D-Wave and Gate Model Quantum

Recall we talked to D-Wave regarding applications for Quantum computing, and now continue to follow them. Have often been mentioned here.   Here an update in Venturebeat:

D-Wave opens up to Gate-model Quantum Computing    by Jack Vaughan  @JackIVaughan

Recent advances in quantum computing show progress, but not enough to live up to years of hyperbole. An emerging view suggests the much-publicized quest for more quantum qubits and quantum supremacy may be overshadowed by a more sensible quest to make practical use of the qubits we have now.

The latter view holds particularly true at D-Wave Systems Inc., the Vancouver, B.C., Canada-based quantum computing pioneer that recently disclosed its roadmap for work on logic gate-model quantum computing systems.

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D-Wave’s embrace of gates is notable. To date, the company focuses solely on quantum annealing processors. Using this probabilistic approach, it has achieved superconducting qubit processor counts that it claims outpaces most others. Its latest Advantage system boasts 5,000 qubits. That’s well ahead of the 127-qubit device IBM reported in November.

There is an important caveat, as followers of the quantum business know. D-Wave’s annealing qubits don’t have the general quantum qualities that competitive quantum gate-model systems have, and the degree of processing speed-up they provide has been questioned.

Questions arise despite placing its systems in research labs at Google, NASA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and elsewhere. D-Wave’s qubit counts have been faulted by critics for specializing in a purpose-built approach aimed at a certain class of optimization problems.

Bring on the NISQ

Still, the company has a leg-up with its experience compared to most competitors, having fabricated and programmed superconducting parts since at least 2011.

For that matter, the gate-model quantum computing crew’s benchmarks have come under attack, too, and its battles with scaling and quantum error (or “noise”) correction have spawned the term “noisy intermediate-scale quantum” (or “NISQ”) to describe the present era, where users have to begin to do what they can with whatever working qubits they have. ... '