A team of researchers coordinated by Enrico Prati of the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnologies of the National Research Council (Cnr-Ifn) of Milan has developed a quantum computer that outperforms Google’s competition. As we read in the journal “Nature Communications Physics”, the possibility of applying artificial intelligence and deep learning to the compiler, has made it possible to program an algorithm that adapts to any quantum computer based on logic gates. The result was obtained with the collaboration of Matteo Paris of the State University of Milan and Marcello Restelli of the Milan Polytechnic.
Why Italian research needs a quantum computer
by Luciano Lenzini
In the research, Enrico Prati explains that: “Similarly to conventional computers, in which the bits are subjected to calculations through the logic gates, also in quantum computers it is necessary to use quantum logic gates, which however must be programmed by a sort of operating system that knows what are the achievable operations. However, there are many different versions of hardware that provide different achievable operations, like a small deck of playing cards to choose from. ” The team has therefore developed with deep learning a compiler able to find the right order “to play the 5-6 cards available, even with sequences of hundreds of plays, choosing the right ones one by one to form the entire sequence. – underlines Lorenzo Moro of Cnr – after a training phase, which lasts from a few hours to a couple of days, artificial intelligence learns to build new pieces for each quantum logic gate, starting from the available operations, but taking a few milliseconds “. The research of the Italian CNR has been patented:” Our model surpasses a similar patent by Google, which uses artificial intelligence after training but only for one logical door at a time. Then new training is required. “
Race to quantum computers, Europe becomes a model
Instead, the researchers discovered how to build all quantum logic gates with unique training, after which the solution for any logical gate can be called immediately, with the so-called deep learning. Just Google has recently inaugurated its Quantum AI Campus in Santa Barbara, California, for the development of quantum computers. “Looking ahead ten years, many of the greatest global challenges, from climate change to managing the next pandemic, will require a new kind of computing,” Erik Lucero, Google Quantum AI Lead Engineer, explained at the opening.
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