Microsoft Azure Quantum

Last updated
Microsoft Azure Quantum
Developer(s) Microsoft
Initial releaseFebruary 1, 2021;3 years ago (2021-02-01) [1]

Microsoft Azure Quantum is a public cloud-based quantum computing platform developed by Microsoft, that offers quantum hardware, software, and solutions for developers to build quantum applications. [1] [2] It supports variety of quantum hardware architectures from partners including Quantinuum, IonQ, and Atom Computing. [3] To run applications on the cloud platform, Microsoft developed the Q# quantum programming language. [4]

Contents

Azure Quantum also includes a platform for scientific research, Azure Quantum Elements. It uses artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and quantum processors to run molecular simulations and calculations in computational chemistry and materials science. [5]

Azure Quantum was first announced at Microsoft Ignite in 2019. [6] The platform was opened for public preview in 2021, [1] and Azure Quantum Elements was launched in 2023. [5]

Hardware

In addition to its hardware partners on the platform, Microsoft is developing a topological quantum computer with qubits that are inherently resistant to error. The approach is based on Majorana quasiparticles, which act as their own antiparticle and have a charge and energy equal to zero, making qubits that are more resilient to disturbances. [7] [8]

In 2023, Azure Quantum researchers found evidence consistent with the creation and control of Majorana quasiparticles for topological quantum computing. [8] [9]

Microsoft has also introduced three levels of implementation for quantum computing: foundational (noisy intermediate-scale qubits), resilient (reliable logical qubits), and scale (quantum supercomputers). [7] [10]

In 2024, Microsoft applied a qubit virtualization system to Quantinuum’s trapped ion quantum computer to create 12 logical qubits, the most reliable logical qubits on record at the time. [11] The work built upon a previous demonstration that reached error rates 800 times better than the achievement of the same quantum computer without virtualization. [11] [12]

Microsoft and Photonic also performed a teleported CNOT gate between qubits physically separated by 40 meters. The work confirmed remote quantum entanglement between T-centers - a requirement for long-distance quantum communication. [13]

Software

For quantum applications, Azure Quantum developed Q# (pronunciation: Q Sharp), a quantum programming language, and an open-source software development kit for quantum algorithm development and simulation. [1]

The Azure Quantum Resource Estimator estimates resources required to execute a given quantum algorithm on a fault-tolerant quantum computer. [14]

In 2023, Azure Quantum Elements added Microsoft Copilot, a GPT-4 based large language model tool to query and visualize data, write code, and initiate simulations. [7]

The same year, Microsoft developed Quantum Intermediate Representation (QIR) from LLVM as a common interface between programming languages and target quantum processors. [15]

Microsoft also developed gate-efficient algorithmic methods to perform faster Trotter steps with lower gate complexity, enabling efficient quantum simulations that reduce the required quantum hardware resources. [16]

Azure Quantum Elements

The Azure Quantum Elements platform combines artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional high-performance computing with quantum tools for materials science, chemistry and pharmaceutical research. [17] The platform uses physics-based AI models and advanced algorithms to process complex research data and draw conclusions. [18]

In January 2024, Microsoft and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory used AI and HPC to model and screen 32 million new candidate materials to develop a more efficient rechargeable battery material. The joint project generated new material candidates, then conducted a hyper-accelerated search among them to reach a single suitable candidate that could potentially replace the lithium-ion. [19]

In July 2024, Microsoft released a Generative Chemistry tool for Azure Quantum Elements that uses generative AI to identify the right molecules to use for a particular application. Microsoft also released an Accelerated Density Functional Theory tool to simulate simulations of a molecule’s electronic structure using density functional theory (DFT). [20]

Microsoft also used two logical qubits integrated with AI and cloud high-performance computing to solve a practical chemistry problem. [21] According to Microsoft, this case study on catalytic reactions producing chiral molecules represents the first time an HPC system, AI, and quantum computing hardware have been deployed together to solve a specific scientific problem. [21]

In pharmaceuticals, Azure Quantum Elements and HPC platform was integrated with 1910 Gentetics’ computational and wet lab biological information, laboratory automation powered by robotics and multimodal AI models for drug discovery. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quantum computing</span> Technology that uses quantum mechanics

A quantum computer is a computer that exploits quantum mechanical phenomena. On small scales, physical matter exhibits properties of both particles and waves, and quantum computing leverages this behavior using specialized hardware. Classical physics cannot explain the operation of these quantum devices, and a scalable quantum computer could perform some calculations exponentially faster than any modern "classical" computer. Theoretically a large-scale quantum computer could break widely used encryption schemes and aid physicists in performing physical simulations; however, the current state of the art is largely experimental and impractical, with several obstacles to useful applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of quantum computing and communication</span>

This is a timeline of quantum computing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quantum circuit</span> Model of quantum computing

In quantum information theory, a quantum circuit is a model for quantum computation, similar to classical circuits, in which a computation is a sequence of quantum gates, measurements, initializations of qubits to known values, and possibly other actions. The minimum set of actions that a circuit needs to be able to perform on the qubits to enable quantum computation is known as DiVincenzo's criteria.

Quantum error correction (QEC) is a set of techniques used in quantum computing to protect quantum information from errors due to decoherence and other quantum noise. Quantum error correction is theorised as essential to achieve fault tolerant quantum computing that can reduce the effects of noise on stored quantum information, faulty quantum gates, faulty quantum state preparation, and faulty measurements. Effective quantum error correction would allow quantum computers with low qubit fidelity to execute algorithms of higher complexity or greater circuit depth.

Quantum programming is the process of designing or assembling sequences of instructions, called quantum circuits, using gates, switches, and operators to manipulate a quantum system for a desired outcome or results of a given experiment. Quantum circuit algorithms can be implemented on integrated circuits, conducted with instrumentation, or written in a programming language for use with a quantum computer or a quantum processor.

Microsoft Research (MSR) is the research subsidiary of Microsoft. It was created in 1991 by Richard Rashid, Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold with the intent to advance state-of-the-art computing and solve difficult world problems through technological innovation in collaboration with academic, government, and industry researchers. The Microsoft Research team has more than 1,000 computer scientists, physicists, engineers, and mathematicians, including Turing Award winners, Fields Medal winners, MacArthur Fellows, and Dijkstra Prize winners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topological quantum computer</span> Hypothetical fault-tolerant quantum computer based on topological condensed matter

A topological quantum computer is a theoretical type of quantum computer proposed by Russian-American physicist Alexei Kitaev in 1997. It utilizes quasiparticles, known as anyons, in two-dimensional systems. These anyons' world lines intertwine to form braids in a three-dimensional spacetime. These braids act as the logic gates of the computer. The primary advantage of using quantum braids over trapped quantum particles is enhanced stability. While small, cumulative perturbations can cause quantum states to decohere and introduce errors in traditional quantum computations, such perturbations do not alter the topological properties of the braids. This stability is akin to the difference between cutting and reattaching a string to form a different braid versus a ball colliding with a wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Azure</span> Cloud computing platform by Microsoft

Microsoft Azure, or just Azure, is the cloud computing platform developed by Microsoft. It has management, access and development of applications and services to individuals, companies, and governments through its global infrastructure. It also provides capabilities that are usually not included within other cloud platforms, including software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Microsoft Azure supports many programming languages, tools, and frameworks, including Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.

Cloud-based quantum computing is the invocation of quantum emulators, simulators or processors through the cloud. Increasingly, cloud services are being looked on as the method for providing access to quantum processing. Quantum computers achieve their massive computing power by initiating quantum physics into processing power and when users are allowed access to these quantum-powered computers through the internet it is known as quantum computing within the cloud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rigetti Computing</span> American quantum computing company

Rigetti Computing, Inc. is a Berkeley, California-based developer of quantum integrated circuits used for quantum computers. The company also develops a cloud platform called Forest that enables programmers to write quantum algorithms.

Q# is a domain-specific programming language used for expressing quantum algorithms. It was initially released to the public by Microsoft as part of the Quantum Development Kit.

In quantum computing, a qubit is a unit of information analogous to a bit in classical computing, but it is affected by quantum mechanical properties such as superposition and entanglement which allow qubits to be in some ways more powerful than classical bits for some tasks. Qubits are used in quantum circuits and quantum algorithms composed of quantum logic gates to solve computational problems, where they are used for input/output and intermediate computations.

Quantum volume is a metric that measures the capabilities and error rates of a quantum computer. It expresses the maximum size of square quantum circuits that can be implemented successfully by the computer. The form of the circuits is independent from the quantum computer architecture, but compiler can transform and optimize it to take advantage of the computer's features. Thus, quantum volumes for different architectures can be compared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qiskit</span> Open-source software development kit

Qiskit is an open-source software development kit (SDK) for working with quantum computers at the level of circuits, pulses, and algorithms. It provides tools for creating and manipulating quantum programs and running them on prototype quantum devices on IBM Quantum Platform or on simulators on a local computer. It follows the circuit model for universal quantum computation, and can be used for any quantum hardware that follows this model.

Quantinuum is a quantum computing company formed by the merger of Cambridge Quantum and Honeywell Quantum Solutions. The company's H-Series trapped-ion quantum computers set the highest quantum volume to date of 1,048,576 in April 2024. This architecture supports all-to-all qubit connectivity, allowing entangled states to be created between all qubits, and enables a high fidelity of quantum states.

The current state of quantum computing is referred to as the noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, characterized by quantum processors containing up to 1,000 qubits which are not advanced enough yet for fault-tolerance or large enough to achieve quantum advantage. These processors, which are sensitive to their environment (noisy) and prone to quantum decoherence, are not yet capable of continuous quantum error correction. This intermediate-scale is defined by the quantum volume, which is based on the moderate number of qubits and gate fidelity. The term NISQ was coined by John Preskill in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krysta Svore</span> American computer scientist

Krysta Marie Svore is an American computer scientist specializing in quantum computing. She is the Technical Fellow and Vice President of advanced quantum development for Microsoft Azure Quantum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthias Troyer</span> Austrian physicist

Matthias Troyer is an Austrian physicist and computer scientist specializing in quantum computing. He is also Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President of Quantum at Microsoft.

Reliable Quantum Operations Per Second (rQOPS) is a metric that measures the capabilities and error rates of a quantum computer. It combines several key factors to measure how many reliable operations a computer can execute in a single second: logical error rates, clock speed, and number of reliable qubits.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Leprince-Ringuet, Daphne (1 Feb 2021). "Microsoft's quantum cloud computing plans take another big step forward". ZDNet. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  2. ↑ Gillis, Alexander. "What is Azure Quantum?". Tech Target. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ Kelley, Alexandra (10 Sep 2024). "Microsoft unveils new quantum computing hybrid solution in Azure". Nextgov. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  4. ↑ Boyle, Alan (4 Nov 2023). "Microsoft CEO says Azure Quantum will address the big challenges in computing". Geekwire. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  5. 1 2 Buntz, Brian (18 Jul 2023). "Microsoft goes all in on Azure Quantum to accelerate scientific discovery". Drug Discovery and Development. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  6. ↑ Lardinois, Frederic (19 May 2020). "Microsoft's quantum computing platform is now in limited preview". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  7. 1 2 3 Russell, John (22 Jun 2023). "Microsoft Debuts Azure Quantum Elements and Azure Quantum Copilot LLM". HPCwire. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  8. 1 2 Padavic-Callghan, Karmela (21 Jun 2023). "Microsoft says its weird new particle could improve quantum computers". New Scientist. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  9. ↑ Aghaee, Morteza (21 Jun 2023). "InAs-Al hybrid devices passing the topological gap protocol". Physical Review B. 107 (24): 245423. arXiv: 2207.02472 . doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.107.245423 . Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  10. ↑ Finke, Doug; Shaw, David (21 Sep 2023). "A Deeper Dive Into Microsoft's Topological Quantum Computer Roadmap". Quantum Computing Report. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  11. 1 2 Smith-Goodson, Paul (2 Oct 2024). "Microsoft Azure Quantum: Accelerating Discovery In The Quantum Age". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  12. ↑ Yirka, Bob (5 Apr 2024). "Quantinuum quantum computer using Microsoft's 'logical quantum bits' runs 14,000 experiments with no errors". Phys.org. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  13. ↑ Finke, Doug (30 May 2024). "Photonic Inc. Demonstrates Distributed Entanglement Between Two Modules Separated by 40 Meters of Fiber". Quantum Computing Report. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  14. ↑ Swayne, Matt (29 Jun 2024). "The Azure Quantum Resource Estimator: An In-Depth Look at an Important Quantum Tool". The Quantum Insider. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  15. ↑ Krill, Paul (29 Sep 2020). "Microsoft taps LLVM for quantum computing". InfoWorld. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  16. ↑ Low, Guang Hao; Su, Yuan; Tong, Yu; Minh, Tran (9 May 2023). "Complexity of Implementing Trotter Steps". Physical Review X Quantum. 4 (2): 020323. arXiv: 2211.09133 . doi:10.1103/PRXQuantum.4.020323 . Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  17. ↑ Finke, Doug (22 Jun 2024). "Microsoft Announces Additional Capabilities for Azure Quantum Elements for Research in Chemistry and Materials Science". Quantum Comoputing Report. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  18. ↑ Kelley, Alexandra (21 Oct 2024). "Microsoft and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory bring AI to quantum chemistry research". Nextgov. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  19. ↑ Smith-Goodson, Paul (25 Jan 2024). "Microsoft Uses AI And HPC To Analyze 32 Million New Materials". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  20. ↑ "Microsoft puts new tools in the hands of chemical scientists". Fierce Electronics. 8 Jul 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  21. 1 2 Ahlgren, Linnea (10 Sep 2024). "Microsoft, Quantinuum combine HPC, AI, quantum to solve real-world chemistry problem". The Next Web. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  22. ↑ "1910 Genetics and Microsoft partner to enhance pharmaceutical R&D". Pharmaceutical Technology. 1 Mar 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
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