We talk to Marta Pascual about the quantum computing being developed by Qilimanjaro. She is currently the CEO of the company, but was previously 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. Although currently working in Barcelona, she has held academic positions in Tokyo and the United Kingdom. She has a degree in Chemistry, with a master's degree in Physical Chemistry, a European interuniversity master's degree in Theoretical Quantum Chemistry and Computational Modeling, and is currently completing an engineering degree in Computer Science with a specialization in Computer Architecture and Networks.
Where does your interest in quantum computing come from?
I would say that it came about quite naturally. During my Chemistry degree, I gradually gravitated towards theoretical chemistry and computational modeling due to a collaboration with the molecular reactivity and drug design group at the UIB. At this point, and throughout my master's degree, I began to touch on topics related to both programming and quantum physics. I liked it so much that I was inspired, on the one hand, to start a PhD in physics in the United Kingdom, and on the other hand, to start a distance learning degree in computer engineering. 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 on the creation of quantum algorithms and on 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 an analog computing model that differs considerably from other existing quantum solutions and that we are convinced will be able to solve some of the limitations that mean that this technology has not yet had 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, a lot of effort must be put into research and investigation . That is why in our team we focus on two main pillars: the creation of quantum algorithms that allow us to solve problems relevant to the industry and the development of the quantum theory that is behind the analog computing model. We follow a work model focused on what we call 'co-design': the conclusions that we draw from doing these two theoretical exercises are transferred recurrently to our software and hardware team, which they then use to develop both the programming environment and to design, manufacture and manipulate the chips.
What is a quantum computer?
A quantum computer is a computing system that uses a different logic than conventional computers. This is achieved by 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 superimposed or entangled states. The possibility of encoding information in this type of state is key, since 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 computational time and memory required to process large or complex problems are often so high that it makes it unfeasible to find solutions. For example, when I was doing research in drug design, computationally modeling a relatively simple molecular reaction could take me days using a supercomputer. I'm talking about molecules of about 10-20 atoms and with very favorable initial conditions because we made many approximations and assumptions in order to minimize the computational resources required. This means that even with very small systems, and days of constant calculation, we could not obtain 100% accurate solutions. Now imagine what happens if we try to model larger molecular systems, such as proteins. Obtaining good solutions as the complexity of the problem increases is increasingly difficult, and unfortunately the most interesting problems are usually the most complex . This problem is not only found in the field of chemistry, as problems present in physics, materials science, logistics, finance, cryptography and a long list of other fields 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 fields of chemistry, physics and materials, such as drug design. However, if the encoding of information is done intelligently, quantum logic can also be used to solve classical problems. Applications of this type can be found in the modeling of financial and logistics problems: such as the optimization of portfolios of securities or the efficient distribution of courier packages. In addition, the potential of quantum computing has already been demonstrated both to accelerate machine learning and artificial intelligence problems and to discover better encryption methods in cybersecurity, which makes these two applications among the most promising.
Can you imagine, in the medium term, homes with home quantum computers?
No, I honestly can't imagine that quantum computers will ever replace personal systems. I think that for the common functions that we perform with our mobile phones or personal computers, we generally don't need such a large processing power. On the other hand, I do think that we will see quantum processors combined with classical ones to create hybrid architectures that will provide a very important computing advantage to datacenters and supercomputing centers, large corporations and research centers . In any case, it is difficult to foresee 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 is very difficult to predict and, therefore, my answer is totally subjective, but I have high hopes for the impact that quantum computing will have on the academic world. I believe that 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 relevant direct impact on society, since much of what is learned in universities and research centers is soon transferred to industry. We have witnessed the enormous social and economic growth that the digital and information revolution of the last fifty years has entailed following the introduction of the personal computer. I therefore see quantum computing as a technological revolution in itself that could 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, and that's it. Today, quantum computing is not yet mature enough for current performance to have the impact expected of this technology. One of the most critical lines of research involves developing both hardware and theory 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 gives way to an era where identifying suitable applications for these prototypes is essential.
In the case of consolidating quantum computing, is it possible that many companies will not identify the change and become obsolete?
Yes. Currently, some companies already have experts and consultants in quantum computing who help them identify when and how they need to be prepared once this technology is consolidated (this is what we call being ' quantum ready '). Once quantum computers reach a sufficient level of maturity, these quantum ready companies will have an advantage over their competitors, since they will have done the previous work of adapting the problems and internal protocols that learning to use this technology requires.
Collaborative research is one of the pillars of the Industrial Doctorate 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. Furthermore, I believe that talking often with experts in completely different disciplines can be a source of inspiration that can lead to very different and disruptive collaborations and projects.
