Quantum computing has been touted as a revolutionary advance that uses our growing scientific understanding of the subatomic world to create a machine with powers far beyond those of conventional computers Copyright AFP/File LUCA SOLA
In recent research published in the science journal Nature (“Certified randomness using a trappedion quantum processor”), a team of organizations including JPMorgan Chase, Quantinuum, University of TexasAustin and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have announced the first experimentally demonstrated “certified randomness” by a quantum computer.
This includes potential applications across critical infrastructure, cryptography, cryptocurrency, the gambling industry, election integrity, and more. This is because true randomness cannot be cracked by a conventional computer, rendering systems ‘safe’ from security breaches.
Certified randomness was confirmed by cryptographers at JPMC first running an algorithm on Quantinuum’s 56qubit Helios quantum computer to generate random numbers. The US Department of Energy’s supercomputers were then used to prove the output was truly random and freshly generated. This paves the way towards the use of quantum computers for a practical task unattainable through classical methods.
The quantum computer runs each circuit several times, producing a string of bits (zeroes and ones) for each output.
Certified randomness is a means of generating random numbers from a quantum computer and then using a classical supercomputer to prove they are truly random and freshly generated. In other words, this is the process of generating a series of numbers that cannot be predicted by reason but only by random chance. The researchers termed their outcome as ‘Random Circuit Sampling’.
Verification of the outputs was achieved using the Frontier and Summit supercomputers. The researchers estimate that about 70,000 certified random bits were generated over 18 hours. This demonstrated randomness could not be mimicked by classical methods. Using classical certification across multiple leadershipscale supercomputers with a combined sustained performance of 1.1 x 1018 floating point operations per second (1.1 ExaFLOPS), the team certified 71,313 bits of entropy.
Entropy is a scientific concept, associated with states of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty.
In terms of how secure this is, using the best currentlyknown attack, a malicious actor would need at least about four Frontier supercomputers working continuously to spoof the quantum computer’s output, and get the verifier to accept nonrandom bits.
This could pave the way towards the use of quantum computers for a practical task unattainable through classical methods.
“Today, we celebrate a pivotal milestone that brings quantum computing firmly into the realm of practical, realworld applications,” said Dr Rajeeb Hazra, president and CEO of Quantinuum.
“Our application of certified quantum randomness not only demonstrates the unmatched performance of our trappedion technology but sets a new standard for delivering robust quantum security and enabling advanced simulations across industries like finance, manufacturing and beyond.”
This outcome will lead to advancements in quantum hardware, and it will additionally be vital to further research, statistical sampling, numerical simulations and cryptography.
