A hybrid of supercomputer and quantum computer enables the solution of complex tasks in chemistry, materials science or optimization.
“LEO5” and “IBEX Q1”
Specifically, the team has connected the university-operated computing cluster “LEO5” with AQT’s quantum computer “IBEX Q1”. HPC clusters are installed in standardized server racks. While these devices offer high computing power, certain problems in nature, especially those that must be described using quantum mechanics, scale so unfavorably that they can only be solved approximately or not at all.
One of the problems is understanding superconductivity at room temperature, which – once it becomes technically feasible – is expected to revolutionize all areas of electronics. Other applications include chemical processes such as nitrogen fixation for the development of cost- and energy-efficient fertilizers or carbon sequestration to combat climate change, according to the Innsbruck study on the application areas.
Balancing the workload
AQT claims to have developed the first rack-compatible quantum computer. The challenge of integrating quantum computers into the HPC infrastructure is to balance the workload between these two very different computational approaches. Interfaces between the classical and quantum infrastructure now enable researchers to creatively explore and adapt the interaction.
Source: www.com-magazin.de
