D-Wave Releases 1000 Qubit Quantum Computer

Quantum Computers  

D-Wave has officially broken the 1000 qubit barrier with their newest quantum processor that is about double the size of previous generations, and far exceeds the size of any other quantum processor. This updated processor will allow significantly more complex computational problems.

D-Wave Systems Inc., the world's first quantum computing company, has announced their new 1000 qubit D-Wave 2X quantum computing system. The D-Wave 2X features a over a thousand qubit quantum processor and numerous design improvements that result in larger problem sizes, faster performance and higher precision.

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At the 1000+ qubit level, the D-Wave 2X quantum processor evaluates all of 2¹⁰⁰⁰ possible solutions simultaneously as it converges on optimal or near optimal solutions, more possibilities than there are particles in the observable universe.

According the company's press release, "No conventional computer of any kind could represent this many possibilities simultaneously, further illustrating the powerful nature of quantum computation."

Jeremy Hilton, vice president of processor development at D-Wave, said, “The D-Wave 2X marks the latest step forward in our aggressive performance trajectory. Our first system, the D-Wave Onesystem, was the first scalable quantum computer, but was slower than general-purpose optimization software. The next generation D-Wave Two system significantly outperformed the general-purpose optimization software, but was only comparable to specialized highly tuned heuristic algorithms. With the D-Wave 2X system we have surpassed the performance of these specialized algorithms, providing incentive for users to develop methods to harness this revolutionary technology for their own applications.”

"The next generation D-Wave Two system significantly outperformed the general-purpose optimization software, but was only comparable to specialized highly tuned heuristic algorithms."

To showcase the performance of the new system, a paper outlining benchmark results for a set of problems native to the D-Wave 2X system. The benchmark includes a set of synthetic discrete combinatorial optimization problems intended to be representative of real world challenges.  Some application challenges currently under study at D-Wave involve algorithms that tune stock portfolios or underlie machine learning used in bioinformatics, inductive logic programming, and natural language processing and computer vision.

In addition to scaling beyond 1000 qubits, the new system incorporates other major technological and scientific advancements. These include an operating temperature below 15 millikelvin, near absolute zero and 180 times colder than interstellar space. With over 128,000 Josephson tunnel junctions, the new processors are believed to be the most complex superconductor integrated circuits ever successfully used in production systems. Increased control circuitry precision and a 50% reduction in noise also contribute to faster performance and enhanced reliability.

“Breaking the 1000 qubit barrier marks the culmination of years of research and development by our scientists, engineers and manufacturing team,” said D-Wave CEO Vern Brownell. “It is a critical step toward bringing the promise of quantum computing to bear on some of the most challenging technical, commercial, scientific, and national defense problems that organizations face.”

SOURCE  D-Wave

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