We calculate on the first quantum computer accessible to the world

We use remote access to the world’s first quantum computer accessible to the public. On July 22, 2019, Bc. Ivana Miháliková used a remote access from our institute to the quantum computer IBM Quantum Experience to successfully run her first calculation there.

Quantum computing is an increasingly popular area of research. It implements approaches directly profiting from quantum-mechanical nature of matter at the nano-scale. Importantly, it is believed that quantum computers will surpass the efficiency of classical computers in near future. Difference between classical and quantum computer is related to fundamental differences when handling information. Classical computer runs on bits that have a value of either 0 or 1. In contrast, quantum computers use quantum bits called qubits. Qubits can have not only the value of 0 or 1 but, due to the laws of quantum mechanics, they can also exists in a superposition of 0 and 1. This means that qubits can be in different states simultaneously (0, 1, or any superposition of 0 and 1). Consequently, more operations can be done at the same time. Because of this, a wide range of problems in condensed matter physics and chemistry could be solved by quantum computers in a much faster way than by classical computers. Nowadays, it is possible to simulate quantum systems on quantum computers with the help of so-called QASM simulator produced by the company IBM. Moreover, IBM provides a cloud-based quantum computing platform (IBM Quantum Experience) offering five-qubit and fourteen-qubit quantum processors for real runs.
Ivana Miháliková has recently performed her first run when remotely accessing the IBM cloud from within our institute. The 10-minut-long calculation aimed at energies of electronic states of three-body system of negative hydrogen ion H-. In order to run the calculation on quantum computing platform, Ivana Miháliková adapted a program developed by Kumar et al. (see a part of it at the left side of the last figure). It is the very first quantum-computer calculation ever performed using a remote access from our institute (and so the beginning of a new computational era at IPM ;-). The results are obtained in the form of probabilities of occupation of different quantum states (see the two columns in the right side of the figure).
The calculation is a part of diploma thesis of Ivana Miháliková, student at the Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, which is entitled Extension of solid-state quantum-mechanical calculations from classical computers to quantum ones. The thesis is supported by the Rector´s programme – Excellent diploma thesis grant from the Grant agency of the Masaryk University. The thesis is supervised by Mgr. Martin Friák, Ph.D. from the Institute of Physics of Materials (IPM), Czech Academy of Sciences, the co-supervisor is RNDr. Matej Pivoluska, Ph.D. from the Institute of Computer Science of the Masaryk University, and there is also a very intensive cooperation with Mr. Martin Saip from Faculty of Informatics of Masaryk University in Brno.

The quantum computer photos come from the IBM Research Center album.

Kategorie Aktuality EN.