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Quantum computing represents a monumental shift from traditional computing. Instead of relying on bits that operate in a strict binary fashion, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits. These qubits harness the principles of quantum mechanics, operating in a state of superposition which allows them to represent multiple states simultaneously. This means a quantum computer can process vast and complex datasets much more efficiently than its classical counterpart.

What sets quantum computing apart is not just speed but its approach to problem-solving. Leveraging another quantum feature, entanglement, qubits can be correlated in a way that amplifies computational power exponentially with each added qubit. This interconnection allows quantum computers to analyze and decipher complex patterns and problems at a pace unattainable by standard computers.

To realize the potential of quantum computing, academic institutions and corporations alike are trying to move quantum computers from their experimental roots and implement them at scale. This is both hard to do, and expensive. Among other issues, as the number of qubits increases in a system, so does the need for more control lines and measurement devices. This makes managing the physical layout and connectivity of a large number of qubits without introducing noise or losing signals increasingly difficult.

Oxford Ionics, a quantum computing startup founded by Chris Balance and Tom Harty, is at the leading edge of this scaling process. As Chris will tell you, quantum computing is not just a physics problem, it is also an engineering and computer science problem. And Oxford Ionics are the experts in the messy qubit spaces in between all three.

Engineed for computing

Chris Balance blames his father for introducing him to electronic engineering. His father was an engineer and constantly fed Chris’s curiosity. Growing up, Chris would take apart his toys to figure out how they worked. Soon after, Chris graduated to taking apart and rebuilding scrapped car parts that his father would bring him. As Chris grew up, his passion for understanding how things worked broadened to other areas. These included first chemistry, where he almost got expelled because of bringing too many chemical parts that could be used as explosives to school, and then, finally, physics.

It was physics that took Chris to Oxford University, but once there, classical physics felt too ‘distant’ for someone as hands-on as Chris. Then he discovered quantum computing and as Chris describes it, “it felt like this wonderful nexus of everything I was interested in.” Quantum computing was still early enough in its development that a small team of people working together could create a paradigm shift in the thinking and threshold of the field.

Luckily for Chris, Oxford University was one of the global hubs for work on quantum computing, so after finishing his undergrad degree, he opted to stay there and get his PhD in quantum computing. During those studies it became apparent to Chris that quantum computing had a scaling problem – ideas that seemed perfect to a scientist but didn’t work in practice. As an engineer at heart, Chris began to focus on how to design quantum computing systems that can actually be built. Chris shared his ideas with Tom Harty another student in the Oxford PhD program. Together they agreed that “we want to build something that makes a difference in people’s lives, that generates significant value, and is not just ticked off as yet another scientific paper.” In 2019, the duo founded Oxford Ionics to harness the power of qubits to solve the world’s most important problems.

The march towards commercialization

Chris will tell you that Oxford Ionics has its focus not just on building quantum computers, but on engineering the best quantum computing architecture to scale with. “To create a big system, where you can build out the technology and reproducibly make it bigger in each iteration without having to reinvent it, that's engineering,” Chris explains. The Oxford Ionic team is focused on building an architecture that will enable at least the next three to five generations of growth. To do this, they must look ahead and solve problems that will occur as size and complexity increases. On a practical level, that means a constant focus on effective communication between the diverse sets of scientists and engineers to keep the development cycle going as fast as possible.

One of the key innovations for Oxford Ionics has been to create designs that can be built using standard semiconductor processes. This enables not only fast iteration and testing of designs but provides a route to large scale production. To this end, Oxford Ionics has partnered with Infineon, the largest semiconductor fab in Europe to produce its chips on their standard production line.

The company has already demonstrated the highest performance quantum operations on any quantum computing platform in the world and are currently pushing towards demonstrating an order of magnitude beyond that. Chris explains that the potential here is “if we get an order of magnitude better than where we are now, we can solve new problems you can't solve any other way. We’re into the promised land of quantum computing.” The intention is to get to this next level without having to develop new quantum computing science, a much more daunting, time-consuming task.

Chris chuckles as he explains that getting to this next order of magnitude is painful engineering. It requires sweet and blood, but at the end of the day it is just engineering, and the team thrives on the challenge.

The AI advantage

One question that comes up regularly for Chris and others working in quantum computing is what will that next leap in capability be used for. Chris is quick to say that many of the ultimate uses likely haven’t been identified yet – because the potential of those systems is so far past what is possible with current computing architectures it is hard to imagine all the things you could do with them.

That said, quantum computing can play a very significant role in advancing multiple aspects of artificial intelligence (AI). These include dramatically improved machine learning algorithms - particularly those involving large datasets or complex calculations, such as deep learning networks. Quantum-enhanced machine learning could lead to more accurate and sophisticated models, improving AI performance in tasks like pattern recognition, classification, and prediction. Quantum computing can also simulate complex systems and processes that are difficult or impossible for classical computers to handle. This capability could be used to create more advanced simulation-based AI models, particularly in fields like materials science, biology, and chemistry. It could accelerate the analysis of molecular and genetic data, leading to faster drug discovery processes and more personalized medicine approaches, where AI models tailor medical treatments to individual patients based on their genetic makeup.

There are many other areas at the intersection of quantum computing and AI that show great promise – from helping solve optimization problems to building quantum neural networks. All, however, rely upon ready access to quantum computing power.

Looking ahead

In the short term, that requires Oxford Ionics to deliver on the promise of its architectural work by getting systems using its chips into the market. The model for doing this is still under development, but it is likely to be in the form of qubits of computing power sold via web services rather than old school hardware sales. Delivering in this fashion means both Oxford Ionics and its customers can benefit from the very latest systems they are building.

The company is also thinking hard about the longer term. In doing so, Chris and the team have the invaluable help and investment of Hermann Hauser, co-founder of ARM, and the ARM alumni now working at Oxford Ionics. With the inside track on how a new computing architecture was shepherded to success, they can provide clear guidance on where and how to develop the company and its approach to the market. The core focus will continue to be developing the architecture and the successive generations of chips that come from it. An essential part of this work will be to ensure that key innovations developed along the way form a strong patent portfolio.

Parallel to this core effort, the company also understands the importance of system integration and software development. Oxford Ionics already invests significant effort into refining their compilers and software tools. The intention in the long term is to make Oxford Ionics systems not just the most powerful but also the most usable and easy to integrate quantum computers in the market.

Over the next 10 to 20 years, as the market for quantum computing systems matures, Oxford Ionics’ aspiration is to drive the architectures of future systems and guide the creation of quantum software atop these systems, establishing a very central place in the quantum ecosystem for the company. That future may seem a long way off, but with the progress Oxford Ionics has already shown, and the guidance of some very knowledgeable supporters, you wouldn’t bet against Chris and the team engineering a path to get there.