About NQCT
About NQCT
The first quantum computing testbed in Australia with full hardware-level control.
The first quantum computing testbed in Australia with full hardware-level control.
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Goal
Goal
Quantum computing, once realised, will revolutionize many important fields of human endeavour with, for example, unprecedented advancements in cyber security, design, cryptography, optimization, drug discovery, and manufacturing. The primary focus within the quantum computing industry is solving the scaling, noise, and error correction problems that stand between current devices and commercially relevant quantum computers.
Quantum computing, once realised, will revolutionize many important fields of human endeavour with, for example, unprecedented advancements in cyber security, design, cryptography, optimization, drug discovery, and manufacturing. The primary focus within the quantum computing industry is solving the scaling, noise, and error correction problems that stand between current devices and commercially relevant quantum computers.
Australia is an acknowledged leader in quantum information, control methods, and error correction and is growing in stature as a research provider of improved superconducting device fabrication and metrology processes. Quantum information technologies are also developed by Australian industry, including start-ups like AQC, DiraQ, SQC, Q-CTRL, etc. The latter stands out as a global leader in quantum control, boasting a team of over 200 quantum engineers.
Australia is an acknowledged leader in quantum information, control methods, and error correction and is growing in stature as a research provider of improved superconducting device fabrication and metrology processes. Quantum information technologies are also developed by Australian industry, including start-ups like AQC, DiraQ, SQC, Q-CTRL, etc. The latter stands out as a global leader in quantum control, boasting a team of over 200 quantum engineers.
Despite the existence of commercial cloud quantum computers, there remains an unserved need for direct and open access to small-scale quantum processors which enable the development and optimisation of low-level hardware interfaces and controls, error correction, novel computing designs, and modes, as well as providing robust assessment of performance on identical hardware when developing low in the computing stack. The National Quantum Computing Testbed will fill this gap and will deliver the first quantum computer in Australia with full hardware-level control of every qubit.
Despite the existence of commercial cloud quantum computers, there remains an unserved need for direct and open access to small-scale quantum processors which enable the development and optimisation of low-level hardware interfaces and controls, error correction, novel computing designs, and modes, as well as providing robust assessment of performance on identical hardware when developing low in the computing stack. The National Quantum Computing Testbed will fill this gap and will deliver the first quantum computer in Australia with full hardware-level control of every qubit.
Large providers of quantum computing hardware do have this capability, but access is limited to internal users and a restricted number of collaborators who are bound by secrecy agreements. This stifles innovation and largely prevents researchers from working at the cutting edge of the field. Smaller quantum computing businesses and startups generally do not have such access, and this presents a significant barrier to progress. The open access National Quantum Computing Testbed will overcome this challenge and allow researchers and industry to fairly access hardware without hidden details facilitating rigorous and transparent performance assessment.
Large providers of quantum computing hardware do have this capability, but access is limited to internal users and a restricted number of collaborators who are bound by secrecy agreements. This stifles innovation and largely prevents researchers from working at the cutting edge of the field. Smaller quantum computing businesses and startups generally do not have such access, and this presents a significant barrier to progress. The open access National Quantum Computing Testbed will overcome this challenge and allow researchers and industry to fairly access hardware without hidden details facilitating rigorous and transparent performance assessment.
Anticipated utilisation
Anticipated utilisation
The project is motivated by the UQ and CSIRO scientists who were seeking collaboration by implementing quantum algorithms on the UQ quantum hardware. Despite having access to IBM cloud computers, researchers need more detailed knowledge of specific hardware, avoid long waiting times for execution of their algorithms and test their hypothesis on small-scale but specialised quantum systems. After consulting with researchers from academia, quantum tech start-ups, and AI companies, we identified the unserved need for direct access to small-scale quantum processors that enable the development and perfection of low-level hardware interfaces and controls, error correction, novel computing designs, and modes, such as well as providing fair assessment of performance on identical hardware when developing low in the computing stack.
The foundation users indicated in the Project Delivery Plan will be among the first facility users (10-20 regular users per year), but it is expected that the number of users will grow further with a set of computational tasks quickly expanding to include basic implementations of error-correction codes, quantum feedback protocols such as quantum distillation, and others.
In the long term, we expect NQCT to be the enabling facility, including revolutionary new avenues such as quantum physical neural networks (QPNNs) and quantum-inspired AI. The concept of the facility will allow a QPNN R&D effort that leverages UQ's and Queensland's particular expertise in this cutting-edge field with a huge potential for Australia to capture the value.
Finally, we expect NCQT to be the learning platform of choice for students, apprentices, and future 'hardware-aware' quantum engineers. We also registered considerable interest from international researchers and expect the international demand will increase after the facility has been launched.
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