IonQ acquires Quantum Networks, Inc.

Today, IonQ, an ion trap quantum computing company, announced the acquisition of the operating assets of Entangled Networks, a Toronto-based company focused on enabling computing across multiple distributed quantum processors. As part of the deal, the Entangled Networks team will join IonQ to form IonQ Canada, strengthening IonQ's already growing international presence. This is IonQ's first corporate acquisition.

Entangled Networks, a new company founded in February 2021, is backed by OurCrowd, an investment platform based in Jerusalem. According to its homepage, its partners also include ventureLAB, MaRS and INO in Canada, as well as Microsoft, Nvidia and IBM Quantum.

Networked Quantum Computers

Classical supercomputers are implemented by putting as many cores as possible on a single processor and then networking these processors/computers together. Applications are divided across multiple cores and processors to distribute the workload and communicate between the different processors via a network.

For quantum computers to scale massively, they need to follow a similar model. Future quantum computers will need to be built from multiple processors and networked together. But unlike classical networks, quantum computers allow entanglement between cores to form a much larger quantum computer. Quantum computers use networks for computation, not communication.

Entagled Networks Technical Description

The acquisition of Entangled Networks furthers IonQ's goal of developing quantum systems capable of supporting future quantum networks.IonQ's own quantum networking hardware is currently under development and IonQ expects to demonstrate an early version of a quantum network between two quantum computers in 2023.

Entangled Networks specializes in developing hardware and software solutions for connecting multiple quantum processors within a data center to create larger systems. This coincides with IonQ's strategy, as they have long planned to scale their quantum computers using a modular quantum computing approach.

Conceptual diagram of a quantum multicore architecture using photonic interconnects

Achieving this is very challenging. Not only must the necessary hardware components be developed for the interconnect, but it is important to have well-optimized software to take large quantum programs and split them into multiple processing units. Gate operations between different processors will be much slower and less fidelity than gate operations within a single processor. Multiprocessor systems may not have full connectivity of quantum bits in a single ion trap device. The compiler software will minimize the use of inter-processor gate operations to improve system performance, but cannot completely eliminate inter-processor gate operations.

IonQ has done a lot of preliminary work to enable networking. For example, in August 2021, they debuted their reconfigurable multicore quantum architecture, which is expected to scale the number of quantum bits per chip to hundreds. They then enabled the new barium quantum bits, which are claimed to be a more networkable quantum system. The company plans to connect multiple quantum processing units together with light to create a modular system with much higher processing power, and the barium quantum bits will pave the way for higher levels of device integration and easier networking of multiple systems.

Entangled Networks' MultiQopt product provides quantum circuit optimization for modular system architectures (such as those developed by IonQ). This is because the interconnection of quantum processor (QPU) clusters is not simply a matter of building a fiber optic network and connecting devices together. Unlike classical clusters, the laws of quantum mechanics do not allow cloning of quantum data, which is why configurations must be handled using special hardware, algorithms and programming.

Entangled Networks' multicore technology and engineering team provides.

Hardware consisting of optical collection systems and network fabric switches

Software containing algorithm libraries, optimization controllers and real-time network control

Networking expertise

With today's acquisition of Entangled Networks, IonQ is one step closer to developing quantum networks capable of solving the most complex problems of today and tomorrow," explained Peter Chapman, President and CEO of IonQ. While classical supercomputer networks communicate between processors to divide workloads, our quantum networks target massively entangled quantum bits, which will lead to larger, more powerful computing systems. We are laying the groundwork today for future growth, scalability and adoption of quanta."

Over the next few years, IonQ plans to integrate the acquired technologies into its quantum computer architecture. Comprehensive modular connectivity will provide connections between any quantum bits within the system, located between any number of quantum processors. The highly scalable architecture should be powerful enough to perform large-scale, complex quantum computing problems, regardless of the structure of the problem.

In fact, IonQ itself has the in-house capabilities to develop the technology needed for QPU networks. Over the past decade, IonQ co-founders Chris Monroe, Jungsang Kim and others have worked on the technology needed to network quantum computers using high-bandwidth connections between QPU devices. But acquiring Entangled Networks was a better and more efficient option than continuing to develop the technology in-house. ionQ gained access to the networking technology while saving significant development costs.

Networking is inevitable, but is now a good time?

It is an industry consensus that quantum computers must be networked in the future, but is now a good time? Especially when there is still huge room for development of standalone machines. In fact, IBM is also pushing forward with modular quantum processors. this year, in addition to the 1121-quantum-bit Condor chip, it will also launch Heron, a 133-quantum-bit modular quantum processor. starting from 2024, IBM will fully enable modular processors.

IBM's Quantum Computing Roadmap

Compared to IBM's roadmap, IonQ's plan to network quantum computers this year doesn't seem too early, but comparing the number of quantum bits between the two companies shows where the difference lies. IBM's single chip has already achieved 433 quantum bits, even if it is made modular, a single chip is at least 133 quantum bits.

With only 32 quantum bits, IonQ is looking for networking, probably related to the scalability of ion trap technology, because the number of ions that can be held in a single trap is limited, and for now, it is impossible to hold 433 ions in a single trap. Therefore, in order to expand the number of quantum bits, the networking path needs to be taken earlier.

It should be noted that combining multiple quantum processors into one large processor is still different from networking quantum computers. For example, IBM's 1386+ quantum bit Flamingo, which will be launched in 2024, is composed of multiple processors, but if only one set of supporting facilities is needed, it is equivalent to still the same quantum computer. A networked quantum computer, on the other hand, refers to the connection between different quantum computers.

From the information available, IonQ is indeed a connection between whole machines. In this way, an ion trap would need to be paired with a full set of vacuum, laser and detection equipment. Assuming 32 quantum bits per ion trap, scaling up to 1000 quantum bits may require more than 30 sets of equipment that would not fit in a soccer field. However, miniaturization of ion trap quantum computers has always been the direction of academic and industrial efforts.

The path to scaling ion trap quantum computers (time in the picture is predicted)

Let's look forward to the rest of the year to see what IonQ will eventually present as a networked quantum computer. The following video will help you better understand the networking of ion trap quantum computers.

Reference：

[1]https://ionq.com/news/networked-quantum-computers-ionq-acquires-assets-of-entangled-networks[2]https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2023/01/10/ionqs-acquires-entangled-networks-and-locks-in-quantum-networking-technology-critical-to-its-future-success/?sh=369ec403784f