Andrew Lord, Senior Manager of Optical Networks Research at BT, discusses how significant challenges in several industries could be solved by quantum computing of the near future.
With every passing year, quantum computing of the near future has become closer to being implemented in the modern digital world. To date, a significant amount of investment has gone into research and prototyping, capturing the attention of governments, cryptology experts, businesses, and the cybersecurity industry.
Quantum computing can simultaneously perform calculations on many bits of information, solving problems infeasible by conventional computers. This has far-reaching implications for the ability to solve challenges that are currently considered intractable due to their inherent complexity. Measurement and analysis of huge amounts of health data to make preventative action possible is just one example of an area that could soon be greatly transformed by quantum computing.
However, quantum computing also brings serious and profound questions: primarily its potential threat to many current information security frameworks that protect our data today. Quantum computing of the near future holds the potential to crack the mathematics that underpins much of the current cryptography used to secure networks. Encryption underpins the safety of bank accounts and transactions, the privacy of medical records, trade and national security secrets, and many more aspects of everyday life.
But it’s not just a problem for the future. Securing encrypted traffic is a pressing problem because data which requires long-term security could be at risk of ‘store today, crack later’ attacks, where the key data is stored now and broken when a sufficiently powerful quantum computer is available. This has significant implications for industries with highly sensitive and long-lasting data, which will be at a greater risk of exploitation by attackers.
Quantum meets quantum
Fortunately, there’s time to avoid this and other similar threats. Using security principles based on quantum key distribution, for example, it is possible to protect sensitive commercial and personal data today and future-proof it against attacks from quantum computers. The capability of quantum computing of the near future is both the aggressor and the defender.
Fundamentally, this rapidly emerging technology presents a number of advantages to a range of industries, including financial services, professional services, health and life sciences, government, and manufacturing, while at the same time potentially shifting the goalposts of strategic national security concerns.
But first, some background
Simply put, quantum computers use the law of quantum mechanics to solve problems too complex for conventional computers. The language of today’s computers is binary ‘bits’. All data is reduced to either a one or a zero – a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, an ‘off’ or an ‘on’.
This fundamentally limits their problem-solving capabilities. Quantum computers instead use quantum bits, or ‘qubits’, which can exist simultaneously in both a zero and one state, radically upping potential data processing power. Quantum computing can be imagined as a process where calculations don’t follow each other as they do in regular computing but take place simultaneously.
Therefore, quantum computing of the near future has the potential to unlock previously unimagined levels of processing power. Using qubits, calculations can theoretically be performed in the time that might take a traditional computer years to work out.
The ‘intractable problems’ that quantum computers have been designed to solve – from data encryption and cybersecurity to advanced supply chain logistics to exponentially faster data analytics – have many variables interacting in complicated ways.
For this reason, there is growing interest in the technology from governments as well as several sectors globally,
In the UK, the Government has a clear ambition (as outlined in the National Quantum Strategy) to develop a UK quantum-enabled economy in which quantum technologies will become an integral part of the UK’s digital backbone.
This would unlock innovation to drive growth and help build a thriving and resilient economy while contributing significant value to the UK’s prosperity and security. If we look at Europe, we can see that they have already committed to building national and pan-European quantum networks, and we’re pleased to see that the UK Government is considering building a national network.
Quantum computing of the near future can help overcome societal challenges
Quantum simulation is one area where quantum computing of the near future is set to have a significant impact. In this application, quantum computing models complex molecules and simulates their interactions and effects. These simulations could radically reduce the time used by chemical and pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs and treatments.
However, this proficiency exceeds traditional computers’ limits as they cannot provide accurate simulations, as each atom interacts with other atoms in complex ways. Many researchers are instead looking to quantum computers as they are powerful enough to eventually model even the most complex molecules in the human body.
As a result, the healthcare industry may be on the threshold of more rapid drug development cycles and transformative new cures, which are critical in pandemic-type scenarios. Had quantum computers been available and put to work on the Covid-19 vaccine development programme, it is thought that the technology would have been able to simulate chemical reactions at the molecular level, rapidly narrowing down possible candidates for the vaccine from 10,000 compounds to a few dozen.
Optimisation and search is another critical business case that can benefit from quantum computing of the near future. Almost all industries depend on optimisation in one form or another. Still, virtually infinite questions must be addressed to optimise efficiency and value creation within a commercial enterprise, such as where to prioritise automation on the production line first. What’s the most direct route for this delivery fleet?
However, traditional computing is only limited to making one complicated calculation sequentially. This is a time-consuming and costly process considering the many variables of any situation. Since quantum computers can work with multiple variables simultaneously, they can be put to work to narrow the range of possible answers rapidly. At that point, traditional computing can be used to zero in on one precise answer.
Quantum computing of the near future also has the potential to collaborate with advanced algorithms, thereby transforming Machine Learning across a range of diverse sectors and fields, such as climate science and automotive.
For instance, quantum computing looks set to accelerate the delivery of self-driving vehicles. Companies like Ford and Volkswagen, as well as numerous mobility start-ups, are running video and image data through complex neural networks to leverage AI to train a car to make critical driving decisions. Quantum computers’ unique ability to perform multiple complex calculations with many variables simultaneously allows for faster training of future AI systems.
Quantum: The next frontier in cybersecurity
Today, governments and enterprises worldwide are investing billions of dollars in quantum research and development, and with breakthroughs being made daily, the practical application of quantum technologies is on the rise.
Here at BT Group, we’re on a quantum journey. Today, we’re working across the breadth of quantum technologies, from quantum communications to quantum computing, sensing, and timing, to explore real-world applications.
We’re also exploring the potential of quantum technology to deliver secure connections and communication for some of the most security-sensitive sectors and industry verticals. For example, last year, we launched a ‘world first’ commercial trial of a quantum secure metro network in London, with EY becoming the first customer and HSBC recently joining.
The network can connect numerous customers across London, helping them secure the transmission of valuable data and information between multiple physical locations using quantum key distribution (QKD). The London network represents an important step towards building a national network for quantum-secured communications.
For the UK Government, which very recently set out its ambitions to develop a quantum-enabled digital economy, such a use case is a clear example of how science and technology can successfully solve some of the big challenges facing society – particularly when it comes to providing better-encrypted, fully secured communications.
Continuing research and investment into quantum technology where government, industry, and academia come together to solve real-world problems is key to developing quantum computing of the near future.
Quantum computing: Making the impossible possible
It is no exaggeration that all sectors, ranging from engineering to medicine and healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and cybersecurity, will be significantly impacted by the breakthroughs this technology will make in the immediate years ahead.
While the industry is still in the relatively early stages of unlocking quantum technology’s potential, several key innovators are creating the momentum to make certain technologies, such as quantum secure communication, viable at a broad commercial scale as soon as possible.
