Google says its Willow quantum chip has cut errors about 40-fold when preparing special states used in quantum calculations, tackling a costly step toward building machines powerful enough to crack bitcoin wallets.
Spending typically reveals the public key, while some payment types expose it from the start.
Some later payment formats hide the public key behind a hash, a digital fingerprint, until the owner spends.
Those units then need the digital equivalent of fuel to run certain operations, specially prepared quantum states that researchers call “magic states.”
In a quantum computer, hardware devoted to producing magic states is hardware that cannot be assigned to other work.
Oct 16, 2026 · via coindesk.com
For years, federal agencies have treated quantum technology as something to prepare for, not something to put to work.
Putting quantum to work At The Forge, Accenture Federal Services’ facility in Washington, D.C., agency teams get hands-on experience with a commercial quantum computer.
“A quantum computer is not just a faster computer,” Patterson said.
“A quantum computer works differently, so you need to understand what kind of workloads within your mission to give to a quantum computer.”
Learn more about how Accenture helps federal agencies put technology and AI to work for their missions.
Oct 15, 2026 · via fedscoop.com
Google Quantum AI has demonstratively opened up a key bottleneck in quantum computing: we’ve shown that “magic state cultivation” works in practice on our Willow processor, reducing errors about 40x compared to without it.
This breakthrough, published today in Science, is a crucial step towards scaling up quantum computing to practical use.
The "magic state" bottleneck Since 2004, long before quantum computing was a practical engineering pursuit, researchers have foreseen a particularly tricky bottleneck.
To achieve “universal” quantum computing and execute useful programs, you need to be able to run (and error-correct) a specific set of quantum operations.
An extra challenge is that once you use a magic state, you can’t re-use it, making magic states a scarce resource.
Oct 15, 2026 · via blog.google
To overcome errors, the machines need to tap into so-called magic states—and scientists at Google Research think their quantum chip could help get them there.
The standard recipe to make magic states is called distillation, and it creates fewer, more accurate quantum states from many imperfect ones.
“You can have up to 95 percent of your quantum computer being spent just generating these high-fidelity magic states,” Rosenfeld says.
Using Google’s Willow chip, Rosenfeld’s team encoded a rough magic state in a few qubits and then measured it.
which collapses the quantum state to either of those two options, the team asked, “Are you the right magic state: yes or no?”
Oct 15, 2026 · via scientificamerican.com
Today, Zurich Instruments announced the ZQCS Quantum Control System, a next-generation platform to operate large-scale quantum computers.
It is engineered to tackle the pivotal challenge on the path to fault-tolerant quantum computing: building long-lived logical qubits.
Image Credit: Zurich Instruments AG Physical qubits are fragile; noise and drift can erase quantum information in microseconds.
The remedy is to use logical qubits, which encode quantum information across many physical qubits, thereby enabling error correction.
The ZQCS is the control system built to meet these needs, uniting scalable direct-RF electronics, deterministic real-time networking, and powerful software.
Oct 15, 2026 · via azoquantum.com
It also enables standard computers to perform Gaussian boson sampling, a simulation used to demonstrate the capabilities of photonic quantum computers.
Quantum computers are devices that use quantum principles to perform calculations, potentially tackling problems beyond the capabilities of even the most advanced conventional supercomputers.
Their work focuses on Gaussian boson sampling, a computational task associated with photonic quantum computers.
By reducing the resources needed for quantum simulations, the algorithm offers researchers a more practical route to investigating complex quantum devices.
Its further development could help make detailed modelling more widely accessible as scientists work towards larger and more reliable quantum computers.
Oct 15, 2026 · via innovationnewsnetwork.com
Anyone waiting for the one quantum computer that will replace every classical machine will be disappointed by Jan Henrik Leisse.
What Quantum Computers Will Deliver, and Where the Hype Begins What will quantum computers actually bring people?
Quantum computers can simulate highly complex systems such as molecules in a way that is extremely difficult for classical computers.
Jan Henrik Leisse: Quantum computers are complex systems with highly specialized components, and of course there are international supply chains.
Jan Henrik Leisse: If technology isn’t competitive, “Made in Europe” won’t help in the long run.
Oct 15, 2026 · via trendingtopics.eu
Insider Brief ORCA Computing launched its PT-3 photonic quantum computer at Digital Realty’s London innovation lab, pairing it with NVIDIA accelerated computing for scientific AI and industrial optimization.
PRESS RELEASE — ORCA Computing, the company pioneering quantum-accelerated AI for science, today launches the PT-3, the newest generation of its photonic quantum computers, and the first built to deliver commercial quantum advantage.
Richard Murray, Co-founder and CEO of ORCA Computing, said: “By integrating our photonic quantum computer with NVIDIA accelerated computing, we have taken a critical first step in the future of hybrid quantum supercomputing.
“With the PT-3, ORCA is bringing photonic quantum computing and NVIDIA accelerated computing together in a system researchers can use to develop and test new applications,” said Sam Stanwyck, Director of Quantum Product at NVIDIA.
“Our partnership with ORCA reflects a shared ambition to make quantum computing practical for business.
Oct 15, 2026 · via thequantuminsider.com
Barcelona startup Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech has raised €19.6 million ($22 million) in the first close of a convertible round, bringing in defence and tech group Indra and renewing backing from Spain's Sociedad Española para la Transformación Tecnológica (SETT).
Indra Mind contributed €10 million through a mandatory convertible loan, with the SETT adding €9.6 million.
Founded in 2019 as a spin-off of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, the University of Barcelona, and the Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Qilimanjaro has built four quantum computers and develops software and applications.
Qilimanjaro wants to deepen its footprint in Madrid and open an office in Chicago to start working with US firms.
The backing of an Ibex 35 group and a state-linked vehicle underscores how national governments are treating quantum computing as strategic infrastructure.
Oct 14, 2026 · via app.dealroom.co
Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, Spain’s only full-stack quantum computing company, has announced the first close of its Series A funding round at €19.6 million.
The round was led by Indra Group through IndraMind, its sovereign artificial intelligence initiative, with a €10 million investment.
“Quantum computing will mark a decisive leap in the evolution of artificial intelligence and its ability to solve highly complex problems.
Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech was founded in Barcelona in 2019 as a spin-off of IFAE, BSC and the University of Barcelona by Dr. Pol Forn Díaz, Dr. Victor Canivell, Dr. José Ignacio Latorre, Jordi Blasco, and Dr. Artur Garcia Sáez.
Together, we are joining forces to bring quantum computing closer to strategic industrial sectors and to ensure that the quantum technology being built in Spain continues to grow in Spain,” said Marta P. Estarellas, CEO of Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech.
Oct 14, 2026 · via eu-startups.com
Insider Brief TAIYI Quantum said its cumulative funding exceeded RMB 1 billion, approximately $140 million, less than a year after its January 2026 founding to support ytterbium-based neutral-atom quantum computing.
“Quantum computing is fundamentally a long-term systems engineering challenge,” said Zhenghao Fang, Co-founder and CEO of TAIYI Quantum.
Building a Quantum Computing Architecture Around Fault Tolerance TAIYI Quantum is pursuing an ytterbium-based neutral-atom architecture designed with fault-tolerant quantum computing as its long-term objective.
“Scaling physical qubit numbers alone will not deliver practical quantum computing,” said Dr. Hongbin Liu, Co-founder and CTO of TAIYI Quantum.
Connecting Quantum Computing with Scientific Applications Alongside its hardware development, TAIYI Quantum is exploring applications in computational chemistry, materials science, energy, life sciences, and scientific computing.
Oct 14, 2026 · via thequantuminsider.com
What if someone builds a quantum computer fast enough to crack your bitcoin wallet's security and siphon off your coins?
The lock and key Think of a bitcoin wallet as a mailbox with a narrow horizontal slot at the top and a key held only by the owner.
When a user sends bitcoin, their wallet uses the private key to create a digital signature, a tamper-proof stamp.
One possible transition would be a “1-of-2” setup: the same bitcoin could be spent using either a traditional ECDSA or Schnorr key, or a post-quantum key.
Use of state Some post-quantum signature schemes need the wallet to keep track of information, called “state," after each signature.
Oct 14, 2026 · via coindesk.com
Cisco Networks, through its Outshift R&D and incubator unit, has for several years been piecing together the network architecture needed for quantum computing.
Such entanglement can’t be done with classical bits of information, and is a key part of what makes quantum systems so much faster and more powerful.
Now Cisco is pulling in the tools needed to scale the quantum network itself.
Quantum is a different and more complex animal, says Reza Nejabati, head of quantum research and Quantum Labs at Cisco.
That's really the missing piece without which you cannot actually scalably operate your quantum networks in the future.”
Oct 14, 2026 · via nextplatform.com
Artificial intelligence’s incredible ability to solve complicated problems could help unravel the security underpinning much of the cryptocurrency industry by accelerating the development of super-advanced quantum computers capable of cracking its defenses.
“My bet is that quantum computers will happen sooner than people expect and will happen before AGI,” Pruden said.
“A quantum computer is actually a very specific thing.
Some crypto insiders attribute part of the recent decline in digital-asset prices — despite a friendlier regulatory environment — to investors pricing in the risk that quantum computers could crack the industry’s defenses.
“The question is what do we do about it,” said Nic Carter, partner at the crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures.
Oct 14, 2026 · via nypost.com
A Strange Quantum Effect Predicted in 1959 In everyday physics, a charged particle responds to the electric and magnetic fields it encounters.
Such models are particularly important in particle physics and high-energy physics, where scientists study the basic particles and interactions that make up the universe.
"Rather than having matter evolve in a fixed background, the matter and gauge field become part of the same quantum dynamics."
A Quantum Effect That Stops Particle Motion With their simulated loop in place, the scientists examined how a matter particle moved between locations through a process known as quantum tunneling.
The particle had two possible paths around the loop, but the magnetic flux changed their relative quantum phases.
Oct 13, 2026 · via sciencedaily.com
Pasadena, Calif.-based quantum computing startup Oratomic has raised $775 million since its March 2026 launch, bringing substantial investor backing to its effort to build fault-tolerant quantum computers, the company said last week.
Founded by researchers and engineers working in fault-tolerant quantum computing and neutral-atom technology, Oratomic is developing systems built around reconfigurable arrays of neutral atoms.
Bluvstein is a physicist and quantum computing researcher whose academic work has focused on quantum computation using reconfigurable arrays of atoms.
Bluvstein also served as a visiting associate professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in late 2025 before moving to lead Oratomic’s efforts to develop fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Oratomic has pointed to research with scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) suggesting utility-scale quantum computers may require far fewer resources than previously estimated.
Oct 13, 2026 · via citybiz.co
Quantum computers may be at least five years away from "commercial usefulness" but anticipation that a breakthrough could be imminent is growing within the sector.
The second is computation, which is where quantum computers come in.
Superconducting machines, on the other hand, although most advanced in engineering terms, require massive refrigeration systems for cooling, which means they score low for "commercial value", Mooter believes.
Sandhu decided to enter a quantum world, which is even more heavily male-dominated than the wider tech space, for various reasons.
Sandhu believes her dad's love of science and willingness to nurture her own love of it made a big difference for her here.
Oct 13, 2026 · via diginomica.com
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has identified eight scientific applications to guide the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers.
What are fault-tolerant quantum computers?
Fault-tolerant quantum computers are systems designed to perform reliable computations despite errors that can occur during quantum operations.
Unlike conventional computers, which process information using bits, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, to represent and manipulate information according to quantum mechanics.
The eight priorities will provide a framework for assessing progress and identifying where fault-tolerant quantum computers could offer capabilities beyond those achievable with today’s leading supercomputers.
Oct 13, 2026 · via innovationnewsnetwork.com
Many types of materials are currently being considered for use in quantum technology, but most can only hold a stable quantum state when chilled to extreme temperatures.
This is just one way that PPPL continues to advance strategic national priorities, such as creating the technology of the future.
The oxygen-based defects Martirez is studying shine blue, while the boron-based defects emit an ultraviolet light.
Research could allow quantum chemistry to enrich itself When Martirez thinks about the future of his field, he said it’s interesting to note that quantum chemistry may help develop tools to “enrich itself” in the decades to come.
Martirez said a practical multi-qubit system would vastly improve the level of accuracy of quantum chemistry calculations.
Oct 13, 2026 · via newswise.com
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the segment of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for advancing technological innovations, recently announced which quantum computing companies had advanced to Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI).
For investors, the focus should be on IonQ and IBM, which now have a leg up on other publicly traded quantum computing companies.
IonQ IonQ being chosen to advance to Stage C of DARPA's QBI is not surprising.
With the highest accuracy so far and plans to become a complete quantum ecosystem player, IonQ is one of the best bets in the quantum computing space today.
IBM is far from being a pure-play quantum computing company, but its future is tied to the technology.
Oct 13, 2026 · via fool.com