A Kitchener-based startup has teamed up with Google Inc. to test out the tech giant’s new open source framework for quantum computing.
Canada’s Quantum Benchmark was chosen to as an early tester of the framework, called Cirq, and has been combining Cirq with its new True-Q software system.
According to a release from Quantum Benchmark, True-Q is a system that can find, solve and minimize errors in quantum computing algorithms and results.
“We are excited to be working with Google to build the software ecosystem for quantum computing and expand the leading edge of hardware capabilities. This opportunity highlights the value and reputation of our technology, our commitment to the Cirq ecosystem, and our ability to serve hardware vendors and large-scale industry users on this platform,” Quantum Benchmark CEO Joseph Emerson said in the release.
Quantum Benchmark was founded in 2017 and focuses on creating software solutions for quantum computers. In another release, the company stated that its new software is designed to increase the size and number of problems a quantum computer can solve by diagnosing and suppressing errors.
Combining True-Q with Google’s open source framework allows other Cirq users to access Quantum Benchmark’s error detection software, the company said.
Google announced Cirq earlier this month. The release calls the platform a way for quantum computers to maximize their full potential.
The announcement was likely another step in Google’s drive for supremacy in the realm of quantum computing.
The tech company calls Cirq an open source framework built for Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum Computers (NISQ), devices with 50 to 100 qubits (Google currently claims to have the largest NISQ with 72 qubits.)
“Cirq is focused on the near-term questions and helping researchers understand whether NISQ quantum computers are capable of solving computational problems of practical importance.”
“When we built our framework for quantum programming, a key philosophy was that surfacing the gritty details of the noise and performance of quantum hardware was going to be essential for algorithm development,” said Dave Bacon, Google’s quantum software lead.
He said Quantum Benchmark’s software provides an important set of tools to the Cirq framework helping people to better utilize and understand quantum hardware.
Joel Wallman, Quantum Benchmark’s chief technology officer and co-founder, noted the importance of being able to minimize errors and trust the results of quantum programs, stating that True-Q provides this key tool.
“This is crucially important in the near-term as quantum computers enter the quantum supremacy regime and provide solutions that can no longer be checked with classical computers,” he said.
To learn more about quantum computing check out this piece from IT World Canada sister site Computer Dealer News.