IonQ, a quantum computing contributor based in Maryland, has secured a deal with Abu Dhabi’s Quantum Research Center - Technology Innovation Institute (QRC-TII) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“We are pleased to provide the Technology Innovation Institute with access to what we believe is the world’s most powerful, commercially available quantum computer, as they look to develop quantum algorithms to tackle today’s most complex problems,” Peter Chapman, CEO and president of IonQ, said in a Business Wire press release this week. “Interest in quantum computing has grown throughout the region these last few years, and IonQ is proud to be recognized as a leading driver of quantum hardware innovation and accessibility.”
The deal will grant QRC-TII with access to IonQ’s Aria quantum computer to better test and complete quantum algorithms. It continues the efforts of the UAE government, which has allocated a fund to support QRC-TII and leverage the national burgeoning quantum computing industry.
“Access to IonQ Aria will provide QRC-TII developers the opportunity to test and optimize novel quantum-enhanced algorithms for computational challenges,” professor José Ignacio Latorre, chief researcher at QRC-TII, said in the release. “These complex problems range from heuristic variational quantum circuits for optimization problems, to prototype implementations of rigorous quantum algorithms for matrix arithmetics and quantum simulation. Additionally, users can more easily explore quantum device characterization and error mitigation techniques, potentially leading to more accurate algorithms.”
The deal will also serve as an advancement for RC-TII’s development, benchmarking and optimization of novel quantum algorithms, as well as “quantum device characterization and quantum error mitigation techniques.”
IonQ is accessible through the cloud on Amazon Braket, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, along with direct API access.
The agreement is IonQ’s latest effort to expand internationally, adding to its January acquisition of Canadian-based startup Entangled Networks. Last year, it established two international business entities in Germany and Israel, making IonQ’s systems available to a pool of European governments, states and companies.