In a groundbreaking achievement for quantum computing, Microsoft and Quantinuum have successfully developed a new generation of highly reliable logical qubits, a crucial advancement for practical applications in the field. This discovery, announced on October 6, 2024, marks a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between the two companies under their Azure Quantum project.
Initially, the partnership produced four logical qubits from 30 physical qubits, showcasing an impressive 800-fold improvement in logical error rates. However, the teams did not stop there; they expanded their efforts and achieved the creation of 12 logical qubits from 56 physical qubits on Quantinuum's H2 machine, demonstrating an outstanding 99.8% fidelity in two-qubit operations.
One of the most exciting aspects of this achievement is the successful entanglement of these logical qubits in a complex Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state. This intricate arrangement resulted in a circuit error rate of just 0.0011, a substantial improvement over the physical qubits' error rate of 0.024. Such advancements not only deepen the potential for quantum computations but also pave the way for fault-tolerant quantum computing, essential for unlocking the full capabilities of quantum technology.
Moreover, this collaboration has significant implications for chemistry. By integrating logical qubits with artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), the teams tackled the complex scientific problem of estimating the ground state energy of a catalytic intermediate. This innovative workflow is the first of its kind to combine quantum computing, HPC, and AI to solve a scientific issue, showcasing the real-world applicability of quantum technologies.
While the current results do not yet represent a full scientific quantum advantage, they illustrate the potential for quantum systems to outperform classical methods in specific scenarios. The hybrid approach used in this study highlights how quantum computing can enhance the accuracy of chemical computations, particularly for complex challenges that classical systems struggle to address.
As the Azure Quantum platform evolves, it aims to support various qubit architectures, including neutral-atom and topological qubits, enhancing the reliability and scalability of quantum computing. Rajeeb Hazra, CEO of Quantinuum, emphasized the significance of their achievements, stating, "The ability of our systems to triple the number of logical qubits while less than doubling our physical qubits is a testament to the high fidelities and all-to-all connectivity of our H-Series trapped-ion hardware." This powerful collaboration is set to unlock even greater advancements when combined with cutting-edge AI and HPC tools delivered through Azure Quantum.