Chris Lirakis on the promise of quantum computing

In this episode of the O’Reilly Hardware Podcast, Jeff Bleiel and I speak with Chris Lirakis, senior manager, engineering of novel computing architectures at IBM. Earlier this year, the company’s quantum computing platform in the cloud, the “IBM Quantum Experience,” was opened up to researchers, scientists, and the public.

Lirakis discusses potential applications of quantum computing, including solving simultaneous equations, solving lattice gauge theory, financial market simulations, and chemical dynamics (his team has already done a simulation of the hydrogen diatomic molecule). He explains what qubits are, and tells us why the IBM quantum computer has to be stored in a 30-degree millikelvin environment. We also talk about quantum experiments that anyone can do at home, and the necessity of educational resources in the development of a community that understands quantum computing.

Links:

• The NIST Quantum Algorithm Zoo, a catalog of quantum algorithms
• The SPICE open source electronic circuit simulator
• The Scientific American slide show “Do It Yourself Quantum Eraser”