One of the most common questions surrounding quantum computing is when it will become commercially viable. This question was recently posed to a panel of experts at the Quantum Datacenter Alliance Forum in London by Austin Li, who is actively involved in quantum computing standards at Google.
While logical qubits and error correction are often highlighted as key components needed for the development of practical quantum computers, there are still numerous crucial elements missing to create a fully functional and scalable quantum computing system.
Esoteric hardware
During the forum, Alexander Keesling, the chief technology officer at QuEra, discussed the limitations of lasers that are currently being optimized for different applications. He emphasized the importance of coherence in lasers for quantum computing, which is currently lacking in high-powered lasers.
Scalability is another significant challenge that the quantum computing industry needs to address. Keesling pointed out that doubling the number of qubits should not necessitate a quantum computer that is twice the size. The infrastructure supporting quantum computers must be efficiently designed to accommodate the increasing number of qubits.
Owen Arnold, the vice-president of product development at Oxford Quantum Circuits, highlighted the challenges in working with suppliers of dilution refrigerators essential for creating a superconductive environment for quantum computer systems. He emphasized the need for scaling up such specialized equipment for datacenter environments.
Arnold also discussed the transition of quantum computers from experimental setups to datacenter deployments, emphasizing the necessity for improved diagnostics, maintenance control, and redundant power to ensure high uptime.
Even with advancements in quantum computing science and the development of datacenter-ready systems, addressing ease of programmability is crucial for widespread adoption at datacenter scale.
Ease of programming and hybrid complexity
Josh Savory, director of offering management at Quantinuum, discussed the company’s 2029 roadmap at the forum, emphasizing the importance of industry alignment around standards to achieve commercial viability. He highlighted the need for technologies like QIR and CQASM to provide a uniform programming interface for application developers.
The panel of experts also explored the integration of quantum computers with classical high-performance computing (HPC) as a coprocessor, acknowledging the complexity of such an architecture. Challenges in accelerating problem-solving with quantum computers and orchestrating between different compute resources were discussed.
While research indicates the achievable goals of quantum computing technology, the experts at the Quantum Datacenter Alliance Forum emphasized the need for extensive work before these machines can be effectively integrated into commercial datacenter setups.
