Quantum computing at Fraunhofer

Fiber-optics with the capacity to transmit quantum information over long distances would put the quantum Internet within easy reach. With this goal in mind, the Dutch research institution QuTech and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT launched the ICON project QFC-4-1QID on September 1, 2019. In this long-term, strategic partnership between the research institutions, scientists are developing quantum frequency converters for linking quantum processors with fiber-optic networks. This new technology will be deployed in the world’s first quantum Internet demonstrator in 2022.

The »Advanced quantum computing with trapped ions« (AQTION for short) group was set up in 2018, with the objective of driving applied research on quantum computing in the European Union. The initiative forms part of the EU’s Quantum Technologies Flagship program. The object of the project is to realize a scalable ion-based quantum computer. Fraunhofer IOF researchers have developed innovative optics and laser technology for the 19-inch quantum computer.

With the goal of creating a complete European value chain for the fabrication of superconducting Josephson junctions as promising qubit candidates for quantum computing, the Materials for Quantum Computing (MATQu) project was launched in June. In the areas of substrate technology, process technology and tools, the MATQu project brings together key European players in the field, including four major RTOs. The FMD office, together with Fraunhofer IAF, is leading the project, which is funded by the EU Horizon 2020 framework program.

The aim of the QuaST project is to provide low-threshold access to quantum computers for companies of all sizes. Industrial end users will only need to have minimal knowledge of QC hardware and software to automatically receive easily accessible and reliable QC-supported solutions for their application problems. The project members are focusing on researching different development tools and application libraries so that users can formulate problems in the programming language that they are used to. This is modeled on the success of artificial intelligence, which can be largely attributed to the easy, widespread availability enabled by software libraries and development tools.

The first project, AnQuC, focused on applications on the IBM Quantum System One, with an eye toward broad exploitation of quantum computing. Runtime measurements were used to study hybrid algorithms that have both classical and quantum components, and the effects of characteristic quantities such as the coherence time and error rate of 2-qubit circuits on specific algorithms were investigated. In the AnQuC-3 project, the focus is on the topics "Quantum Fourier Transformation", "Quantum Machine Learning", and variational algorithms. The Fraunhofer ITWM concentrates on the first two areas.

As part of »DEGRAD-EL3-Q«, Fraunhofer IPA is investigating the use of quantum computing methods for lifetime analysis of electrolyzers. The project is part of the lead project H2Giga with the aim of advancing the industrial manufacturing process of electrolyzers. The project investigates different methods of quantum machine learning and explores how quantum computing can be used to simulate chemical processes in the context of electrolyzer degradation.