Quebec is home to one of the few quantum computers in the world, Quantum System One, currently being deployed at IBM’s facilities in Bromont. The Quebec digital and quantum innovation platform (PINQ²) will become the sole operator of this technology in Canada.
PINQ², a non-profit organization set up in 2021 by the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, aims through this collaboration with IBM to encourage the industry’s transition to quantum computing, a technology full of promise.
To this end, the agreement negotiated between IBM and PINQ² will make Bromont the first Quebec hub for quantum transition centered on the fields of sustainable development and finance. “PINQ² is going to be one of five quantum computer operators in the world, outside of the United States, which has been given a mandate by IBM, explains Gael Humbert, director of business development and strategy at PINQ², in an interview with The duty.
The main strength of IBM’s quantum computer is optimization, due to the very fast calculations it can perform thanks to its 127 qubits, a quantum unit. Unlike bits, which are made up of 0s and 1s, qubits can also take any form between 0 and 1. Their malleability allows a large amount of simultaneous computation to be undertaken.
The idea is really to see what problems can be solved with these computers
The Quantum System One computing offer will therefore make it possible to solve optimization problems related to energy consumption, the challenges of adapting to climate change and the assessment of environmental risks. In the field of finance, he will be able to quickly calculate using the Monte Carlo method, a set of algorithms used to assess economic risks and promote decision-making.
Bringing industry and research together
The IBM computer will also be used for the benefit of research through a partnership with universities. “Our basic objective is to develop the transfer of knowledge, especially technological knowledge, from the academic world to the industrial world”, explains the director of PINQ².
“The Université de Sherbrooke is already our partner and already provides access to our computer via cloud computing,” explains the director. In the coming months, we should announce partnerships with other Quebec universities. »
Thanks to this new acquisition, Québec wishes to position itself as a global center for research on quantum technologies.
Calcul Québec will welcome Monarq
The Calcul Québec platform, a non-profit organization allowing researchers to submit complex calculation requests to its four supercomputers, will also acquire a new quantum computer.
As of January 2024, Calcul Québec will inaugurate its own quantum computer, named Monarq, which will join the Narval and Béluga supercomputers on the premises of the École de technologie supérieure (ETS) in Montreal.
According to the general manager of Calcul Québec, Suzanne Talon, quantum computers offer “no commercially advantageous application” because of their overly experimental nature, but that in no way diminishes the strategic importance of acquiring them to study them.
“Quantum computers, for the moment, are still toys,” emphasizes the director. None of these computers are going to do anything useful yet, in the sense that you can do the same calculations on a regular computer and it’s just as fast. »
On the other hand, it is expected that the next generations of quantum computers will be able to do these calculations more efficiently than classical computers,” predicts M.me Talon, which anticipates the appearance of new generations of quantum computers surpassing in power the classical supercomputers in 5, 10 or 20 years.
Until then, “the idea is really to see what problems can be solved with these computers and to ensure that companies will be ready when the technology is developed”, illustrates the director of Calcul Québec.
Quantum at the service of AI
The development of artificial intelligence will also benefit from quantum technology, particularly in the fields of medical imaging, finance, pharmaceutical development, aeronautics and encryption, believes Suzanne Talon.
“Artificial intelligence is essentially a problem of optimization, summarizes the director. When talking about a model [conversationnel] in ChatGPT, we calculate which word is most likely to follow the inserted words. »
Currently, Quebec has two quantum computers of the same type. One of them is located at the Defense Research and Development Center in Valcartier, while the second is the IBM computer in Bromont, currently being installed. The Monarq computer, designed by the Anyon company, will move into Calcul Québec’s premises at the ETS by next January and will be the third quantum computer in operation in Québec.
