LIVE! On campus quantum computing with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

04/17/24 • 57 min

For this episode, Sebastian is on his own, as Kevin is taking a break. Sebastian accepted a gracious invite to the ribbon cutting event at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, where the university was launching their on-campus IBM System One -- the first commercial quantum computer on a university campus!
This week, the episode is a recording a live event hosted by Sebastian. The panel of RPI faculty and staff talk about their decision to deploy a quantum computer in their own computing center -- a former chapel from the 1930s! - what they hope the RPI community will do with the device, and the role of academic partnership with private industry at this stage of the development of the technology.
Joining Sebastian on the panel were:

James Hendler, Professor and Director of Future of Computing Institute
Jackie Stampalia, Director, Client Information Services, DotCIO
Osama Raisuddin, Research Scientist, RPI
Lucy Zhang, Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering

James Hendler, Professor and Director of Future of Computing Institute
Jackie Stampalia, Director, Client Information Services, DotCIO
Osama Raisuddin, Research Scientist, RPI
Lucy Zhang, Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering

Previous Episode

Quantum computing for high energy physics simulations with Martin Savage

Dr. Martin Savage is a professor of nuclear theory and quantum informatics at the University of Washington. His research explores using quantum computing to investigate high energy physics and quantum chromodynamics.
Dr. Savage transitioned from experimental nuclear physics to theoretical particle physics in his early career. Around 2017-2018, limitations in classical computing for certain nuclear physics problems led him to explore quantum computing.
In December 2022, Dr. Savage's team used 112 qubits on IBM's Heron quantum processor to simulate hadron dynamics in the Schwinger Model. This groundbreaking calculation required 14,000 CNOT gates at a depth of 370.
Error mitigation techniques, translational invariance in the system, and running the simulation over the December holidays when the quantum hardware was available enabled this large-scale calculation.
While replacing particle accelerator experiments is not the goal, quantum computers could eventually complement experiments by simulating environments not possible in a lab, like the interior of a neutron star.
Quantum information science is increasingly important in the pedagogy of particle physics. Advances in quantum computing hardware and error mitigation are steadily enabling more complex simulations.
The incubator for quantum simulation at University of Washington brings together researchers across disciplines to collaborate on using quantum computers to advance nuclear and particle physics.

Links:
Dr. Savage's home page
The InQubator for Quantum Simulation
Quantum Simulations of Hadron Dynamics in the Schwinger Model using 112 Qubits
IBM's blog post which contains some details regarding the Heron process and the 100x100 challenge.

Next Episode

Quantum Education and Community Building with Olivia Lanes

Sebastian is joined by Olivia Lanes, Global Lead for Education and Learning, IBM Quantum to discuss quantum education, IBM's efforts to provide resources for workforce development, the importance of diversity and equality in STEM, and her own personal journey from experimental physics to community building and content creation. Recorded on the RPI campus during the launch event of their IBM System One quantum computer.

Key Topics:
- Olivia's background in experimental quantum physics and transition to education at IBM Quantum
- Lowering barriers to entry in quantum computing education through IBM's Quantum Experience platform, Qiskit open source framework, and online learning resources
- The importance of reaching students early, especially women and people of color, to build a diverse quantum workforce pipeline
- Quantum computing as an interdisciplinary field requiring expertise across physics, computer science, engineering, and other domains
- The need to identify real-world problems and use cases that quantum computing can uniquely address
- Balancing the hype around quantum computing's potential with setting realistic expectations
- International collaboration and providing global access to quantum education and technologies
- The unique opportunity of having an IBM quantum computer on the RPI campus to inspire students and enable cutting-edge research

Resources Mentioned:
- IBM Quantum learning platform
- "Introduction to Classical and Quantum Computing" by Tom Wong
- Qiskit YouTube channel

In summary, this episode explores the current state of quantum computing education, the importance of making it accessible to a broad and diverse group of students from an early age, and how academia and industry can partner to build the quantum workforce of the future. Olivia provides an insider's perspective on IBM Quantum's efforts in this space.

The New Quantum Era - LIVE! On campus quantum computing with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Transcript

Sebastian Hassinger00:00:01.919

The New Quantum Era, a podcast by Sebastian Hassinger.

Kevin Rowney00:00:06.799

And Kevin Rowney.

Sebastian Hassinger00:00:30.949

Welcome back to the new quantum era. Sebastian here with you. I'm flying solo. Kevin's taken a well deserved break. And, actually, during that break, we got a unique opportunity. We got invited to the ribbon cutting of an IBM System 1 quantum com