British startup PhaseCraft has developed an algorithm that brings quantum computing's potential to uncover new materials and their properties much closer to reality.
Quantum computers have incredible potential in the field of materials science because they can simulate multiple complex quantum systems. This, in turn, could lead to technological breakthroughs in areas such as energy, manufacturing, and medicine.
There is still a long way to go before quantum computers scale and become stable enough to perform these functions on their own. However, quantum and classical computers can work together using algorithms that use smaller quantum computers for specific subtasks within larger computational processes.
Today, Bristol and London-based startup Phasecraft announced a new algorithm that: Combining and optimizing classical mapping and quantum simulation, we put material simulations “within touching distance” on a short-term quantum computer.
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“Using modern algorithms to improve circuit depth has fundamentally changed the landscape and timeline for materials simulation on quantum computers,” he said. Phasecraft CTO/Chief Scientist and Co-Founder Toby Cubitt. (We can't help but marvel at the appropriateness, or perhaps necessity, of someone with this last name working in quantum computing.)
Overcoming short-term quantum computing limitations
The term “short-term quantum computer” refers to quantum computing systems that are expected to be developed and operational in a relatively short period of time, given the current pace of technological progress in this field. There is a limit to the number of qubits, and there is also a limit to the number of operations that can be performed reliably.
Phasecraft says it overcomes these limitations with an algorithmic approach. We combine classical methods to map materials with new quantum techniques to simulate their behavior. The first stage uses classical computers to perform calculations and optimizations to effectively represent the material, and the second stage generates the world's most efficient quantum circuits to simulate the material's behavior.
“What was once thought to be beyond the reach of near-term quantum computers now appears to be within range. We have taken an important step towards that promise,” Cubitt continued.
In addition to publishing recent papers in Nature Communications, Phasecraft also Material Modeling Quantum Complexity Databasethe quantum circuit complexity (a measure of quantum computational complexity) for over 40 materials is listed.
Co-founder and CEO Ashley Montanaro said the intention behind making the database public was to bridge the gap between quantum computing theory and practical application. “This is the culmination of several years of research and evidence of our progress in bringing materials modeling on quantum computers closer to reality,” he said.
Innovate UK and the National Quantum Computing Center (NQCC) are supporting phasecraft research with grants. The Scientific Computing Division of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is also partnering with the startup on this project. Phasecraft itself was founded by Cubitt, Montanaro and John Morton in his 2019 year.
