And Borealis recently achieved a milestone by solving a colossal math problem. “If we ran [the problem] on the most powerful supercomputer out there, it would take 9,000 years. For Borealis, it takes less than a second, which is incredible,” says Christian Weedbrook, CEO of Xanadu, the company that built Borealis. Weedbrook said it’s only the third time a quantum computer has encountered something unreachable for an ordinary computer, a scenario called the quantum edge. The first time was by Google in 2019, the second by a group of Chinese researchers in 2020. Xanadu’s achievement was published earlier this summer in the journal Nature. Christian Weedbrook is the CEO of Canadian quantum computing startup Xanadu. (CBC News) For years, quantum computing has been primarily the focus of academia and government. Now, experts say we could be close to an inflection point where the technology is closer to commercialization. “It’s a very nice step that shows that the technology is mature … and could be a candidate for more widespread adoption of quantum computing,” said Anne Broadbent, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, where she researches quantum computing. Weedbrook said the possibilities for quantum computing are nearly limitless, opening the door to “solving important business problems in industries from finance to drug discovery and materials design.”
Exponential potential
The concepts used in quantum computing may seem mind-boggling, and they are very powerful. Ordinary computers encode information using zeros and ones, called binary digits — or bits for short. Using quantum physics, these supercomputers can use zeros, ones, or any value in between, in what are known as quantum digits — or qubits. This allows them to perform calculations much faster on problems that are more complex. But the big difference between the two types of computers is how they actually tackle a problem. If a normal computer tried to navigate through a maze, it would consider each possible path one at a time. A quantum computer will consider all paths simultaneously. “I’m just adding one [quibit] it doubles the computing power of your system,” says Stephanie Simmons, associate professor of physics at Simon Fraser University and founder of Vancouver-based quantum startup Photonic. which we hope to capitalize on.” Stephanie Simmons is an associate professor of physics and founder of Photonic. He sees commercialization as the next step for quantum computing. (CBC News) In July, Simmons and her team also had an innovation published in Nature: a silicon chip that holds 150,000 qubits. Since silicon is already so widely used in technology, Simmons says it will be easier to produce these more powerful chips on a larger scale. “What we’re seeing next is the commercialization of quantum, and so we’re going to start seeing little glimmers and then suddenly it’s going to change everything we do.”
The global image
The race is on to build a universal quantum computer that can solve a wide range of problems. Startups in the industry are booming, with 23 quantum firms based in Canada, according to McKinsey & Co., a global management consultancy. The US is the only country further ahead, with 59 quantum-related startups. Weedbrook said growth in this area offers an opportunity to attract scientific talent to the country. “Xanadu is kind of… a brain gain,” he said. “We have over half the people who started it are actually from overseas.” WATCHES | Commercialization the next step for quantum computers:
What the future holds for quantum computers
Canadians at the forefront of the quantum computing industry describe what the future holds. “We are looking at a scenario where there is international competition that is very strong,” said Broadbent, the Ottawa professor. “Canada has traditionally been ahead in many areas … we want to continue that effort.” Canada committed $360 million in the 2021 federal budget to building a national quantum strategy. Simmons said she hopes that with continued investment “we could really make a big difference in terms of keeping jobs here, keeping talent here and really benefiting from this economic windfall.”
I’m becoming an intern
While quantum computers are still in their infancy, experts are already pointing out that they have the potential to solve complex problems like climate change and cyber security. The technology is also starting to seep into business plans, with Goldman Sachs using quantum computers to improve calculations in options financing and Volkswagen trying to use them to optimize its manufacturing. Professor Daniel Gottesman, a theoretical computer scientist at the University of Maryland, acknowledges that there is still plenty of hype in the industry. “There are many reasons to be hopeful about the future of quantum computing, but there is also uncertainty … progress could slow,” he said. A Vancouver team led by Simmons has created a quantum chip using silicon that can hold 150,000 qubits. (CBC News) However, he predicts that quantum computers will live up to expectations. it’s just a matter of when. “It’s going to be a while before we get big enough to make things that are useful for anything — and even longer until we get things that are useful for a lot of things.” The technology faces hurdles, including cost and scale of production, but Simmons expects the quantum computer to make a big difference. “Even if you don’t use quantum computing in your office, you will still experience the effects. Because many companies will be able to use this exponential boost in computing power to change what they can offer us as Consumers.”
