Today AWS announced Amazon Braket, a fully managed service that enables scientists, researchers, and developers to begin experimenting with computers from quantum hardware providers (including D-Wave Systems, IonQ, and Rigetti) in a single place. The quantum service is one of three key initiatives as a part of the company’s plans to help advance quantum computing technologies.
As a fully managed service, Braket makes it possible for customers to get started on quantum computing by providing a single development environment to build quantum algorithms, test them on simulated quantum computers, and try them on a range of different quantum hardware architectures. Amazon Braket lets customers get started quickly, using familiar tools like Jupyter notebooks, and providing the same, consistent AWS experience they know today, without having to engage multiple vendors or risk being locked into a single technology.
Amazon Braket can be used by organizations just beginning to explore the possibilities of quantum computing, as well as by those that are already familiar with the technology and are ready to use it as a research tool. With Amazon Braket, customers can assess the present and future capabilities of a variety of different quantum technologies that initially include quantum annealing from D-Wave, ion trap devices from IonQ, and superconducting chips from Rigetti, with more to be added in the coming months. Independent of their chosen quantum technologies, customers and partners can design quantum algorithms using the Amazon Braket developer toolkit. This gives customers the choice of executing either low-level quantum circuits or fully-managed hybrid algorithms, and makes it easy to select between a range of software simulators and their choice of quantum hardware.
Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, defense, space and security systems, and a premier service provider of aftermarket support. “Boeing believes in the potential for quantum computing to help solve some of the aerospace industry’s toughest challenges, from fundamental materials science research, to complex system optimization, to secure communications,” said Charles Toups, Vice President and General Manager, Disruptive Computing and Networks, at Boeing. “Boeing is investigating how disruptive quantum computing, sensing, and networking technologies can enhance products and services for our customers around the globe. We look forward to collaborating with AWS as Boeing accelerates its own developments in quantum technologies.”
New AWS Center for Quantum Computing seeks to advance the use of quantum technology
In related news, the AWS Center for Quantum Computing is being established at Caltech, a pioneer in the fields of quantum computation and quantum information. The AWS Center for Quantum Computing will bring together researchers and engineers from Amazon with leading academic institutions in quantum computing, to develop more powerful quantum computing hardware and identify novel quantum applications with the goal of boosting innovation in science and industry. Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world’s brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges.
We are delighted to join with our colleagues at AWS and our academic partners to address the fundamental challenges that must be overcome if quantum computing is to reach its full potential,” said David Tirrell, the Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Provost, and holder of the Carl and Shirley Larson Provostial Chair at Caltech. “Caltech has made substantial investments in both experimental and theoretical quantum science and technology over the years, and the new Center will provide an extraordinary opportunity to maximize the impact of those investments.”
Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab will help customers get ready for quantum computing
The third initiative announced is the new Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab, which connects customers with quantum computing experts from Amazon and its technology and consulting partners to help discover new applications and find ways to apply quantum computing inside their organizations. As the technology eventually reaches the point of commercial viability, AWS and its partners will collaborate on experiments with customers and guide them to incorporate quantum solutions into their business. Lab programs will combine hands-on educational workshops with brainstorming sessions to help customers “work backwards” from business challenges, and then go step-by-step through the process of using quantum computers effectively. In combination with customer access to Amazon Braket, and by integrating with familiar software tools for optimization, quantum simulation, computational material science, and quantum chemistry, the Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab will help customers to determine where existing high performance computing can currently meet their needs, begin to develop their own strategy for quantum computing, build internal expertise, and eventually deploy quantum applications. Amazon Partner Network (APN) partners participating in the Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab include: 1Qbit, Rahko, Rigetti, QCWare, QSimulate, Xanadu, and Zapata.
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