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IQUIST Seminar: "Quantum Computational Advantage: Recent Progress and Next Steps," Xun Gao, Harvard University

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
IQUIST
Location
190 Engineering Sciences Building, 1101 W Springfield Ave, Urbana, IL 61801
Date
Feb 14, 2023   11:00 - 11:50 am  
Speaker
Xun Gao, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Physics, Harvard University
Contact
Hannah Stites
E-Mail
hstites2@illinois.edu
Phone
217-300-4072
Views
215
Originating Calendar
IQUIST Seminar Series

Quantum Computational Advantage: Recent Progress and Next Steps

AbstractThis talk is motivated by the question: why do we put so much effort and investment into quantum computing? A short answer is that we expect quantum advantages for practical problems. To achieve this goal, it is essential to reexamine existing experiments and propose new protocols for future quantum advantage experiments. 

In 2019, Google published a paper in Nature claiming to have achieved quantum computational advantage, also known as quantum supremacy. In this talk, I will explain how they arrived at their claim and its implications. I will also discuss recent theoretical and numerical developments that challenge this claim and reveal fundamental limitations in their approach. 

Due to these new developments, it is imperative to design the next generation of experiments. I will briefly mention three potential approaches: efficiently verifiable quantum advantage and quantum algorithms on analog devices for practical problems, including machine learning and combinatorial optimization.

BioXun Gao is a postdoc at Harvard (MPHQ fellowship). Xun received his PhD from Tsinghua University. His work explores the power and applications of near-term quantum computers, including quantum machine learning, quantum optimization algorithm and simulation of noisy quantum devices.

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