We talk to Marta Pascual about the quantum computing developed by Qilimanjaro. Currently, she is the company's CEO, but previously she was a senior quantum engineer in the company's theory team in Barcelona, a powerful team that carries out both software and hardware in the field of quantum computing. They have six Industrial Doctorate projects underway. Despite currently working in Barcelona, he has held academic positions in Tokyo and the United Kingdom. Degree in Chemistry, with a master's degree in Physical Chemistry, an interuniversity European master's degree in Theoretical Quantum Chemistry and Computational Modelling, and is currently finishing an engineering degree in Computer Science with a specialization in computer and network architecture.
Where did your interest in quantum computing come from?
I would say it came about quite naturally. During the Chemistry degree, I gradually opted for the part of theoretical Chemistry and computational modeling based on a collaboration with the molecular reactivity and drug design group of the UIB. At this point, and throughout my master's degree, I began to touch on topics of both programming and quantum physics. I liked it so much that I was excited, on the one hand, to start a PhD in physics in the UK, and on the other hand to start the distance learning computer engineering career. My interest in quantum computing is the product of merging these two concerns.
What exactly does Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech work on?
Qilimanjaro's goal is to accelerate the use of quantum computing by different industries and research centers. In order to facilitate access, we are developing a complete stack . This means that we work both in the creation of quantum algorithms and in the construction of chips and devices, while also generating the access and compilation layer that connects the user and the algorithms with the hardware and its control. Our proposal is based on a model of analog computing that differs quite a bit from the other existing quantum solutions and that we are convinced will be able to solve some of the limitations that make this technology currently not yet have a significant impact on society.
what is your task
My role at Qilimanjaro is to lead and contribute to the different branches of research that we have in the theory and applications team. It must be taken into account that the level of maturity of cutting-edge technologies such as quantum computing is still very low and, therefore, it is necessary to put a lot of effort into research and research . That's why in our team we focus on two main pillars: the creation of quantum algorithms that allow solving problems relevant to industry and the development of the quantum theory behind the analog computing model. We follow a working model focused on what we call 'co-design': the conclusions we draw from doing these two theoretical exercises are recurrently transferred to our software and hardware team, which they then use to develop both the programming environment how to design, manufacture and manipulate the chips.
What is a quantum computer?
A quantum computer is a computing system that makes use of a different logic than conventional computers. This is achieved using very small systems that are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. These systems are made up of Qbits, which are defined as the basic unit of quantum information, and can form overlapping or entangled states. The ability to encode information in this type of state is key, as it allows manipulating information through this quantum logic to be much more efficient and therefore much faster when calculating certain types of problems .
What limitations of current computers have led us to research in quantum computing?
The computing time and memory required to process large or complex problems are often so high that it is infeasible to find solutions. For example, when I was doing drug design research, computationally modeling a relatively simple molecular reaction could take me days using a supercomputer. I am talking about molecules of about 10-20 atoms and with very favorable initial conditions because we made many approximations and assumptions in order to reduce the necessary computational resources as much as possible. This means that not even with very small systems, and days of constant calculation, we could obtain 100% exact solutions. Now imagine what happens if we try to model larger molecular systems, like proteins. Achieving good solutions as the complexity of the problem increases becomes more and more difficult, and unfortunately the most interesting problems tend to be the most complex . We do not find this problem only in the field of chemistry, it is just as problems present in physics, material science, logistics, finance, cryptography and a long et cetera also suffer from the same limitations.
What are the most common applications of quantum computing?
The most obvious applications of quantum computing are those that require the modeling of a quantum system. These are, therefore, related to the field of chemistry, physics and materials, such as drug design. However, if the encoding of information is done in an intelligent way, quantum logic can be used to solve classical problems as well. Applications of this type can be found in the modeling of financial and logistics problems: such as the optimization of stock portfolios or the efficient distribution of courier packages. In addition, quantum computing has already been shown to have the potential both to accelerate machine learning and artificial intelligence problems and to discover better encryption methods in cybersecurity, making these two applications among the most promising
Do you imagine, in the medium term, homes with home quantum computers?
No, I honestly can't imagine that quantum computers will ever replace personal use systems. I think that for the common functions that we perform with the mobile or personal computer, we generally do not need that much processing power. On the other hand, I do believe that we will see quantum processors combined with classical ones to create hybrid architectures that will provide a very significant computing advantage to datacenters and supercomputing centers, large corporations, and research centers . In any case, it is difficult to predict the scope of a technology that is so promising but at the same time still so unknown.
Let's do a disruption exercise. To what extent can quantum computers change the world?
It's very hard to predict, and so my answer is entirely subjective, but I have high hopes for the impact quantum computing will have on academia. I think we can see an exponential increase in the range of calculation possibilities in areas such as chemistry and physics that will lead us to an acceleration in the achievement of knowledge of nature and its processes . As you can imagine this would have a very significant direct impact on society, as much of what is learned in universities and research centers is soon transferred to industry. We have witnessed the enormous social and economic growth brought about by the digital and information revolution of the last fifty years following the introduction of the personal computer. So I see quantum computing as a technological revolution in itself that can lead to many changes in the way we understand and interact with the world.
Does the novelty of this technology affect its performance in the current research phase?
Yes, that's all. Today, quantum computing does not yet have a level of maturity sufficient for the current features to have the expected impact of this technology. One of the most critical lines of research goes through the development of both hardware and theory in order to improve the fault tolerance of quantum chips, which are currently very sensitive to noise. However, we are already able to manufacture and control devices of relatively good quality, and this ushers in an era where identifying suitable applications for these prototypes is paramount.
In the case of consolidating quantum computing, is it possible that many companies will not recognize the change and become obsolete?
yes Currently, some companies already have quantum computing experts and consultants who help them identify when and how to be ready once this technology is consolidated (this is what we call being ' quantum ready '). Once quantum computers have reached a sufficient level of maturity, these quantum ready companies will have an advantage over their competitors, since they will have done the preliminary work of adapting the internal problems and protocols required to learn how to use this technology.
Collaborative research is one of the pillars of the Industrial Doctorates Plan, do you think this type of research is positive for your work?
It is not only positive but essential. Working on research in isolation is possible for a while, but soon the creativity to generate new ideas fades. That is why it is very important to constantly interact with other researchers interested in the same line of research to exchange different points of view. In addition, I believe that talking often with experts in completely different disciplines can be a source of inspiration that can create very different and disruptive collaborations and projects.
