When we speak of hybrid quantum systems today, we assume we’re discussing the blend of a traditional and a quantum computer. These two systems can be configured, thanks to orchestration, to work together to solve a computation. The assumption is that by working together and sharing the processing loads, the hybrid quantum “system” will deliver better results in many cases than either will on its own.
If quantum computers are so powerful, why would we need hybrid quantum systems? One reason is that classical systems process certain types of information much faster and effectively than a quantum computer ever will. A hybrid quantum system lets classical computers continue to do what they do well, at a much lower cost than quantum computers.
The other highly relevant reason for today and the foreseeable future is simple.
Quantum systems do not scale to process the large data sets required by complex computations, today and in the near future.
Certainly, larger and larger quantum computers are on the horizon. In fact, many would say the hardware vendors are accelerating their scale much faster than was expected. This may be one reason we tend to visualize them as massive supercomputer-like processors. But that’s not true.
Which brings me to my question for this post.
Why are we viewing today’s quantum computers as if they were the next generation versions of large scale supercomputers?
Seems to me the time has come to see these next generation computers for what they are today, and to find ways to apply and use them to deliver value. Not as massive supercomputer wannabes, but as the systems they are today.
A Potential for Hybrid Quantum Systems
What if we looked at hybrids not just as a single traditional and quantum computer together?
What if, instead, we looked at a hybrid quantum system that includes multiple quantum computers, as well as traditional, working together to solve problems in a way that delivers more value than a single QPU can provide today? Using different quantum computing paradigms and architectures such as superconducting, photonics, ions and more? Why can’t we open our quantum architectures to leverage different quantum approaches to best solve different types or even parts of computations?
Let’s look at an example.
Let’s say you have a logistics optimization problem with 40 delivery destinations. When that problem is computed, it results in ~ 815,915,283,200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000 options that must be analyzed. That’s a pretty big computation.
Now, imagine you break down that computation via distillation or other mathematical methods, to create “model” problems that today’s QPUs can process.
You could then submit each of these models to a variety of QPUs and CPUs if you want. Each could process their computations for each model, iterating and sharing best results to continuously improve the computation.
You could then collate and analyze the results across ALL of the systems, identify the best possible diversity of results and return them.
- You’d have diverse processing approaches, since different QPUs and CPUs tend to process different problems in different ways, so you get a range of computational methods and results.
- You could optimize each QPUs computations with results from other QPUs, improving the computational results due to the heterogeneous nature of the processing.
- You could send more model problems to more machines, which means you get a better set of results thanks to that diversity and expanded modeling.
- Simultaneously, you can review the diverse QPUs to learn which architecture best maps to the specific problem computation you’re running. You get insights into how you’ll get your best possible results for those types of problems in the future.
The Bottom Line
I am not suggesting that we all rush to build hybrid quantum systems. I am suggesting that in quantum computing, as in any advanced technology market, it always pays to think differently.
Finding ways to create more powerful processing using today’s small quantum systems, working together, is one place to apply even more innovative thinking as we accelerate our exploration of quantum value.
