Developing hybrid quantum-classical computing

Recognising the necessity of hybrid computing to unlock the full potential of quantum computing, by utilising real-world, hands-on use cases, this collaboration represents a milestone in revolutionising various fields such as biology, chemistry, and key industry applications.

“In response to the evolving computational landscape, PSNC has actively engaged in tackling quantum challenges within research and IT sectors,” said Krzysztof Kurowski, Deputy Director, and CTO of PSNC. "This collaboration presents an exceptional opportunity to accelerate hybrid application development and unlocks new computational possibilities.” Kurowski continued, "the hybrid integration of quantum computing and GPU technologies holds the promise of unlocking even more efficient and effective AI-based approaches for knowledge discovery processes."

The collaboration brings together the collective expertise of PSNC, ORCA, and NVIDIA to push the boundaries of hybrid quantum-classical high-performance computing (HPC). Leveraging PSNC's robust infrastructure and high-performance computing prowess, along with ORCA's expertise in quantum computing and NVIDIA's advanced GPU and quantum software environment, the collaboration forms a powerful alliance poised to redefine computational paradigms. With each organisation bringing unique proficiency in HPC, quantum information science, and quantum technology to the table, collaborative efforts will concentrate on building the necessary infrastructure for algorithm development, performance characterisation, and addressing grand challenge applications.

"The quantum computing ecosystem is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly sophisticated and specialised, providing more opportunities for customised solutions and increased end user utility across a wide range of key verticals," stated Bob Sorensen, Senior Vice President of Research and Chief Analyst for Quantum Computing at Hyperion Research, LLC. "The partnership between PSNC, ORCA, and NVIDIA marks an important milestone in this progression. The managed convergence of quantum computing with classical high-end systems provides significant potential to accelerate the existing base of traditional compute intensive workloads while broadening the field for new quantum-centric algorithms, applications, and use cases."

In an industry first, the initiative will capitalise on utilising multiple quantum computers, the ORCA PT-1 Series quantum photonic systems, recently installed at PSNC, in conjunction with NVIDIA GPU-based clusters. Additionally, the parties will harness PSNC’s developer environment and the NVIDIA CUDA-Q open-source quantum computing platform, all functioning within a unique hardware and software ecosystem. Through strategic resource allocation, each organisation will significantly contribute to advancing this pioneering effort.

"The quantum leadership that the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Centre, ORCA Computing, and NVIDIA bring to this pivotal collaboration is unparalleled,” said Steve Conway, Senior Analyst at Intersect360 Research. “The potential outcomes would be market changing.”

"This collaboration heralds a new era of computational innovation in quantum computing," said Richard Murray, PhD, Co-founder, and CEO of ORCA Computing. "Aligning ORCA with like-minded partners in quantum will unlock unprecedented capabilities in solving complex real-world problems across various disciplines, now and into the future.”

Recently, ORCA announced the first demonstration of a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm powered by ORCA’s PT Series System and NVIDIA CUDA-Q marking a significant milestone towards real-world applications of quantum computing.

"This is an important step toward realising the full potential of quantum-accelerated supercomputing," said Timothy Costa, Director of High-Performance Computing and Quantum at NVIDIA. "This collaboration will accelerate developments in the most important use cases, fostering groundbreaking discoveries and driving technological advancements that help shape the future of computing."