Quantum Circuit Compression Could Speed Up Development of New Materials
Scientists are constantly on the hunt for new materials with improved properties – think lighter, stronger, or more energy-efficient. Now, a collaboration between Classiq Technologies, Deloitte Tohmatsu Group, and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is exploring how quantum computing can accelerate this process.
A Quantum Leap for Material Science
This week, the team announced a significant breakthrough: the successful compression of quantum circuits – the set of instructions that tell a quantum computer what to do. In essence, they’ve found a way to make these instructions more compact and efficient.
“Successful quantum circuit compression suggests early commercial use of quantum computers,” they said. “Deloitte Tohmatsu announced that one of the two quantum algorithms achieved circuit compression of up to 97 percent, and the other achieved circuit compression of up to 54 percent.”
Why Does Size Matter in Quantum Computing?
Just like regular computers, quantum computers use algorithms – sets of instructions – to perform calculations. However, these quantum algorithms are represented as “quantum circuits,” which are more complex and susceptible to errors.
Longer quantum circuits increase the risk of these errors, hindering the accuracy of the results.
“To run an algorithm on a quantum computer, it must be written as a quantum circuit, and the longer the circuit, the greater the risk of errors occurring during calculation,” Mitsubishi Chemical, Classiq Technologies, and Deloitte Tohmatsu Group said. “This demonstration showed the possibility of improving calculation accuracy when developing new materials using efficient quantum circuit design technology.”
A Brighter Future for Materials Discovery
This breakthrough in circuit compression has far-reaching implications for materials science. By shrinking the size of these complex instructions, researchers can run more sophisticated algorithms on quantum computers, leading to faster and more accurate predictions about the properties of new materials.
Mitsubishi Chemical has been at the forefront of this research, using quantum computers to develop advanced organic electroluminescence materials. These materials are key components in technologies like OLED displays, which power smartphones and televisions.
“Mitsubishi Chemical has long been developing Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithms (QAOA) for the development of advanced organic electroluminescent materials,” they said.
But the potential applications extend far beyond displays. Researchers predict that quantum computers could one day revolutionize drug discovery, artificial intelligence, finance, manufacturing, and logistics.
Looking Ahead: Error Correction and the Quantum Future
While this latest development is promising, the field of quantum computing is still in its early stages. However, recent advances in error correction technology, such as Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE), are paving the way for more reliable and powerful quantum computers.
“In addition, in recent years, remarkable progress has been made in error correction technology for quantum computers, and Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE) has indicated its true value in error-tolerant hardware,” the collaborative team said.
As quantum computers become more robust, we can expect to see even more exciting breakthroughs
