Quantum Computing Startup Quera Aims to Beat IBM in Error Correction
Quera, a quantum computing startup, has announced its plans to bring error correction to quantum computing in only two years, ahead of IBM's timeline. Quera is a spinoff of the Harvard University lab that demonstrated error-tracking using similar hardware. The company uses the same type of qubits as rival startup Atom Computing, which has already scaled up to over 1,000 qubits. While skepticism remains, Quera's focus on error-corrected qubits could be a promising development.
The Importance of Error Correction in Quantum Computing
The current generation of qubits used in quantum computing is prone to errors during measurements and operations. Improving the error rates is necessary to perform more elaborate calculations.
Error-corrected qubits, known as logical qubits, are designed to mitigate errors by spreading quantum information across several hardware qubits and connecting them with additional qubits for error identification and correction.
Enabling error-corrected qubits requires generating hardware with thousands or tens of thousands of qubits, each with a low error rate to ensure accurate calculations.
Quera's Approach: Atoms as Qubits
Quera and some other companies have chosen to use qubits based on neutral atoms. These atoms are held in traps formed by laser beams.
Atoms offer advantages over traditional qubits, such as transmons. They have consistent performance across devices and can be held in large numbers in a small space. Atom-based qubits also have longer coherence times and can be manipulated using lasers without the need for wiring connections.
The ability to move atoms around allows for increased flexibility and entanglement between atoms, which is not possible with traditional permanent wiring used in connecting transmons.
Considerations and Potential Impact
While skepticism is warranted given previous promises of rapid scaling in quantum computing, Quera's focus on error correction and use of atom-based qubits could be a significant step forward.
IBM and other competitors primarily use transmons, which require large wirings and multiple chips to create a useful quantum processor. Quera's approach offers a more compact and controlled system.
If Quera successfully achieves its goals of error correction in two years and useful computations by 2026, it could establish itself as a leader in the quantum computing industry, surpassing IBM.
