With the continuous breakthrough of quantum technology, quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum measurement and other application scenarios have gradually expanded in depth, and the quantum industry has shown a good momentum of development.
The rapid development of quantum computing is faster than ever, which reminds us that this seemingly 'cold' cutting-edge technology has been quietly applied in many fields.
In today's tech world, quantum computing is suitable for specific algorithms such as optimization, machine learning, and simulation. With the advent of such algorithms in quantum engineering, multiple use cases can be applied to different fields. Starting with finance, fraud detection, healthcare, chain management, chemicals, petroleum, and new materials research are all areas that can make a major impact.
Here,Photonic box (quantumchina).According to the comprehensive evaluation of this year's application fields, scenario empowerment, business performance and other indicators, the top ten quantum use cases (use cases in practical applications) with outstanding performance in 2023 are listed.
To avoid controversy, this article only summarizes the progress of relevant quantum use cases in 2023, rather than leading** or exaggerating the practical application capabilities of quantum technologies at this stage. This list is not exhaustive, and in no particular order, the potential applications of quantum technology are far broader than those listed in this article. If you've learned more about this progress since reading this article, feel free to share more insights in the comments section
In July 2023, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) team partnered with RTDS Technologies IncIn collaboration with Atom Computing, the first connection of quantum computing to the grid was successfully achieved with funding from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The research team successfully demonstrated their open-source interface near Boulder, Colorado, using the RTDS real-time grid simulator stack and Atom Computing's atomic array quantum computing technology.
This demonstration marks the first time that quantum computing technology has been integrated into a dynamic grid research platform, opening up new possibilities for grid and hardware validation.
Power delivery is a large and complex task that requires accurate synchronization and coordination of sensors, communication infrastructure, data management systems, and control mechanisms across a vast network.
To accomplish this task faster, quantum computers become a powerful option.
NREL's Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) enables researchers to embed quantum computing into power systems by running quantum in-the-loop experiments in real-world power systems.
NREL's demonstration relied on nine digital real-time simulators to communicate with Atom Computing's quantum ** device via the ESNet network and eventually with its prototype system, Phoenix.
The demonstration demonstrates the unique capabilities of quantum technology, which opens up new possibilities for the development and optimization of power systems.
With this result, the NREL team pointed out that researchers can use quantum computers to develop and implement quantum approximation optimization algorithms or variational quantum optimization algorithms to bridge the computational gap between classical and quantum computers.
Aries will expand in the future and will have the ability to control 10,000 energy devices by 2024, providing unique realism for evaluating quantum algorithms and driving advances in the power system.
While quantum computing is still in its infancy, the U.S. Department of Energy and NREL have succeeded in removing significant barriers to bringing this promising technology into the energy system.
Starting with Google Chrome version 116 (released on August 15, 2023), support starts with x25519 kyber768 – a hybrid key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) where kyber-768 is a quantum-resistant KEM that has been recognized by NIST for quantum-resistant cryptography in 2022.
Why? Because many people believe that quantum computers will one day be able to crack at least some of the traditional encryption schemes.
In the announcement, Devon O'Brien, the security technology program manager for Chrome, explained the change: "People believe that quantum computers capable of cracking modern classical cryptography won't be around for five, 10 or even 50 years, so why do we have to start protecting the flow of information today? ”
The answer is that some uses of cryptography are vulnerable to an attack called "harvest now, decrypt later." That is, the data is collected and stored now, and once the cryptanalysis capabilities improve, it can be decrypted later.
The x25519 Kyber768 hybrid mechanism deployed effectively addresses this threat: the x25519 Kyber768 combines the output of two cryptographic algorithms to encrypt Transport Layer Security (TLS) sessions.
Among them, X25519 is an elliptic curve algorithm, which is currently used to establish a key agreement process for secure TLS connections; Kyber-768 is a quantum-resistant KEM that received NIST approval for anti-quantum cryptography in 2022, and the final draft is expected to be completed in 2024.
Deploying a hybrid version of the two algorithms in Chrome will allow the web giant, its technical users, and other network providers such as Cloudflare to test quantum-resistant algorithms while maintaining existing protections.
Not only that, but early deployments of the technology were also of practical value to network administrators, as the new hybrid KEM scheme added more than a kilobyte of extra data to the TLS ClientHello message.
When the internet giant runs a similar experiment with CECPQ2, some TLS middleware won't be able to handle traffic because they have hard-coded limits on message size.
In conclusion, Google has taken a wonderful step forward in helping users protect their communications.
"That means we can't know when it's going to go live, but it's likely to happen without us knowing, and we have to deploy this defense technology now so that we don't get caught," O'Brien said. ”
On March 28, 2023, Qusecure, a leading company in quantum-resistant cybersecurity, announced that it has partnered with Accenture to complete the first multi-orbit data communication test secured with quantum-resistant security technology (PQC).
QuSecure and Accenture have partnered to provide a unique encrypted quantum elastic channel from Earth to LEO satellites, which solves the problem that data from previously multi-orbit satellites could be collected and potentially cracked by classical cracking methods and quantum computers, and can be switched to geostationary satellites (GEOs) and transmitted back to Earth again to simulate redundant backup scenarios in the event of a threatened, malfunctioning or attack on a satellite in a single orbit.
This result was achieved through LEO data transfer facilitated by Accenture. The entire transmission is secured using traditional network security and the quantum-resilient network security of Qusecure's QuprotectTM platform, all without software installed on the satellite, demonstrating QuProtect's ability to upgrade secure communications on existing hardware through the software layer.
Now, qusecure and Accenture can help organizations conduct real-time, more secure (from a classical and quantum-secure perspective) communication and data transfer across multiple orbits in space. 
On March 20, the Cleveland Clinic and IBM announced the deployment of medical quantum computers in the United States, marking the beginning of the era of quantum computing for the global medical community.
The Quantum System One, powered by IBM, will be the world's first quantum computer designed specifically for healthcare researchto help accelerate biomedical discovery at the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, said this is an important milestone in the Cleveland Clinic's partnership with IBM Innovation Partners, which will explore new ways to apply quantum computing to healthcare.
He believes that the combination of quantum computing, artificial intelligence and other next-generation technologies will drive the medical field to explore new ways to provide innovative solutions for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM, said that by integrating quantum computing, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, he hopes to join hands with the Cleveland Clinic to usher in a new era in the field of healthcare and life sciences.
By combining the power of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other next-generation technologies with Cleveland Clinic's world-renowned leadership in healthcare and life sciences, we hope to ignite a new era. ”
The medical field is constantly absorbing new ideas and technologies, and quantum computing, as a young but powerful computing model with exponential computing speed, is expected to become one of the most powerful tools in the medical field.
The deployment of medical quantum computers marks a new era in healthcare and medicine, offering hope for solving previously difficult problems.
In March 2023, Nvidia and Quantum Machines unveiled a striking innovation, a new architecture that combines CPUs and GPUs with quantum technology.
The new system integrates NVIDIA's Grace Hopper superchip and Quantum Machines' OPX platform, giving scientific researchers and cutting-edge developers a new way to build applications that can run in both classical and quantum systems.
Nvidia and Quantum Machines claim that the innovative DGX quantum system is the first GPU-accelerated quantum server.
The system not only empowers developers to build more powerful applications that operate flexibly between classical and quantum technologies, but also provides a range of capabilities, including improved calibration, control systems, quantum error correction, and hybrid algorithms.
The launch of the DGX quantum system marks an important advance in the field of quantum computing, opening new doors for future scientific and technological innovation.
In December 2023, Multiverse Computing partnered with Moody's Analytics to launch QFstudioTM, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform.
Designed to provide convenience to users with limited experience in the field of quantum computing, the QFstudioTM platform features a user-friendly interface design such as Excel plug-in and Python interface.
QFstudioTM aims to bridge the gap between practitioners in the financial sector through SaaS offerings.
The product allows users to compare classical and quantum algorithm performance in order to choose the best solution when solving a particular problem. The platform provides quantum computing solutions for applications such as machine learning, optimization, and financial simulation.
Users can connect to the service through a web interface or application programming interface (API), gaining access to quantum algorithms and quantum computing models without incurring the cost of hardware maintenance.
The collaboration leverages Moody's network and experience in the financial sector, as well as Multiverse's quantum computing resources, including its singularity software, which forms the core of the QFstudioTM platform, and industry relationships.
In addition, qcentroid was involved in the user interface design of the platform, focusing on improving the ease of use of quantum algorithms.
This customer-facing strategy for quantum SaaS applications represents the potential of quantum computing to fundamentally change the way problems are solved in the financial sector: from markets** to complex financial modeling.
On December 21, 2023, the U.S. Army and Ryodberg Technologies, a start-up, successfully used an atomic quantum receiver for long-range radio communication for the first time in the world.
This major breakthrough will greatly contribute to the development of a new generation of anti-jamming and anti-hacking communication technology.
Redberg Technologies, a global leader in radio frequency (RF) quantum sensing for Fort Rydberg quantum technologies, unveiled a low-size, low-weight, low-power (SWAP) atomic receiver at the U.S. Army Combat Capability Development Command's (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center Network Modernization Experiment 2023 (NetMoDx23) event. It also successfully demonstrated the world's first technical application of long-distance radio communication using atomic quantum sensors.
This event is considered a testing ground for the next generation of communications and intelligence technologies
This signals the Pentagon's focus on key issues of future military security, as future adversaries will have more efficient electromagnetic warfare capabilities.
Quantum sensors allow militaries to detect otherwise hard-to-detect drones, soldiers carrying high-tech communications equipment, and even encrypted devices — even if they don't decrypt communications.
The fact that Rydberg Technologies has received support from the Innovation Capital (NSIC) grant program under the Department of Defense and Innovation for the development of atomic receivers underscores the strategic importance of advancing quantum technology in the first and commercial sectors.
This support demonstrates the recognition and importance of the critical role of quantum technology in future military applications.
In August 2023, Airbus, the BMW Group, and Quantinuum announced that they are jointly advancing the development of a quantum-classical hybrid workflow to accelerate future research using quantum computers to simulate quantum systems, with a particular focus on the chemistry of catalysts in fuel cells.
The collaborative team leveraged Quantinuum's H-Series quantum computers to successfully report accurate modeling of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the surface of a platinum-based catalyst.
The study demonstrates the applicability of quantum computing in industrial workflows, greatly enhancing our understanding of key chemical reactions.
The oxygen reduction reaction is a key process in fuel cells that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity, with a slow reaction rate and a large number of platinum catalysts.
Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanism of this reaction is essential to improve fuel cell performance and reduce production costs.
Due to the quantum nature of the chemical mechanisms involved, it is difficult for classical computers to accurately simulate chemical reactions such as ORR.
For this reason, this research puts quantum computing at the forefront of simulating such complex chemical reactions, and is expected to provide strong support for the realization of "quantum advantage" in the future.
In the study's experiments**, the team highlighted the importance of this research for in-depth study of electrocatalytic models and highlighted the potential of quantum computing for early practical applications in fuel cell modeling.
On December 19, 2023, the BMW Group vividly demonstrated the excellence of NVIDIA's CuQuantum SDK in accelerating quantum circuit simulation in the Quantum Machine Learning Application-Oriented Benchmark Document.
Currently, the BMW Group is conducting in-depth research on how quantum computing can enhance algorithms in generative modelsThey were amazed to see that Cuquantum's simulation performance improved by a factor of 300, reducing each iteration from eight hours to minutes
In this experiment, quark was able to evaluate not only the efficiency of BMW Group's quantum computing algorithms, but also the performance of quantum simulators and quantum hardware. As a standardized and scalable platform, quark focuses on adapting quantum computing applications in different domains, including quantum machine learning, optimization, and numerical simulation.
quark architecture.
BMW Group scientists can unleash the power of the CuQuantum SDK with only minor modifications** of the library, enabling simulations of up to 30 qubits.
The result, quantum circuit simulation for quantum machine learning workloads using NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core 40 GB GPUs resulted in a 300x faster CPU implementation with dual AMD EPYC 7742.
The research presented by the BMW Group and accelerated by NVIDIA underscores the value of a high-performance framework for quantum application benchmarking. With NVIDIA Cuquantum, the BMW Group has significantly improved the training time and benchmarking of quantum generative models with Quark, providing a compelling solution to eliminate computational bottlenecks.
On October 5, 2023, researchers from Boeing and IBM Quantum collaborated to publish a new article in the journal Nature NPJ Quantum Information, which is an early step towards exploring new corrosion-resistant materials.
By combining Boeing's corrosion engineering expertise with IBM's quantum computing capabilities, the researchers have successfully developed two new technologies for quantum simulation of a critical step in the corrosion process, the water reduction reaction.
Due to the particular advantages of quantum computing in modeling quantum-scale systems, researchers are able to calculate the energy involved in water reduction reactions more accurately than major classical methods.
In addition, the researchers creatively devised a potentially valuable new approach for simplifying quantum circuits precisely and automatically, thereby drastically reducing the quantum resources required to run simulations.
Finally, the researchers said Boeing and IBM Quantum will continue to work together to delve into how quantum computing can reveal the chemical reactions that make materials degrade when they interact with them in different environments.
Boeing and IBM quantum have made initial progress in pursuing new ways for Boeing to benefit from quantum computing, with one area of interest being the development of advanced corrosion-resistant chemicals for coating aircraft.
As Boeing builds a quantum workforce and drives continuous improvements and scale in quantum computing, the company is expected to meet more aerospace challenges through quantum problem solving.
That's our roundup of the top 10 quantum computing applications that are attracting attention in 2023.
Looking ahead to 2024, we expect to see more proof-of-concept use cases released, as well as broader applications of quantum computing across industries.
This requires collaboration between end-users and quantum experts to identify use cases and develop solutions that leverage the unique capabilities of quantum computing.
Overall, while progress in these areas will take time, the potential benefits of quantum computing make it an exciting and promising field for the years to come.