QuTech
A team of scientists from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has created the first operating system for quantum networks.
The key problem with quantum computers is that they operate on different bases. Some use trapped ions, others diamonds with defects, and some —superconducting circuits. Each system requires its own communication protocols. So far, attempts to combine quantum computers of different types into one network had limited success.
«The goal of our research is to make quantum networking technology accessible to everyone. With QNodeOS, we are taking a big step forward. For the first time, we are making it easy to program and execute applications in a quantum network Our work also creates a foundation that opens up new areas of research in quantum informatics», — says the head of the research team, Professor of QuTech quantum informatics, Stephanie Wehner.
QNodeOS is able to work with any type of quantum computer, regardless of their design features and the type of qubits used. The system successfully processes both quantum signals and classic commands that control devices.
The biggest challenge was integrating this OS to meet the requirements of quantum networks. Unlike quantum computers that perform one specific task, applications in quantum networks run independently on different network nodes, similar to client applications on smartphones and cloud servers These programs are coordinated through messaging and quantum entanglement, a special kind of communication that powers such networks.
The scientists tested the effectiveness of their OS by connecting it to a quantum computer using diamonds with defects — with nitrogen-substituted vacancies, and can operate even at room temperature, and to a computer running on ions and ytterbium, which are captured and held in electromagnetic traps.
QNodeOS successfully did the math remotely, similar to cloud computing on classical servers, and also synchronized two different types of quantum computers with each other. This proved that the system can handle multitasking, a key requirement for scalable networks.
The next step will be open access to the system’s technological components. For example, QNodeOS will be integrated into Quantum Network Explorer, a prototype of the quantum Internet from QuTech. Further experiments with QNodeOS are needed, such as using more quantum computers of different types and increasing the distance between them.
The researchers emphasize that The architecture can be improved by placing the CNPU and QNPU on the same system board to avoid millisecond delays in their communication, rather than relying on two separate boards. Scientists will have to develop long-distance data transfer protocols, error correction methods, and user interfaces.
The results of the study are published in the journal Nature
Source: LiveScience