Quantum Computer with Logical Qubits | Microsoft Quantinuum Atom

Microsoft has announced a series of assertive advancements in quantum computing, paving the way for practical applications in scientific research and industry. The most significant among these advancements is the creation of highly reliable logical qubits. As a follower of this channel, you may already know that qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers.

In collaboration with Quantinuum, Microsoft successfully demonstrated 12 entangled logical qubits with excellent fidelity. This is a major step towards scalable quantum computing due to the properties of logical qubits, which are essential for error correction in quantum systems. By improving and optimizing a qubit virtualization system for Quantinuum's 56 physical qubits on a machine called H2, Microsoft created these 12 logical qubits. This achievement showed a 22 times circuit error rate improvement over the physical qubits, which is a massive leap forward.

Noise and errors have been significant obstacles in quantum computing. Current systems, known as noisy intermediate-scale quantum machines, suffer from high error rates that limit their practical applications. Microsoft’s approach of using logical qubits to combine multiple physical qubits addresses this critical challenge. Alongside hardware improvements, Microsoft is integrating quantum computing with supporting advanced technologies, such as classical cloud high-performance computing and AI. For instance, they demonstrated a chemistry simulation showcasing quantum computers' potential to solve complex scientific problems that classical computers cannot tackle.

Microsoft has also announced a partnership with Atom Computing to develop what they claim will be the world’s most powerful quantum machine. This collaboration aims to integrate Atom Computing’s neutral atom hardware into Microsoft’s Azure Quantum platform, making quantum capabilities accessible through the cloud. Microsoft prioritizes quality over quantity in qubits, emphasizing logical qubits and error correction.

Microsoft is working toward practical quantum computing with key recent accomplishments. These include demonstrating 12 entangled logical qubits—the largest number with the highest fidelity to date—achieving a 22 times better circuit error rate compared to physical qubits, and integrating Atom Computing’s hardware with Azure for scalable quantum applications. Microsoft also showcased full chemistry simulation in a hybrid setup, signaling the potential of combining quantum computing with AI for significant scientific advancements.

Understanding physical and logical qubits further clarifies these developments. Quantum computing relies on qubits to store and process information, but current qubits are prone to errors. Logical qubits, created by combining multiple physical qubits, aim to overcome these limitations by forming fault-tolerant systems. Microsoft’s qubit virtualization system, integrated with Quantinuum's advanced H-Series hardware, has demonstrated reliability through high-fidelity qubit configurations, similar to noise-canceling technology for error reduction.

For the future, Microsoft aims to advance from noisy systems to reliable quantum computing by meeting three key criteria: achieving a large gap between logical and physical error rates, correcting individual circuit errors, and creating entangled logical qubits. Microsoft has already achieved these milestones, significantly improving logical error rates and actively correcting errors. Active syndrome extraction, essential for fault-tolerant systems, measures and identifies errors in qubits without disturbing their quantum state.

Microsoft's focus on creating reliable quantum systems could lead to hybrid classical-quantum supercomputers capable of solving commercially significant problems that classical computers find intractable. Their ongoing efforts include developing a qubit with built-in error protection, known as a topological qubit, which promises further advances in practical quantum computing.

Quantum computing promises to revolutionize fields affecting our daily lives, but has remained largely experimental. Despite skepticism, progress continues, bringing practical quantum advantage closer. Microsoft’s achievements in scalable, reliable quantum computing mark an exciting step forward, but scaling these systems while minimizing errors remains challenging. As research and innovation push boundaries, we edge closer to uncovering the extraordinary potential within the quantum realm.