Quantum computers, fusion reactors and beaming will be the technologies of the future. That future is very near. Whoever achieves quantum supremacy wins and opens a new age of humanity and has the keys in his hands to build fusion reactor or beaming. Israel is already in the exclusive Quantum Computing Club.
Quantum computers, fusion reactors and beams will be the technologies of the future. That future is very near. Whoever achieves quantum supremacy wins and opens a new age of humanity.
Israel is already in the club of nations with USA, China, UK on the verge of ‘Quantum Supremacy’, as reported on VonNaftali. To have a quantum computer means to have an operational calculation power about 10.000 times faster than the actual fastest computer on earth.
“Quantum computers are of the utmost importance to the State of Israel’s resilience and the ability of the Israeli economy to continue its’ growth,” said Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chairman of the Innovation Authority, fully understanding the challenge as a matter of life or death.
Now there is no time for hesitation. Now it’s all in time. The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has already put about $65 million on the table this year to set up a quantum computing center as readers of VonNaftali know. And now the largest consortium program is being launched at around $35 million.
The first Israeli quantum computer is not only among the Top 30, but among the Top 10 quantum computers because whose processor architecture is based on a so-called ‘ion trap. The Weizmann computer is a five-qubit machine, which is about the same level as the IBM version reached when the company began offering quantum computing as a cloud service.
The WeizQC, currently being built in Ozeri’s lab, is expected to operate at 64 qubits. It is said to demonstrate the quantum advantage previously achieved only by computers built in two labs: at ‘Google‘ and at the ‘University of Science and Technology of China‘. As a footnote: EU-Europe sees no land. EU-Europe fails as usual because of its political bureaucracy. Also a serious threat for Israel, because also in Israel bureaucracy is a huge problem.
In the press release the IIA names the participants of this consortium endowed with about $35 million (NIS 150 million): “Five Israeli companies participate in the consortium: Elta Division of the Aerospace Industry, Quantum Art, Classic, Kedma and Rafael. The technological development will be supported by leading academic groups in Israel: Prof. Nadav Katz, Prof. Alex Retzker, and Dr. Ream Ozdin from the Hebrew University, Prof. Roi Ozeri from the Weizmann Institute, Prof. Michael Stern from Bar Ilan University, Prof. Steven Frankel and Prof. Tal Mor from the Technion, and a research group led by Prof. Ohad Birak from Soroka Hospital.“
The establishment of quantum computing is comparable to the invention of the steam engine, the computer or even writing. Not being there is not an option. It means, metaphorically speaking, remaining in the Stone Age while others enter the Industrial Age.
Focus will be given on, as the press release explains: “The association will promote 2 quantum processor technologies – trapped ions and superconductors – which are among the most advanced and mature in the world today, alongside deep layers of quantum software.
The key developments that will be promoted include the quantum processors themselves, system building blocks, coherent control tools, software tools for characterization and noise reduction, and a fully automatic software environment from the application level to the physical realization. The association will be directed by relevant applications, and will deal with performance proof and development of metrics to characterize quantum computing systems.
The products of the association will include systemic technology demonstrations of quantum computing systems at the level of dozens of qubits, which will help advance Israeli industries to the forefront of the scientific and technological front. As the technology matures, the Authority will stimulate the accessibility of the technology to the R&D industry in Israel with the help of the quantum computing laboratory under construction.“
The aim is necessarily ambitious: In three years, or earlier, a working Israeli quantum computer will be calculating in Israel.
VonNaftali/מנפּתלי/ByNaftali 