Not long ago, the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre in Perth, Western Australia, hosted the world’s first hybrid of a quantum computer and a traditional supercomputer. A quantum processor capable of operating at room temperature and developed by the German-Australian company Quantum Brilliance was installed in one of the racks and linked to the internal systems of the new HPE Cray Ex Setonix supercomputer.
Quantum computers have a huge advantage and potential over traditional computers by using the strange principles and laws of quantum mechanics. They can perform calculations in parallel and very quickly due to the fact that quantum bits, qubits, can be in one particular state or in several states simultaneously, which is called a quantum superposition state, and data can be instantly transferred from qubit to qubit by using the phenomenon of quantum entanglement.
The main problem with most existing quantum computing systems is that they use superconducting elements as qubits, which operate at temperatures close to absolute zero. The need for such deep cooling adds huge amounts to the cost of computing systems and the cost of the energy they consume.
However, Quantum Brilliance has managed to design and manufacture a quantum processor capable of operating at room temperature. These processor qubits are based on so-called nitrogen vacancies, artificially created defects in the crystal lattice of synthetic diamond. Such qubits are less sensitive to temperature variations and mechanical fluctuations. And protection from external electromagnetic fluctuations is easily enough provided by traditional methods, including shielding.
The Setonix supercomputer, which has received a quantum “co-processor” Quantum Brilliance will initially be used to test and determine the main advantages of hybrid computing systems. Later on, the quantum processor will be tasked with some tasks, on which the processor will be able to fully demonstrate some of its unique advantages.
“The Setonix + Quantum Brilliance system will be the testbed on which we will begin to test the capabilities of hybrid systems on a variety of real-world tasks,” says Mark Stickells, executive director of the Posey Center. “If we can achieve high performance of both parts of the hybrid system working together, it will provide a host of new opportunities and accelerate new discoveries for modern science.”
