At the 2024 Quantum World Congress, leaders from Microsoft and Quantinuum took the stage to unveil remarkable advancements in quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI). This session, titled “Ushering in an Era of Quantum and AI for Science,” featured a discussion between Dr. Krysta Svore and Dr. Charles Tahan from Microsoft, and Rajeeb Hazra and Dr. Chris Langer from Quantinuum. Moderated by Dr. Bob Sutor of The Futurum Group, the panel revealed how quantum computing and AI are converging to tackle some of the world’s most complex scientific challenges.

Pioneering New Ground: 12 Logical Qubits

The session kicked off with a groundbreaking announcement from Dr. Krysta Svore: Microsoft and Quantinuum have successfully achieved 12 logical qubits on Quantinuum’s H2 quantum system. This accomplishment represents a significant leap forward in quantum error correction and computational power. As Dr. Svore noted, "These 12 logical qubits have been entangled, forming the largest entangled logical state on record, with fidelities 22 times better than using physical qubits alone."

Logical qubits are crucial for building fault-tolerant quantum computers, which will ultimately allow scientists to perform longer, more complex computations that are resilient to errors. This collaboration highlights how far the industry has come in just a short period. Microsoft and Quantinuum have progressed from 4 to 12 logical qubits in just five months, underscoring the rapid pace of innovation.

The Importance of High-Fidelity Qubits

Rajeeb Hazra, CEO of Quantinuum, emphasized that it’s not just about the number of qubits, but the quality of those qubits. "We’re not focused on the qubit race, but on building the highest fidelity qubits that can perform useful computation," Hazra explained. The all-to-all connectivity of the H2 system, which allows qubits to interact with each other freely, played a pivotal role in enabling this milestone.

Dr. Chris Langer, also from Quantinuum, elaborated on the architecture behind the achievement: "Our H2 system is based on the quantum charge-coupled device architecture. One qubit is one ion, and we can move these ions to perform operations in dedicated zones, ensuring all-to-all connectivity and simplified calibration for high fidelity."

From Theory to Reality: The Accelerating Era of Quantum and AI

The significance of these breakthroughs was clear to all the panelists. Dr. Svore highlighted that achieving these logical qubits means the industry has entered what she calls the “Resilient Era” of quantum computing, a crucial step toward the ultimate goal of scaled, fault-tolerant quantum supercomputers. "We’re now accelerating toward 50, 100, and more logical qubits, which will unlock scientific quantum advantage," she said.

This notion of acceleration was echoed by Rajeeb Hazra, who emphasized that the quantum industry has moved beyond the discovery phase and into an era of rapid progress. "We now have the bedrock to start building the scaffolding faster," Hazra explained. "Discovery is ongoing, but we are in the acceleration phase, where quantum’s potential will be realized at an increasingly rapid pace."

The Power of Quantum and AI Working Together

A key theme throughout the discussion was the transformative power of combining quantum computing with AI and high-performance computing (HPC). Dr. Svore shared an example of a real-world use case where Microsoft and Quantinuum demonstrated an end-to-end workflow that combines quantum, AI, and HPC to tackle a catalysis problem in chemistry.

In this workflow, AI and HPC were used to explore reaction networks and identify an active space for quantum algorithms to target. Using quantum logical qubits, they measured the system’s ground state energy, which was then used to train an AI model. "This is a proof of concept for how to scale workloads using quantum and AI together, and it’s a glimpse of the kinds of problems we’ll be solving in the near future," said Svore.

Dr. Charles Tahan, with his extensive background as the former director of the National Quantum Initiative, noted the accelerating pace of innovation: "We’ve reached a phase where quantum error correction isn’t just a theory anymore—it’s working in practice. And when you combine AI with quantum, you can accelerate discovery in ways we’ve never seen before."

Scientific Quantum Advantage: A New Frontier

The panelists discussed the broader implications of achieving "scientific quantum advantage"—a term used to describe when quantum computers can solve real-world scientific problems that classical computers cannot. This will be the next major milestone in quantum computing, and with the progress made by Microsoft and Quantinuum, it is within reach.

"At around 100 logical qubits, we will see scientific quantum advantage," Svore explained. "That’s when quantum systems, integrated with AI and HPC, will be able to solve problems in areas like material science, chemistry, and drug discovery that are impossible with classical computing alone."

The potential applications of this technology are vast. From designing new materials to discovering life-saving drugs, quantum and AI are set to revolutionize industries and drive scientific discovery at an unprecedented pace.

A Call to Action: Get Involved Now

As the session came to a close, the panelists emphasized that the time to get involved in quantum computing and AI is now. "Discovery isn’t about big bangs," said Hazra. "You start small, learn, and improve. The time to start working with these tools is now—there’s value to be derived even today."

Dr. Svore echoed this sentiment, urging scientists, researchers, and industries to participate in this new era of discovery. "Quantum computing and AI will give scientists superpowers to tackle the world’s most complex problems," she said. "But it’s going to require the collective genius of minds from across the globe to unlock its full potential."

Conclusion: A Revolution in Discovery

The panel made it clear that we are at the dawn of a new era—one where quantum computing and AI together will drive innovation, discovery, and solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. The collaboration between Microsoft and Quantinuum, and their breakthrough in logical qubits, demonstrates just how close we are to realizing the full potential of quantum computing. With the convergence of quantum, AI, and HPC, the next decade promises to be a time of unprecedented progress in science and technology.