Nord Quantique is touting another breakthrough in error correction that could make quantum computing more viable.
“Our machines will also consume a fraction of the energy, which makes them appealing to [high-performance computing] centres where energy costs are top of mind.”
Julien Camirand Lemyre
CEO, Nord Quantique
The Sherbrooke, Qué.-based company says it has developed quantum error correction that uses “multimode” encoding to produce quantum bits (qubits) instead of the conventional single-mode approach. Multiple modes in aluminum cavities (pictured above) represent different resonance frequencies, or those frequencies where quantum systems absorb or emit energy. Nord Quantique says that provides the redundancy needed for error correction without resorting to more physical qubits.
Nord Quantique claims this method not only keeps the size of a quantum system compact as it scales up, but draws much less energy.
In solving a difficult task like RSA-830 encryption (that is, RSA algorithm-based encryption with an 830-bit key length), the firm claims it needs 120 kilowatts (kW) of power to get the solution in the space of an hour. A photonic quantum computer is estimated to need 1,400 kW and 10 hours of processing time, while a classical computer would reportedly need 1,300 kW and nine days.
This makes the correction method a “key milestone,” according to Nord Quantique. It’s billed as particularly appealing to high-performance computing (HPC) data centre operators concerned about space and electricity usage. They can theoretically integrate quantum into their existing facilities (a 1,000-qubit system occupies 20 square meters) rather than having to make accommodations.
“Beyond their smaller and more practical size, our machines will also consume a fraction of the energy [of classical computers performing the same tasks], which makes them appealing, for instance, to HPC centers where energy costs are top of mind,” CEO Julien Camirand Lemyre said in a statement.
The firm also saw benefits that could come as quantum computers scale up, such as longer system lifespans (by reducing “silent” errors) and information that could lead to further error-correction advancements.
The work builds on research disclosed in February, when the company claimed that its use of bosonic codes and superconducting circuits had led to a 14 percent reduction in errors without requiring more qubits.
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Nord Quantique was founded in 2020 and helped Sherbrooke become a quantum development hub alongside startups like Quantacet and Qubic Technologies. It has received financing that includes $9.5 million in seed funding co-led by BDC Capital’s Deep Tech fund. In April, the United States’ (US) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) chose Nord Quantique to participate in a research program to develop a usable quantum computer by 2033, with Canadian rivals Photonic and Xanadu also joining in.
Domestic competition has heated up in recent months. Vancouver-based Photonic disclosed an error correction leap of its own in February, promising a new family of codes that could mitigate the need for more physical qubits. Toronto’s Xanadu, meanwhile, claims to have successfully networked quantum computers and improved their scalability.
Feature image courtesy of Nord Quantique.