A study, recently published in Nature; utilised supercomputers to validate a potential pathway for commercialising quantum computing, particularly in the field of quantum annealing.
The research, titled "The Quantum Transition of the Two-Dimensional Ising Spin Glass," focused on quantum annealing, a method that could potentially solve complex optimisation problems, currently challenging for conventional computers. The team utilised over 2 million GPU computing hours across multiple supercomputing facilities in Europe, including the Leonardo facility in Italy and the Meluxina-GPU cluster in Luxembourg.
Key aspects of the study include:
1. Simulation of quantum annealer behaviour using GPU-powered systems.
2. Investigation of phase transitions in Ising spin glass, a disordered magnetic material in a two-dimensional plane.
3. Insights into the operation of quantum annealers, such as those developed by D-Wave Systems.
The research demonstrates how GPU-accelerated simulations, can assist in understanding, complex systems' behaviour in quantum computing development. It provides crucial insights into how key parameters of spin glasses in quantum annealers change during operation, potentially leading to quantum speedup on important problems.
Quantum annealers, unlike gate-model quantum computers, allow quantum systems to evolve freely in time. While not universal computers, they may have advantages in solving specific optimisation problems, in areas such as vehicle routing, portfolio optimisation, and protein folding.
As quantum computing continues to evolve, GPU-powered simulations are likely to play an iimportant role, for the time being, in driving progress and innovation in this cutting-edge technology.