The value of quantum networking is that it will help quantum computers make the leap from research-based applications to true commercial use cases by solving the scalability problem.
Quantum networking will make it possible to apply quantum computing processes at a scale large enough to potentially analyze problems too complex for even the largest single quantum computers. It is even possible that the value of quantum networking will extend to new decision-making methods for enterprise companies.
This article explains the commercial value of quantum networking at a high level.
What Is Quantum Networking?
Classical computer systems are far more advanced than they were just a decade ago. And yet, individual devices still have some pretty stark limitations. Businesses solve this problem by leveraging classical networks that combine the computing power of dozens, if not hundreds, of devices to complete tasks at scale.
Quantum networking uses this same principle but for QPUs. Instead of using a single quantum computer to complete a task, researchers will network several modular systems together in order to aggregate their computing power.
Even the most sophisticated quantum computers are limited by the number of algorithmic cubits (#AQ) they can use for computation. Although the absolute number of qubits will most likely increase over the next decade, there is a limit to what engineering will be capable of within a single quantum computer–similar to classical computer hardware engineering.
However, if scientists can successfully create a quantum network, they can exponentially increase the computing power of quantum systems, just like with classical computers. These quantum networks will have significantly more business value than a single computer.
Quantum networks are still a work in progress. Some people believe that scientists are years or even decades away from developing a quantum network. However, others, like IonQ, feel the first quantum network will arrive on a much shorter timescale.
If a quantum network is built, the increased computing power and value it will provide business leaders has the potential to reshape a wide range of fields, including:
Healthcare
Banking
Education
Navigation
Cybersecurity
Manufacturing
A cybersecurity algorithm written by a quantum computer, as imagined by Midjourney AI.
Why Should Businesses Care About the Value of Quantum Networking?
Here are a few of the benefits of quantum networking for the commercial use of quantum computers:
Increased Computing Power
The most valuable benefit of quantum networking is that it will magnify the computing power of a quantum system. Just like traditional computing, there will be limits to the amount of processing power of any single QPU. When multiple devices are networked, businesses are no longer limited to the power of a single computer.
By aggregating the computing power of their quantum systems, organizations should be able to derive a better return on investment from their technology and use quantum principles to modernize a multitude of core processes. For example, networked QPUs should be capable of analyzing much larger data sets, and so potentially be able to derive solutions to business problems currently too complex for definitive empirical analysis.
Optimized Uptime and Reliability
In order to get the most value out of quantum computing hardware, decision-makers will need access to a reliable system that provides exceptional uptime.
Although standalone quantum computing systems are sophisticated, they are subject to maintenance needs and other problems. Developing a modular system through quantum networking promotes reliability by making it easier for businesses to repair or replace malfunctioning components.
No enterprise of any scale runs its entire data analytics program via a single laptop. So why would they leverage a lone quantum computer when they could develop a network with built-in redundancies and fail-safes?
Better Overall Efficiency
Quantum computers can perform specific functions far more efficiently than traditional systems. But why stop at one quantum computer?
Through quantum networking, businesses should be able to maximize the overall efficiency of their computing processes. Combining the computing power of multiple devices can create value by streamlining problem-solving capabilities in any number of potential use cases.
For example, IonQ collaborated with GE Research to use IonQ Aria to model certain joint distributions of The Dow Jones Total Stock Market Index, The Market Volatility Index, and The Nikkei Market Index, demonstrating a promising way to perform multivariable analysis faster and more accurately.
Easier Development
Developing a device as large and complex as a quantum computer is a labor-intensive and costly endeavor.
Quantum networking enables designers to create a modular system, which has the value of being developed faster and more efficiently. Instead of designing such a large piece of hardware, it will be possible to develop many smaller ones. This is already known to be an easier development method, and it’s also highly likely it will prove to be more economical as well.
To get the most out of the potential for manufacturing quantum computers, IonQ announced a new 65,000-square-foot quantum computing manufacturing facility it will be opening in Bothell, Wash.
More Effective Error Correction
In quantum computing, a system requires a predetermined number of bits to perform effective error correction. However, expanding the number of bits in a single quantum system is difficult due to physical size limitations — scientists can fit only so many atoms and bits into a space.
A modular approach enables scientists to maximize a system’s error correction capability. In turn, this tactic enhances the value of a computing system by increasing the amount of data it can crunch–and therefore the scale of the problems it can solve.
Enhanced Scalability
Over the last decade, thousands of businesses have moved away from on-premises servers in favor of cloud-based solutions. Why? Because cloud networks provide the value of superior scalability and ensure that businesses can access the requisite amount of computing resources. Quantum networking solves a similar scalability issue.
When businesses incorporate quantum computing at scale into their processes, they’ll have two key options.
Let’s say a business needs a device with 32 qubits of computing power, so they implement such a system. While that platform will meet their current needs, it can’t scale as their needs evolve. They will have to buy a larger system.
Conversely, businesses that develop a modular system relying on quantum networking principles can add new modules as the demand for qubits increases–just like they currently do with classical computing systems.
A modular quantum computer simultaneously performing calculations in Tokyo and NYC, as imagined by the Midjourney AI
As IonQ’s quantum computers get closer and closer to quantum advantage, it almost certainly won’t be enough for companies to ‘have’ access to a quantum computer. Just like their classical counterparts, quantum computers will need to be engineered and manufactured in a way that supports modular networking so they can meet the speed, scalability, flexibility, and reliability companies demand.
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