Page 15 - Spring 2024
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QUANTUM COMPUTING:
SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Fujitsu speeds up Quantum Circuit Computation leading to a requirement for new technology.
Fujitsu has devised a technique on a large-scale Fujitsu has focused on the fact that quantum
quantum simulator that it has developed that circuits with small parameter changes can
speeds up quantum classical algorithms so as to be executed without affecting each other,
increase computational speed by 200 times that allowing for the development of a distributed
achieved by previous simulations. processing technology that enables each
group to execute different quantum circuits by
With the new technology simultaneous processing
dividing the computation nodes of the quantum
of large numbers of repetitively executed
simulator into multiple groups and using so-
quantum circuit computations are distributed
called RPC technology to submit quantum circuit
among multiple groups. This has made it possible
computation jobs through the network. Multiple
to perform computations on a quantum simulator
quantum circuits with different parameters can
in just one day, where it would have taken 200
thus be simultaneously distributed and calculated
days to complete them using conventional
and the computation time can be reduced to one
methods. As a result it is now possible to complete
seventieth of its previous value.
simulations of large-scale quantum computation
within a realistic timeframe and to simulate the Fujitsu has subsequently demonstrated for the
behaviour of larger molecules computed by a first time that when distributed processing of 1024
hybrid quantum-classical algorithm, leading to compute nodes into eight groups for a 32 qubit
algorithm development. problem, it was possible to achieve a quantum
simulation run time of 32 qubits in one day where
Quantum-classical hybrid algorithms seek a previously it would have taken around 200 days.
quantum circuit that provides the lowest energy
state, for example the ground state of a molecule, Reference: Fowle, H., ‘Fujitsu speeds up Quantum Circuit
by alternating between the process of performing Computation by 200x’, Electronic Specifier, 19th. February
quantum circuit computation and the process of
optimisation of quantum circuit parameters using
Using Coherent Spin Shuttling to scale up
a classical computer. Parameter optimisation
Quantum Computing
by classical computers, however, requires
preparation of a large number of quantum circuits
Researchers at RIKEN have succeeded in
with small changes in parameters, performance
successfully connecting two silicon spin qubits
of quantum circuit computation for all of them
that are physically distant using coherent spin
sequentially, and then derivation of the optimal
shuttling.
parameters from the results. This requires
considerable time for computation, especially for This pioneering method addresses the long-
large-scale problems. Increasing the number of standing challenge of linking quantum dots
nodes simply to speed up circuit computation has that are far apart, which is crucial for scaling
been limited due to communication overhead, quantum computers from hundreds to millions
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