchmarks, clinically meaningful endpoints, or controlled comparisons against modern classical workflows. This review separates (i) quantum computing for molecular simulation and optimization, (ii) quantum sensing for structural/biophysical characterization and diagnostics, and (iii) quantum nanotechnologies for imaging and sensing, and then extends the framework to include device-led and physical therapies that increasingly co-evolve with drug development: photobiomodulation (red/NIR), focused ultrasound for blood-brain barrier opening and delivery enhancement, noninvasive neuromodulation devices (tDCS/TMS), and optogenetic therapies. We summarize demonstrated capabilities and constraints of NISQ-era computing, outline algorithmic classes for quantum chemistry and hybrid variational methods, evaluate quantum error-mitigation strategies and their limits, and contrast claimed performance with classical baselines in computational chemistry and machine learning. We conclude that near-term translational value is most substantial for quantum sensing and for device/physical platforms with established clinical evidence. In contrast, quantum computing remains principally hypothesis-generating until fault tolerance and reproducible advantage are established. Device-based modalities—including transcranial photobiomodulation for neuropsychiatric indications, focused ultrasound enabling CNS drug delivery, and home-supervised neuromodulation—are already reshaping therapeutic landscapes and clinical trial design. For drug discovery, the central requirement is not quantum novelty but validated decision
Apr 29, 2026 · via dovepress.com
Bibhas Adhikari, from the Fujitsu Research of America, and colleagues have created a unified quantum framework that encodes graphs onto a quantum state using $2\lceil \log_2 N \rceil$ working qubits and two ancilla qubits, achieving a gate complexity of O(N²). The approach designs quantum measurement operators to identify target subgraph edge structures, enabling count estimation through measurements of the adjacency state, and demonstrates application to triangles, cycles and cliques. The framework yields quantum logspace algorithms for motif counting, representing a key advance as no classical equivalent currently exists. Logarithmic qubit scaling enables efficient quantum motif discovery A breakthrough in quantum motif counting has reduced the qubit requirement for graph encoding to $2\lceil \log_2 N \rceil$, a significant improvement over prior methods. This logarithmic scaling, where qubit numbers increase slowly with network size, surpasses a key threshold previously impossible for classical algorithms, which demand space proportional to the network’s size. Classical algorithms for subgraph counting typically require memory scaling linearly with the number of nodes, N, in the graph, making them intractable for large networks. The new framework encodes graphs as a “graph adjacency state”, representing connections rather than individual points, and utilises quantum measurement operators to identify patterns within those networks. The adjacency list representation, used to construct the quantum state, details each node’s immediate neighbours, providing a concise description of the graph’s topology. This contrasts with the adjacency matrix, which requires N² space, even for sparse graphs. The logarithmic scaling achieved here is particularly significant because it suggests the potential to analyse networks far exceeding the capabilities of classical computers. Estimation of subgraph counts, such as triangles and cycles, is now possible using a technique called tensor products, effectively combining quantum states to represent complex systems. The tensor product allows for the creation of a composite quantum state that
Apr 29, 2026 · via quantumzeitgeist.com
Imagine you could take a cosmic mixing bowl and cook up reality from scratch. It would be a strange kind of baking, with the end results including everything from space-time and satellites to cats and the cosmic web. But here’s the question: what would be the basic ingredient you’d need to use? I first got introduced to this kind of question in seventh grade, sitting in a class I had never taken before: physics. Although this introductory class was mostly about balls rolling down hills, I was taught that the methods of physics ought to have limitless reach – an idea called reductionism. Physics should be able to identify the essential ingredients of reality and show how to combine them from scratch into anything and everything. Immediately, I decided to become a physicist. But now, many years and several degrees later, I am less sure that physics holds all the answers. Take something like my sense of self: is that really a consequence of some equation that we haven’t yet derived? If I think about questions like these hard enough, I am left feeling rattled, wondering whether I have become a bad physicist. So, I decided to engage with these doubts and work out what I really think about the essence of reality. I was inspired by two recent books that come at these questions from opposite ends of the spectrum. One argues that all reality is built from nothing more than quantum fields. “Everything else is just in our minds. All our concepts are illusions,” says its author, Liam Graham. The other insists that the most essential ingredient of reality is conscious experience. “That’s what is fundamentally real,” says Adam Frank at the University of Rochester in New York state, one of the book’s co-authors. Deciding whether either of
Apr 28, 2026 · via newscientist.com
Scientist Sahil Khan and colleagues, at Duke University in collaboration with University of Texas and Yale University, have unveiled a new architecture that addresses limitations inherent in early fault-tolerant quantum computing systems. Their research presents a teleportation-based scheme that markedly improves the performance of neutral atom platforms for quantum dynamics simulations. The work tackles bottlenecks found in existing spatial designs by parallelising logical operations, achieving approximately three times the speed of extractor architectures without increasing qubit requirements. Thorough simulations, utilising quantum advantage benchmarks and realistic gate scheduling, demonstrate that this approach could achieve quantum advantage with as few as 11,495 atoms in around 15 hours, representing a key step towards practical fault-tolerant quantum computation. Teleportation scheme unlocks quantum advantage with reduced atom count and runtime A threefold increase in computational speed over existing extractor architectures has been realised, representing a substantial leap forward in neutral atom quantum computing. Historically, balancing qubit count with runtime has severely limited the feasibility of early fault-tolerant demonstrations of quantum advantage. Quantum computation demands significant resources, and the number of qubits required for meaningful calculations has been a major obstacle. Existing spatially efficient schemes were hampered by serial processing bottlenecks, where operations had to be completed one after another, limiting overall speed. The new teleportation-based scheme overcomes these limitations, identifying a pathway to quantum advantage with a remarkably low 11,495 atoms and a runtime of approximately 15 hours, a threshold previously considered unattainable. This reduction in required resources is crucial for scaling quantum computers to sizes capable of solving complex problems. Simulations utilising realistic gate scheduling and fault-tolerant instruction sets confirm these gains, demonstrating the potential for practical quantum computation. The core of this improvement lies in the efficient parallelisation of logical operations. Unlike traditional serial processing, this allows multiple quantum calculations to occur simultaneously,
Apr 28, 2026 · via quantumzeitgeist.com
Hardavellas and dos Reis Named Awardees of NQAC Quantum Grand Challenges Program Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the five winning projects at the closing keynote of Northwesternâs Quantum Week Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker addressed quantum industry leaders, research scientists, and government officials on April 24 at a keynote event that was one of the highlights of Northwestern’s inaugural Quantum Week. Pritzker hailed the University’s research strengths and industry partnerships as key to Illinois’ broader strategy, which includes the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) now under development in Chicago. “I’m here because Northwestern is an integral part of the nation’s best quantum hub that we’re building here in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Illinois’ world-class academic and research institutions have long been at the center of our vision for a quantum future.” In partnership with the National Quantum Algorithm Center (NQAC) at the IQMP, Pritkzer announced awards in the Grand Challenges program, an initiative designed to advance quantum applications development in critical areas where quantum computing can address society’s most pressing problems. Among the five awardees, Northwestern Engineering’s Nikos Hardavellas and Roberto dos Reis will collaborate with IBM and Abbvie on “A Hamiltonian Simulation Compiler for Drug Design and Materials Discovery.” The project focuses on democratizing access to quantum systems for simulating molecular interactions relevant to drug discovery and materials design. By developing computational tools that allow scientists from research domains outside of quantum computing to work with quantum computers more easily, this project will help accelerate the use of quantum applications for developing new drugs and improved materials. Hardavellas is a professor of computer science and electrical and computer engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering. dos Reis is a research assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern Engineering, scientific officer of the Dravid Research Group, and member of the
Apr 28, 2026 · via mccormick.northwestern.edu
Scientists at Cornell University have demonstrated a novel quantum sensing technique that directly predicts a target property, circumventing the need to initially measure the signal itself. Sridhar Prabhu and colleagues report the experimental realisation of quantum computational displacement sensing (QCDS) utilising a superconducting circuit. Their work represents a fusion of quantum sensing and quantum computing, achieving demonstrably improved accuracy in binary classification tasks when contrasted with conventional quantum sensing methodologies followed by classical post-processing. By employing parameterised quantum circuits, incorporating up to 24 entangling gates, and subsequently training these circuits via classical optimisation, the team achieved a classification accuracy advantage of up to 15 percentage points for specific, defined tasks. These findings underscore the potential of integrating quantum computation and sensing to enhance performance when estimating properties of signals, rather than merely estimating the signals themselves. Direct classification via single qubit measurement enhances quantum sensing precision A fifteen-percentage-point improvement in classification accuracy is now achievable with the new quantum computational displacement sensing (QCDS) protocol, exceeding the performance benchmarks of conventional quantum sensing techniques. QCDS directly predicts a class label from a single qubit measurement, effectively overcoming a fundamental limitation inherent in prior methodologies. Traditional approaches necessitate an initial estimation of signal displacement, followed by classical processing to infer the corresponding class label. This two-step process introduces potential inaccuracies and inefficiencies. QCDS, however, leverages the principles of quantum computation to directly map the input signal to a classification outcome, streamlining the process and enhancing precision. The displacement being sensed represents a shift in the signal’s amplitude, and accurately determining this shift is crucial in many sensing applications, such as gravitational wave detection or magnetic field mapping. The protocol utilises superconducting circuits, fabricated using established microfabrication techniques, with up to 24 entangling gates, enabling a quantum computational-sensing advantage for specific binary classification
Apr 28, 2026 · via quantumzeitgeist.com