Exploring the Latest Advancements in Quantum Technology and Its Real-World Applications探索量子技术的最新进展及其实际应用

Introduction

引言

Quantum computing is a technology that uses quantum bits or qubits instead of traditional binary bits for computation. 量子计算是一种使用量子比特（qubits）而非传统二进制位进行计算的技术。

Qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously, allowing quantum hardware to perform massively parallel computation. 量子比特可以同时存在于多个状态，这使得量子硬件能够进行大规模并行计算。

While some still question the feasibility of quantum computing, major tech companies like IBM, Google, Intel, and Microsoft, as well as numerous smaller pioneers, have been actively developing quantum computing hardware and software in recent years. 尽管一些人仍然质疑量子计算的可行性，但近年来，包括IBM、Google、Intel、Microsoft在内的大型科技公司，以及众多小型先锋企业都在积极开发量子计算硬件和软件。

Recent Developments

最新发展

Amazon has expanded its Braket quantum cloud computing service and announced its own quantum processor in November 2023. Amazon扩展了其Braket量子云计算服务，并在2023年11月宣布了自己的量子处理器。

Nvidia is developing a bridging technology called Q-toq for integrating and programming quantum processing units, GPUs, and traditional CPUs. Nvidia正在开发名为Q-toq的桥接技术，用于整合和编程量子处理单元、GPU和传统CPU。

In May 2024, Nvidia announced the use of Q-toq to accelerate quantum computing research at several supercomputing centers. 2024年5月，Nvidia宣布使用Q-toq加速多个超级计算中心的量子计算研究。

Nvidia has also collaborated with quantum software pioneer Classiq to launch the Quantum Center for Life Sciences. Nvidia还与量子软件先锋Classiq合作，启动了量子生命科学中心。

Classiq is working to integrate quantum software tools into Mathematica, which will allow this popular application to develop quantum algorithms to run on quantum hardware. Classiq正在努力将量子软件工具集成到Mathematica中，这将使这个流行的应用程序能够开发在量子硬件上运行的量子算法。

Quantum-Hire.com has launched a new quantum computing career network. Quantum-Hire.com推出了新的量子计算职业网络。

Despite some setbacks, such as the closure of Alibaba's quantum lab, the past 12 months have seen accelerating progress in the field of quantum computing. 尽管也有一些不利消息，如阿里巴巴量子实验室的关闭，但总体而言，过去12个月量子计算领域的进展正在加速。

Financial Status

财务状况

According to a McKinsey report in April 2024, globally announced public funding for quantum computing has reached $42 billion. 根据McKinsey在2024年4月的报告，全球公开宣布的量子计算公共资金已达420亿美元。

China leads in government investment with a total of $15.3 billion, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Korea. 中国在政府投资方面领先，总计153亿美元，其次是德国、英国、美国和韩国。

In 2023, three of these countries announced significant new investments. 2023年，这些国家中的三个宣布了大量新投资。

Private investment in quantum technology startups dropped to $1.71 billion in 2023, down from a peak of $2.35 billion in 2022. 2023年，量子技术初创公司的私人投资从2022年的峰值23.5亿美元下降到17.1亿美元。

However, there were more individual investment deals than ever before, but for smaller amounts on average. 然而，个别投资交易的数量创下新高，但平均金额较小。

Estimates for the current market size for quantum hardware, software, and services vary: 关于当前量子硬件、软件和服务的市场规模，存在不同的估计：

  • IDC states that customer spend on quantum computing was $1.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to $6.7 billion in 2027.

  • IDC表示，2022年客户在量子计算上的支出为11亿美元，预计到2027年将增长到67亿美元。

  • Markets and Markets suggest that the global quantum computing market size was $0.9 billion in 2023 and will be $1.3 billion in 2024, growing to $5.3 billion by 2029.

  • Markets and Markets认为，2023年全球量子计算市场规模为9亿美元，2024年将达到13亿美元，2029年将达到53亿美元。

While accurate figures are hard to determine, it's reasonable to state that at least $1 billion of quantum hardware, software, and services are now being sold every year. 尽管准确数字难以确定，但可以合理地说，每年至少有10亿美元的量子硬件、软件和服务正在销售。

Technological Advancements

技术进展

We are still in the era of NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) computing, where it remains difficult to deliver enough high-fidelity qubits to perform useful work, regardless of the technology used. 目前仍处于NISQ（嘈杂的中等规模量子计算）时代，无论使用何种技术，都很难提供足够多的高保真度量子比特来执行有用的工作。

In June 2023, IBM demonstrated what they term "quantum utility," which exists when noisy quantum hardware has sufficient error correction and noise manipulation applied to deliver results that cannot be obtained with a classical computer. 2023年6月，IBM展示了他们称之为"量子效用"的概念，即在噪声量子硬件上应用足够的错误纠正和噪声操控，以获得经典计算机无法获得的结果。

In December 2023, IBM released its 133-qubit Heron processor and System2 quantum computer, which uses three Heron chips to deliver a 399-qubit system. 2023年12月，IBM发布了133量子比特的Heron处理器和使用三个Heron芯片的399量子比特System2量子计算机。

Heron offers a five-fold improvement in error reduction compared to IBM's previous Eagle chip. Heron在错误减少方面比IBM之前的Eagle芯片提高了5倍。

In October 2023, Atom Computing announced that it had created an atomic array with 1,180 qubits. 2023年10月，Atom Computing宣布创建了一个包含1,180个量子比特的原子阵列。

The company's hardware is based on neutral atoms, which may make it easier to control noise and create quantum processors with large numbers of fault-tolerant qubits. 该公司的硬件基于中性原子，这可能使得控制噪声和创建大量容错量子比特的量子处理器变得更容易。

Quantinuum has reported significant progress: Quantinuum报告了重大进展：

  • In March 2024, they solved the "wiring problem."

  • 2024年3月，解决了"布线问题"。

  • In April 2024, they demonstrated a fidelity of 99.91% across all qubit pairs in its H1 commercial quantum computer.

  • 2024年4月，在其H1商用量子计算机上展示了99.91%的保真度。

  • Collaborating with Microsoft, they used Quantinuum's H2 hardware and Microsoft's qubit virtualization system to generate the most reliable logical qubits ever recorded, with error rates 800 times lower than those for physical qubits.

  • 与微软合作，使用Quantinuum的H2硬件和微软的量子比特虚拟化系统生成了迄今为止最可靠的逻辑量子比特，逻辑量子比特的错误率比物理量子比特低800倍。

Companies like AWS and Alice and Bob are developing qubits that are more easily corrected. AWS和Alice and Bob等公司正在开发更容易纠错的量子比特。

Riverlane is focused on creating an error correction stack for quantum computing. Riverlane专注于创建量子计算的错误纠正堆栈。

In July 2024, they released a roadmap predicting that their Delta Flow software will allow 100,000 error-free quantum operations in 2025 and 1 million in 2026. 2024年7月，他们发布了路线图，预测其Delta Flow软件将在2025年允许10万次无错误量子操作，2026年达到100万次。

Quantum Networks

量子网络

Quantum networks rely on two key quantum phenomena: superposition and entanglement. 量子网络依赖于两个关键的量子现象：叠加和纠缠。

According to Microsoft's Brad Ley, quantum networks will evolve from point-to-point connections to many-to-one connections between sites, and finally to some form of quantum internet. 根据微软的Brad Ley的说法，量子网络将从点对点连接发展到多对一连接，最终形成某种形式的量子互联网。

As of March 2024, over 40 quantum network test beds have been created globally. 截至2024年3月，全球已建立了40多个量子网络测试平台。

Europe's Quantum Internet Alliance is working to build a prototype of a quantum internet. 欧洲量子互联网联盟正在努力构建量子互联网原型。

In February 2024, IonQ announced that it was the first company to demonstrate ion-photon entanglement outside of an academic environment. 2024年2月，IonQ宣布首次在非学术环境中展示离子-光子纠缠。

In May 2024: 2024年5月：

  • The AWS Center for Quantum Networks reported on joint work with Harvard University, creating a multi-node quantum network that distributes, stores, and processes quantum information across 35 km of optical fiber buried under the streets of Boston.

  • AWS量子网络中心报告了与哈佛大学的合作，在波士顿地下35公里光纤上创建了多节点量子网络。

  • Photonic reported on collaborative work with Microsoft, demonstrating the distributed entanglement of optically linked silicon spin qubits.

  • Photonic报告了与微软的合作，展示了光学链接的硅自旋量子比特的分布式纠缠。

Future Applications

应用前景

Future quantum computers will complement rather than replace traditional classical computers, allowing us to perform new types of computation. 未来的量子计算机将补充而非取代传统计算机，允许我们执行新型计算。

Key applications are likely to include: 关键应用可能包括：

  • Quantum molecular modeling, which will improve our understanding of chemistry and allow us to develop new materials.

  • 量子分子建模，改善化学理解和新材料开发。

  • Improving healthcare, which is the goal of the new center set up by Classiq and Nvidia.

  • 改善医疗保健，这是Classiq和Nvidia新设立的中心的目标。

  • Improving the design and efficiency of complex systems, as being worked on by Rolls-Royce, Riverlane, and Xanadu to develop applications using quantum computers to help model airflow through jet engines.

  • 改善复杂系统的设计和效率，如Rolls-Royce、Riverlane和Xanadu正在开发的使用量子计算机帮助模拟喷气发动机气流的应用。

In March 2024, an X Prize for Quantum Applications was announced, sponsored by Google Quantum AI and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation. 2024年3月，由Google Quantum AI和日内瓦科学与外交预测基金会赞助的量子应用X Prize竞赛宣布启动。

This three-year, $5 million competition is designed to generate quantum computing algorithms that will be able to help solve real-world challenges in climate, sustainability, health, and beyond. 这是一项为期3年、500万美元的竞赛，旨在生成能够帮助解决气候、可持续性、健康等现实世界挑战的量子计算算法。

In June 2024, the United Nations declared that 2025 will be the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. 2024年6月，联合国宣布2025年为国际量子科学技术年。

Researchers at Riverlane and MIT are also planning to use quantum computers to assist with nuclear fusion reactor research. Riverlane和MIT的研究人员还计划使用量子计算机协助核聚变反应堆研究。

Conclusion

结语

While major technical challenges lie ahead, the field of quantum computing is progressing rapidly. 尽管量子计算仍面临重大技术挑战，但该领域正在快速发展。

As large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers are developed, we may see the operation of distributed quantum computing clusters and quantum communication networks with excellent security. 随着大规模容错量子计算机的开发，我们可能会看到分布式量子计算集群的运行，以及具有出色安全性的量子通信网络。

Quantum computing holds the promise of revolutionary changes across various fields, and the future looks exciting. 量子计算有望在各个领域带来革命性的变革，未来令人期待。