The Emergence of Quantum Computing   

Three groundbreaking technologies are poised to catapult Louisiana’s business economy. In recent issues of this journal, I’ve touched upon two of these game-changers. The first is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will continue to increase business and personal productivity. The second is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) for industries that have long had heavy carbon dioxide emissions.  

The third set of emerging technologies, and likely as impactful, is Quantum Computing (QC). QC developed from the science of quantum physics which analyzes the intricacies of subatomic particle and wave interactions. Among many innovations derived from the study of quantum physics are fluorescent lights, semiconductors (in computers, TVs, cell phones, and smart devices), lasers, MRI scanners, solar cells, electron microscopes, and atomic clocks.  

Even if you've completed a high school or college physics course, understanding the basics of quantum physics and computing can be very challenging. The world we observe and experience daily is vastly different from the intricate workings of the subatomic realm ruled by quantum phenomena. Our usual learning techniques, heavily reliant on familiar examples and models from our everyday lives, often fall short when it comes to helping us grasp the complexities of quantum realities. 

In the realm of quantum physics, there are two key concepts to understand. First, there's "superposition," where a subatomic particle can exist in two different places or states at the same time. Then there's "entanglement," where particles are so interconnected that the state of one instantly affects the other, no matter the distance between them. While traditional computing is based on processing bits sequentially, represented as either 0 or 1, quantum computing operates with quantum bits (qubits) that leverage superposition and entanglement to perform simultaneous information processing. The properties of the subatomic world might seem bizarre or even surreal, but harnessing these attributes propels us far beyond the capabilities of today's most powerful supercomputers, leading us toward quantum computing systems with unprecedented processing speeds and analytical prowess. 

Artificial intelligence using conventional computing capabilities is already fueling many technological advances and business efficiencies. Just one example is medical drug discovery and development. AI using quantum computing resources should deliver many millions of times faster and more powerful results. For vexing global threats such as climate change, AI and QC together should offer those in the environmental sciences improved means to simulate and then better understand the many complex macro-level and micro-level interactions within our ecosystems.   

Karen Matsler, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, has emphasized the importance of more opportunities for high school and college students to learn about the theory and practices of QC. She claims that many American educational institutions have offered few or no courses that begin to prepare students for quantum physics and computing, and these schools have a large deficit of teachers capable of instructing interested students.  

At the graduate and doctoral levels of QC education, MIT, Harvard, Cal. Berkeley, Cal. Tech, and the University of Chicago are top tiered. There are also impressive QC academic programs in the Deep South. As might be expected, LSU – Baton Rouge seems to offer the top state prospect for QC higher education. Faculty and students in the Quantum Science and Technologies Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at LSU conduct research on quantum physics, quantum mechanics, quantum information theory, quantum complexity theory, quantum error correction, as well as quantum optics, sensing, and imaging.  

QC prototypes have been and will continue to be tested. D-Wave Systems, a Canadian company, apparently was the first to sell a commercial quantum computer, the 128-qubit D-Wave One, to Lockheed Martin in 2011. Its fifth-generation model was introduced in 2020. IBM announced a 433-qubit Osprey processor in November 2022 that is said to have several competitive advantages. 

                     2022 IBM Osprey Control System Showing Qubit, ReadOut, and Wiring Levels

There are remaining challenges for improved QC applications. Chief among these problems are “decoherence” (loss of delicate quantum states due to interfering outside factors) and the need for better qubit error monitoring and correction. Temperature control is also essential for quantum processing, since very cold temperatures are required, as these processes are continually releasing waste heat. Different QC systems that are being manufactured and commercially offered often have very different approaches to deal with these challenges. 

Due to the expense and the demanding operating conditions required to own recent QC systems, many businesses are purchasing access to well-established QC systems. D-Wave Systems, Google, IBM, and others, also offer access to hybrid quantum-classical computing systems. The development of a fully functioning QC “internet” with many networked users has progressed well beyond the theoretical stage.  

Business managers need to have a strategic vision concerning the QC revolution that will be confronting their own industries. Current planning should encompass 1) active monitoring of how QC is being applied elsewhere, 2) preparation for hiring and developing in-house QC experts to help determine when and how to make technology investments, and 3) analysis of how one’s company infrastructure will need to be updated to support a shift to QC.  

The timber and forest products industry can easily anticipate where QC advances will have obvious benefit:  1) more accurate climate and weather modeling (fire, flooding and drought probabilities), 2) optimization of supply chains for forestry operations, 3) better analysis of forestry options, expected growth patterns, and potential biological threats, and 4) more innovations in the material sciences leading to new wood-based products that might be offered.