quantum computer Big problem. Or, to be more precise, a lot of incredibly small things. Harnessing the power of quantum uncertainty, these futuristic devices promise to revolutionize everything from the financial industry to drug discovery. Instead of using bits like laptops and phones do, quantum computers use qubits. In other words, it allows you to perform certain tasks. It is much faster than traditional computers and may be better at simulating natural processes.
Tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and IBM are racing to build quantum devices, but collectively the field is in an era known in the industry as “Noisy Mesoscale Quantum” or NISQ. Today’s quantum computers are sensitive devices that can be thrown off track by the slightest environmental interference. They’re slow, small, and not very accurate. This means that it is currently useless.
Sabrina Maniscalco wants to change that. She is the co-founder and CEO of her Algorithmiq, one of the few startups currently developing software for the noisy quantum computers we have access to. “Software and algorithms in near-future devices are key to unlocking and unlocking useful industrial applications,” she says.
The company grew out of research at the University of Helsinki, where Maniscalko is Professor of Quantum Information, Computing, and Logic. After missions in South Africa, Edinburgh and her native Sicily. “It started with trying to find the best applications for these very noisy, early-stage quantum computers,” she says.
They settled the “noise” problem. Algorithmiq is developing a way to combat the noise that plagues quantum computers. Rather than the sound of a cooling fan rotating, it is a small environmental change that allows qubits to be fine-tuned from a delicate state called superposition. This state (not 0 or 1, but can be thought of as both at the same time) is what makes quantum computers so powerful, but also so difficult to build.
Algorithmiq comes up with sophisticated ways to model and mitigate noise so that early stage devices can be used for experimentation. First, the company focuses on chemical simulation. This is a promising use case for quantum computers as it mimics natural uncertainties. We benchmark noise reduction algorithms by simulating molecules such as dichromium. This is simple enough to be simulated on current quantum computers, but complex enough to show the power of these devices. Maniscalco said his Algorithmiq, which recently announced a partnership with IBM, plans to apply the same principles to more complex structures in the future, with potential applications including drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. . “We consider ourselves the first quantum biotech company,” she says.
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2023 issue of WIRED UK Magazine.
