The activity had the participation of experts in Quantum Computing and focused on the development of this area in Uruguay and the region.
The University of Montevideo (UM) organized the first edition of “Encuentros UM”, which took place on April 28th in virtual format and featured a panel with experts in Quantum Computing, made up of Marcos Allende López, Quantum Technology specialist at the IADB; Laura Gatti, Director of Development at Quantum-South and professor of Quantum Computing at UM; and Rafael Sotelo, Director of Research at the UM School of Engineering and co-founder of the company Quantum-South. In turn, the event was attended by Lic. Juan Pablo De Marco as moderator, journalist and editor of the Cromo section of El Observador.
The panel discussed what Quantum Computing is, a phenomenon that is known more for its mention in works of science fiction than for its world-class practice, and that can bring great challenges and opportunities in technology, markets and behaviors. The speakers focused on its development in the business and academic fields, its projection in Uruguay and the region, and provided examples of organizations that understand the application of this novel technological area.
The actuality of Quantum Computing: towards the revolution
The master’s degree in Physical Theory Marcos Allende was the first speaker, who based on his research work with the Inter-American Development Bank highlighted Uruguay’s broad interest in emerging technologies and ventures. He talked about the publication made with the IDB, which comments on these technologies, how they work, how they are going to have an impact both at the technological level and at the sector level, and on what governments and technology companies are generating in this regard.
His experience in the field of physics led him to give an example of what characterizes quantum technologies and their scope in the microscopic world in contrast to the macroscopic, “which allow solving problems that until before were impossible to solve.” Like other examples in the area, in addition to Quantum Computing, Allende named quantum optics, quantum methodology, and atomic clocks.
Regarding the current status and impact of these technologies, Allende stressed their immature nature, given that although quantum computers have been in development for twenty-one years, they are still in an initial phase. “The United States is one of the countries that has advanced the most in the area of Quantum Computing, more from the private sector than the public, with companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Google,” he added. However, the public information of several European and Asian states shows a growing (and billionaire) interest in the technology.
Although progress has been stealthy and complex, Quantum Computing is the key to an imminent new industrial revolution. Allende brought up a hypothetical example of global interest anchored in medicine, contemplating the advantage that a quantum computer would bring to rapidly develop a pandemic vaccine. Broadly speaking, he stressed that the use extended to different areas and industries will also bring a great change at a social, economic and environmental level.
Personal and social security would not be immune to this trend. Regarding cybersecurity, Allende explained that Quantum Computing will have the ability to access “those private keys that allow privacy on our phones or the information we send over the Internet. For this reason, we are working on alternatives to the cryptographies that we use today and that allow privacy ”. He mentioned the example of China and Austria employing these quantum keys (as early as 2018) through the use of satellites.
The role of the academy
“We know that in the future Quantum Computing will facilitate the solution of very complex problems, which today are not solved optimally. From the academy, we want to approach companies and government organizations to learn about these problems and, together, prepare organizations to be Quantum Technology Ready [that is, ready for the quantum technology stage] “, said Rafael Sotelo, who exemplified the trend general to solve challenges that large companies have, and that seek alliances with organizations with great technological capacity to improve designs and optimize complex processes, such as Mercedes Benz and IBM.
“The first people to approach this issue are physicists, but this has to do with how (technologies) are manufactured. To see how they are used (…) it is necessary to add the academy and the students ”, pointed out the director of the Computer Engineering and Telematics careers of the UM.
Regarding the importance of universities on the subject, Allende added that universities are the places where knowledge is, “and I see that it is necessary to have a good relationship between academia and the private sector (…) to generate development give value,” he explained, emphasizing that the resources and financial support would necessarily come from mostly private sector companies and not just governments.
Regarding the paths already traveled from the academy, Sotelo and Gatti mentioned the participation of UM students in international quantum technology challenges: the 2020 Airbus Challenge and this year’s Amazon Challenge, in which they are already working on the challenge. of multiple layers of information that make up the logistics of the international giant.
The challenge of developing quantum computers
The Director of Development of Quantum-South, Laura Gatti, commented on the challenges that a priori present in Quantum Computing, starting with describing the quantification of information. In this area, the Qubit is the basic unit of measurement of information (just as for normal computers the unit is the bit). What supports the Qubit, as explained by the engineer, is that “… we could store infinite information [in a Qubit]. What happens is that there are other laws of quantum mechanics that make that information that one can store -almost infinitely-, then it is not possible to access it in everything that one stored [sic]. There is a trap between what I can see and what I can keep ”. The challenge continues, Gatti explained, with how to read the information “without destroying it” and being able to make calculations. “You have to take the information that is in the dark to those points where there is light” so that they interact and solve problems through algorithms.
Today, the construction of quantum computers, by its nature, is the intellectual domain of physicists. However, its use is already a matter for those who are interested in Engineering and programming. Sotelo highlighted the interest in young people thanks to new courses taught at UM through the alliance with Microsoft Quantum Computing.
This growing interest of young people (mostly in the Engineering area) is matched with that of companies, which are looking for a joint work model to make this technology possible. “Large companies provide access to their quantum computers that requires many experts. From Uruguay, we can contribute from a generation of software ”, Sotelo commented in this regard.
“The thing about quantum computers is that each producer has their own prototype, there is no standardization. As they all have different technologies and different physical bases, they have different characteristics that make it not so easy to go from one to another; and that they have different performances ”, added Gatti.
A spin-off company: Quantum-South
Finally, Gatti and Sotelo spoke about Quantum-South, a start-up that was born in the Faculty of Engineering (FIUM) of the UM and that was established in 2019. Quantum-South is a Quantum Computing software company, with operations in Europe and Latin America, spin-off of the University of Montevideo, member of Microsoft Quantum Network, research partner and university curriculum. Provides consulting and toolbuilding for long-term impact quantum technologies and designs solutions with a quantum computing approach combining expertise across multiple quantum software platforms.
About “Encuentro UM”
The “UM Meetings” aim to address current issues, belonging to different areas and disciplines, in which academics who have developed relevant projects or research participate, together with invited experts from the political, business or government area, to discuss the aspects keys to the theme of choice.
To see the complete video of the first “Encuentros UM”, click here.
