BACKGROUND: Previously, the only quantum hardware available was special-purpose quantum hardware, specifically D-Wave quantum annealers targeting optimization problems. Gate-model quantum computers are general-purpose quantum computers. Prototype gate-model quantum computing chips expand the potential applications we can explore on early quantum hardware beyond optimization, as well as enabling a broader array of quantum approaches to optimization. We expect gate-model quantum computing to represent a significant growth area with a range of applications of significant interest to NASA, and we are particularly excited about our collaboration with Rigetti, with their focus on hardware complementing our focus on software and applications,
NASA PROGRAM FUNDING: NASA Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program, the NASA Ames Research Center, and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Information Directorate under grant F4HBKC4162G001.
TEAM: The Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL) team, particularly Davide Venturelli, Zhihui Wang, Sergey Knysh, Zhang Jiang, and Salvatore Mandra.