ERCIM News 112
January 2018
Special theme Quantum Computing
Guest editors Jop Briët (CWI) and Simon Perdrix (CNRS, LORIA)
Quantum Computation and Information - Introduction to the Special Theme
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5439
by Jop Briët (CWI) and Simon Perdrix (CNRS, LORIA)
For more than a century now, we’ve understood that we live in a quantum world. Even though quantum mechanics cannot be ignored during the development of atomic scale components of everyday computers, the computations they perform are governed, like the Turing machine, by the laws of classical Newtonian mechanics. But the most striking and exotic features of quantum mechanics, superposition and entanglement, currently play no part in every-day information processing. This is about to change – and in some specialised applications, already has. In academia, the field of quantum computation has been growing explosively since its inception in the 1980s and the importance of these devices is widely recognised by industry and governments. Big players in the tech industry like IBM and Google frequently announce that they have built yet a larger rudimentary quantum computation device and in 2016 the European Commission launched a one-billion Euro Flagship Initiative on Quantum Technologies.
Quantum Cryptography Beyond Key Distribution
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5321
by Georgios M. Nikolopoulos (IESL-FORTH, Greece)
Quantum cryptography is the science of exploiting fundamental effects and principles of quantum physics, in the development of cryptographic protocols that are secure against the most malicious adversaries allowed by the laws of physics, the “quantum adversaries”. So far, quantum cryptography has been mainly identified with the development of protocols for the distribution of a secret truly random key between two legitimate users, known as quantum key-distribution (QKD) protocols. Beyond QKD, quantum cryptography remains a largely unexplored area. One of the main ongoing projects at the Quantum Optics and Technology group of IESL-FORTH [L1], is the design and development of cryptographic solutions, which rely on fundamental quantum-optical systems and processes, and offer security against quantum adversaries.
Quantum Lego: Graph States for Quantum Computing and Information Processing
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 6556
by Damian Markham (LIP6, CNRS - Sorbonne Université)
The massive global investment in quantum technologies promises unprecedented boosts for security, computation, communication and sensing. In this article we explore the use of so-called ‘graph states’ – a family of multipartite entangled states which act as ubiquitous resources for quantum information, are easily adapted for different tasks and applications, and can be combined in ways that fuses different utilities.
How Classical Beings Can Test Quantum Devices
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5115
by Stacey Jeffery (CWI)
As the race to build the first quantum computer heats up, we can soon expect some lab to claim to have a quantum computer. How will they prove that what they have built is truly a quantum computer?
Keeping Quantum Computers Honest (or Verification of Quantum Computing)
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 6841
by Alexandru Gheorghiu (University of Edinburgh) and Elham Kashefi (University of Edinburgh, CNRS)
Quantum computers promise to efficiently solve not only problems believed to be intractable for classical computers, but also problems for which verifying the solution is also intractable. How then, can one check whether quantum computers are indeed producing correct results? We propose a protocol to answer this question.
Graph Parameters and Physical Correlations: from Shannon to Connes, via Lovász and Tsirelson
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 6617
by Simone Severini (University College London)
Quantum information theory builds bridges between combinatorics, optimisation, and functional analysis.
Experimental Requirements for Quantum Computational Supremacy by Boson Sampling
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5009
by Alex Neville and Chris Sparrow (University of Bristol)
Boson sampling has emerged as a leading candidate for demonstrating “quantum computational supremacy”. We have devised improved classic al algorithms to solve the problem, and shown that photon loss is likely to prevent a near-term demonstration of quantum computational supremacy by boson sampling.
High-Speed Entanglement Sources for Photonic Quantum Computers
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5012
by Fabian Laudenbach, Sophie Zeiger, Bernhard Schrenk and Hannes Hübel (AIT)
Photonic quantum computers promise compact, user-friendly packaging. The building blocks of such an implementation comprise of sources for efficient production of photons with high purity. To increase the clock speed of the computation, such sources need to operate in the GHz range.
A Formal Analysis of Quantum Algorithms
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5009
by Benoît Valiron (LRI – CentraleSupelec, Univ. Paris Saclay)
Moving from the textual description of an appealing algorithm to an actual implementation reveals hidden difficulties.
From Classical to Quantum Information – Or: When You Have Less Than No Uncertainty
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 4426
by Serge Fehr (CWI)
Over the last few years, significant progress has been made in understanding the peculiar behaviour of quantum information. An important step in this direction was taken with the discovery of the quantum Rényi entropy. This understanding will be vital in a possible future quantum information society, where quantum techniques are used to store, communicate, process and protect information.
Preparing Ourselves for the Threats of the Post-Quantum Era
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 6247
by Thijs Veugen (TNO and CWI), Thomas Attema (TNO), Maran van Heesch (TNO), and Léo Ducas (CWI)
In the post-quantum era, most of the currently used cryptography is no longer secure due to quantum attacks. Cryptographers are working on several new branches of cryptography that are expected to remain secure in the presence of a universal quantum computer. Lattice-based cryptography is currently the most promising of these branches. The new European PROMETHEUS project will develop the most secure design and implementations of lattice-based cryptographic systems. Exploitation of the project results will be stimulated by demonstrating and validating the techniques in industry-relevant environments.
Diagram Transformations Give a New Handle on Quantum Circuits and Foundations
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 8912
by Aleks Kissinger (Radboud University)
String diagrams provide a powerful tool for uncovering hidden algebraic structure in quantum processes. This structure can be exploited to optimise quantum circuits, derive fault-tolerant computations, and even probe the foundations of physics.
Quantum Computers and Their Software Interfaces
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 15392
by Peter Mueller, Andreas Fuhrer and Stefan Filipp (IBM Research – Zurich)
Scientific groups in industry and academia have made enormous progress in the implementation of first quantum computer prototypes. IBM’s quantum experience with five and 16 qubits are already publicly accessible in the cloud. Three “standard” software interfaces are available. Client systems with 20 qubits ready for use and the next-generation IBM Q system is in development with the first working 50 qubit processor.
Chevalley-Warning Theorem in Quantum Computing
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 6748
by Gábor Ivanyos and Lajos Rónyai (MTA SZTAKI, Budapest)
Effective versions of some relaxed instances of the Chevalley-Warning Theorem may lead to efficient quantum algorithms for problems of key practical importance such as discrete logarithm or graph isomorphism.
Hardware Shortcuts for Robust Quantum Computing
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 4605
by Alain Sarlette (Inria) and Pierre Rouchon (MINES ParisTech)
Despite an improved understanding of the potential benefits of quantum information processing and the tremendous progress in witnessing detailed quantum effects in recent decades, no experimental team to date has been able to achieve even a few logical qubits with logical single and two qubit gates of tunably high fidelity. This fundamental task at the interface between software and hardware solutions is now addressed with a novel approach in an integrated interdisciplinary effort by physicists and control theorists. The challenge is to protect the fragile and never fully accessible quantum information against various decoherence channels. Furthermore, the gates enacting computational operations on a qubit do not reduce to binary swaps, requiring precise control of operations over a range of values.
Quantum Gates and Simulations with Strongly Interacting Rydberg Atoms
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 5755
by David Petrosyan (IESL-FORTH)
In order to develop functional devices for quantum computing and analogue and digital quantum simulations, we need controlable interactions between the physical systems representing quantum bits – qubits. We explore strong, long-range interactions between atoms excited to high-lying Rydberg states to implement quantum logic gates and algorithms and to realise quantum simulators of various spin-lattice models to study few- and many-body quantum dynamics.
Control of Quantum Systems by Broken Adiabatic Paths
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 4846
by Nicolas Augier (École polytechnique), Ugo Boscain (CNRS) and Mario Sigalotti (Inria)
The dynamics of a quantum mechanical system is described by a mathematical object called Hamiltonian. The possible results of an energy measure are known as the “eigenvalues” (or energy levels) of the Hamiltonian. After an energy measure, the system collapses into a particular state called the eigenstate corresponding to the measured energy. Adding corners to adiabatic paths can be used to generate superpositions of eigenstates with simple and regular control laws.
The Case for Quantum Software
- Details
- Category: Special Theme
- Hits: 4888
by Harry Buhrman (CWI and QuSoft) and Floor van de Pavert (QuSoft)
Researchers and industry specialists across Europe have launched a Quantum Software Manifesto. With the Manifesto, the group aims to increase awareness of and support for quantum software research.
Quantum computers, once just the dream of science fiction writers, are rapidly becoming a reality. Already, the first small quantum hardware devices are being put through their paces, with researchers probing for evidence that they really do work in a fundamentally different way, unlocking solutions to problems classical computers could never solve.
Foreword from the President
- Details
- Category: Joint ERCIM Actions
- Hits: 3805
ERCIM is a great organisation with a lot of potential. I am proud that I am the third CWI director since ERCIM’s foundation in 1989 who has become a President of ERCIM, after Cor Baayen and Gerard van Oortmerssen. I will outline my ideas on ERCIM’s strategy below.
Tim Baarslag Winner of the 2017 Cor Baayen Young Researcher Award
- Details
- Category: Joint ERCIM Actions
- Hits: 3813
Announcement
Tim Baarslag from CWI was selected as the winner of the 2017 ERCIM Cor Baayen Award, in a very tough competition with 15 finalists. The award committee recognises Tim’s skills and the results that he has achieved. His enthusiasm for internationally oriented research cooperation, his talent for recognising the potential use of mathematical tools, and his cooperative skills make him a young researcher of outstanding quality.
ERCIM Established Working Group on Blockchain Technology
- Details
- Category: Joint ERCIM Actions
- Hits: 4578
Announcement
ERCIM established a new Working Group Blockchain Technology to study the potential of this technology for a range of application fields in industry and public administration. First chairperson of the Working Group is Wolfgang Prinz from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT.
IFIP Networking 2018
- Details
- Category: Events
- Hits: 3800
The IFIP Networking 2018 Conference (NETWORKING 2018), to be held in Zurich, Switzerland, from 14-16 May 2018 is the 17th event of the series, sponsored by the IFIP Technical Committee on Communication Systems (TC6). Accepted papers will be published in the IFIP Digital Library and submitted to the IEEE Xplore Digital Library.
4th International Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation Competition
- Details
- Category: Events
- Hits: 3706
The fourth international Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN) competition, seventh in the EvAAL series, was hosted by the international IPIN conference in Sapporo, Japan, on 17 September 2017.
Joint 22nd International Workshop on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems and 17th International Workshop on Automated Verification of Critical Systems
- Details
- Category: Events
- Hits: 4604
by Ana Cavalcanti (University of York), Laure Petrucci (LIPN, CNRS & Université Paris 13) and Cristina Seceleanu (Mälardalen University)
The yearly workshop of the ERCIM Working Group on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems (FMICS) was organised as a joint event together with the workshop on Automated Verification of Critical Systems (AVoCS). The resulting FMICS-AVoCS 2017 workshop took place on 18-20 September in Turin, hosted by the University of Turin.
10th International Conference of the ERCIM Working Group on Computational and Methodological Statistics
- Details
- Category: Events
- Hits: 3550
The 10th International Conference of the ERCIM WG on Computational and Methodological Statistics (CMStatistics 2017) took place at the Senate House and Birkbeck, University of London, UK, 16-18 December 2017. Tutorials were given on Friday 15th of December 2017 and the COST IC1408 CRoNoS Winter Course on Copula-based modelling with R took place the 13-14 December 2017. The conference took place jointly with the 11th International Conference on Computational and Financial Econometrics (CFE 2017).
Computers that Negotiate on Our Behalf
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 5030
by Tim Baarslag (CWI)
Computers that negotiate on behalf of humans hold great promise for the future and will even become indispensable in emerging application domains such as the smart grid, autonomous driving, and the Internet of Things. An important obstacle is that in many real-life settings, it is impossible to elicit all information necessary to be sensitive to the individual needs and requirements of users. This makes it a lot more challenging for the computer to decide on the right negotiation strategy; however, new methods are being created at CWI that make considerable progress towards solving this problem.
The Impacts of Low-Quality Training Data on Information Extraction from Clinical Reports
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 4044
by Diego Marcheggiani (University of Amsterdam) and Fabrizio Sebastiani (CNR)
In a joint effort between the University of Amsterdam and ISTI-CNR, researchers have studied the negative impact that low-quality training data (i.e., training data annotated by non-authoritative assessors) has on information extraction (IE) accuracy.
Faster Text Similarity Using a Linear-Complexity Relaxed Word Mover’s Distance
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 8778
by Kubilay Atasu, Vasileios Vasileiadis, Michail Vlachos (IBM Research – Zurich)
A significant portion of today’s data exists in a textual format: web pages, news articles, financial reports, documents, spreadsheets, etc. Searching across this collected text knowledge requires two essential components: a) A measure to quantify what is considered ‘similar’, to discover documents relevant to the users’ queries, b) A method for executing in real-time the similarity measure across millions of documents.
The CAPTCHA Samples Websit
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 8444
by Alessia Amelio (University of Calabria), Darko Brodić, Sanja Petrovska (University of Belgrade), Radmila Janković (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts)
“CAPTCHA Samples” is a new website for testing different types of CAPTCHA specifically designed for research and study purposes.
APOPSIS: A Web-based Platform for the Analysis of Structured Dialogues
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 4926
by Elisjana Ymeralli, Theodore Patkos and Yannis Roussakis (ICS-FORTH)
APOPSIS is a web-based platform that aims to motivate online users to participate in well-structured dialogues by raising issues and posting ideas or comments, related to goal-oriented topics of discussion. The primary goal of the system is to offer automated opinion analysis features that help identify useful patterns of relations amongst participants and their expressed opinions. Our system is designed to enable more structured and less confusing argumentative discussions, thus helping sense-makers in understanding the dynamic flow of the dialogue.
Can we Trust Machine Learning Results? Artificial Intelligence in Safety-Critical Decision Support
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 14567
by Katharina Holzinger (SBA Research), Klaus Mak, (Austrian Army) Peter Kieseberg (St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences), Andreas Holzinger (Medical University Graz, Austria)
Machine learning has yielded impressive results over the last decade, but one important question that remains to be answered is: How can we explain these processes and algorithms in order to make the results applicable as proof in court?
Formal Methods for the Railway Sector
- Details
- Category: Research and Innovation
- Hits: 5731
by Maurice ter Beek, Alessandro Fantechi, Alessio Ferrari, Stefania Gnesi (ISTI-CNR, Italy), and Riccardo Scopigno (ISMB, Italy)
Researchers from the Formal Methods and Tools group of ISTI-CNR are working on a review and assessment of the main formal modelling and verification languages and tools used in the railway domain, with the aim of evaluating the actual applicability of the most promising ones to a moving block signalling system model provided by an industrial partner. The research is being conducted in the context of the H2020 Shift2Rail project ASTRail.
CWI merges with NWO Institutes Organisation
- Details
- Category: In Brief
- Hits: 3581
Announcement
From 1 January 2018, the ERCIM member CWI has been merged with the NWO Institutes Organisation, NWO-I. The other research institutes in the Netherlands that joined the recent merger are ASTRON, NIOZ, NSCR and SRON. The Dutch institutes AMOLF, ARCNL, DIFFER and Nikhef were already part of NWO-I.
CWI hosts EIT Digital’s New Innovation Space
- Details
- Category: In Brief
- Hits: 3834
Announcement
CWI houses a new innovation space of partner EIT Digital, which was opened on 2 November. With this new location in the financial heart of the Netherlands, EIT Digital wants to boost the development of FinTech, together with its partners in the Netherlands and Europe.
Google Awards Grant for Fake News Detection to FORTH and University of Cyprus
- Details
- Category: In Brief
- Hits: 3710
Announcement
As part of its Digital News Initiative (DNI), Google announced a €150 million innovation fund that supports innovation in Digital News Journalism. In its most recent round of funding, Google supported “Check-it: Visualizing fake news on social media”, a collaborative project between FORTH and University of Cyprus.