Since its inception in June 1983, RIACS has conducted basic and applied research in computer science for the nation's aeronautics and space-related missions and programs. In 2012, USRA partnered with NASA and Google to found the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL): the space agency’s hub to evaluate the near term impact of quantum technologies.
The mission of RIACS quantum computing team is to advance the industry and the body of knowledge in quantum information related sciences, and to continue to provide to its partners the most qualified technical support to address hard challenges in applied computer science.
The paper From the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm to a Quantum Alternating Operator Ansatz by Stuart Hadfield, Zhihui Wang, Bryan O’Gorman, Eleanor G. Rieffel, Davide Venturelli and Rupak Biswas published in MDPI Algorithm, Volume 12, Issue 2, doi: 10.3390/a12020034 has been selected as best paper from MDPI for 2020. The paper has been very influential at QuAIL at USRA generating numerous derivative work.
The new paper Entanglement Across Separate Silicon Dies in a Modular Superconducting Qubit Device describes a new method to manufacture large-scale quantum computers out of smaller, specialized modules promises to simplify a number of formidable science and engineering challenges. The team, funded by the DARPA ONISQ program, demonstrated a modular solid state architecture with deterministic inter-module coupling between four physically separate, interchangeable superconducting qubit integrated circuits, that supports the dynamics of pairs of entangled qubits across the four separate silicon dies. Having proven out the fundamental building blocks, this work provides the technological foundations for a modular quantum processor: technology which will accelerate near-term experimental efforts and open up new paths to the fault-tolerant era for solid state qubit architectures.
NASA's has awarded the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab (QuAIL) team the group Honor Award for 2020, for advancing the frontiers of quantum computing through foundational research in algorithms and software that influences the development of commercial quantum computers. Current Team members, consultants and fellowship students include: Rupak Biswas, Kyle E. Booth, Stephen J. Cotton, Shon R. Grabbe, Stuart A. Hadfield, Tad Hogg, Ryan LaRose, Salvatore Mandra, Jeffrey S. Marshall, Gianni Mossi, Bryan A. O’Gorman, Eleanor G. Rieffel, Samuel H. Stromswold, Norman M. Tubman, Davide Venturelli, Walter Vinci, Zhihui Wang, Adam M. Wilson, Filip A. Wudarski.
Results of the first Applied NISQ Computing Award are out: the winner is Prof. Aram Harrow from MIT with the paper Small Quantum Computers and Large Classical Data Set. Honorable mention goes to Balint Koczor and Simon C. Benjamin with Quantum Analytic Descent.
Submissions are open for the first USRA Q2B Applied NISQ Computing Paper Award. Every paper appeared as a preprint in 2020 is eligible for nomination. An additional cover letter/synopsis is required. Prize includes a featured invited presentation at Q2B conference and free compute time on a variety of quantum computing platforms. All info here.