[1]https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-braket-get-started-with-quan
   tum-computing/

               Amazon Braket â Get Started with Quantum Computing

   by [2]Jeff Barr | on 02 DEC 2019

   Nearly a decade ago I wrote about the [3]Quantum Compute Cloud on April
   Foolâs Day. The future has arrived and you now have the opportunity to
   write quantum algorithms and to run them on actual quantum computers.
   Hereâs what we are announcing today:

   [4]Amazon Braket â A fully managed service that allows scientists,
   researchers, and developers to begin experimenting with computers from
   multiple quantum hardware providers in a single place. [5]Bra-ket
   notation is commonly used to denote quantum mechanical states, and
   inspired the name of the service.

   AWS Center for Quantum Computing â A research center adjacent to the
   [6]California Institute of Technology (Caltech) that will bring
   together the worldâs leading quantum computing researchers and
   engineers in order to accelerate development of quantum computing
   hardware and software.

   Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab â [7]A new program to connect AWS
   customers with quantum computing experts from Amazon and a very select
   set of consulting partners.

   Whatâs Quantum Computing

   Ordinary (classical) computers use collections of bits to represent
   their state. Each bit is definitively 0 or 1, and the number of
   possible states is 2^n if you have n bits. 1 bit can be in either of 2
   states, 2 bits can be in any one of 4 states, and so forth. A computer
   with 1 MiB of memory has 2^(8*1048576) states, excluding CPU registers
   and external storage. This is a large number, but it is finite, and can
   be calculated.

   Quantum computers use a more sophisticated data representation known as
   a [8]qubit or quantum bit. Each qubit can exist in state 1 or 0, but
   also in superpositions of 1 and 0, meaning that the qubit
   simultaneously occupies both states. Such states can be specified by a
   two-dimensional vector that contains a pair of complex numbers, making
   for an infinite number of states. Each of the complex numbers is a
   probability amplitude, basically the odds that the qubit is a 0 or a 1,
   respectively.

   A classical computer can be in just one of those 2^n states at a given
   time, but a quantum computer can occupy all of them in parallel.

   If you have been in IT for any length of time, you know that [9]Mooreâs
   Law has brought us to the point where it possible to manufacture memory
   chips that store 2 tebibytes (as I write this) on a thumb drive. The
   physical and chemical processes that make this possible are amazing,
   and well worth studying. Unfortunately, these processes do not apply
   directly to the manufacture of devices that contain qubits; as I write
   this, the largest quantum computers contain about 50 qubits. These
   computers are built on several different technologies, but seem to have
   two attributes in common: they are scarce, and they must be run in
   carefully controlled physical environments.

   How it Works

   Quantum computers work by manipulating the amplitudes of the state
   vector. To program a quantum computer, you figure out how many qubits
   you need, wire them together into a quantum circuit, and run the
   circuit. When you build the circuit, you set it up so that the correct
   answer is the most probable one, and all the rest are highly
   improbable. Whereas classical computers use Boolean logic and are built
   using NOT, OR, and AND gates, quantum computers use superposition and
   interference, and are built using [10]quantum logic gates with new and
   exotic names (X, Y, Z, CNOT, Hadamard, Toffoli, and so forth).

   This is a very young field: the model was first proposed in the early
   1980s, followed shortly by the realization that a quantum computer
   could perform simulations of quantum mechanical systems that are
   impossible on a classical computer. Quantum computers have applications
   to machine learning, linear algebra, chemistry, cryptography,
   simulations of physics, search, and optimization. For example,
   [11]Shorâs Algorithm shows how to efficiently factor integers of any
   size ([12]this video has a really good explanation).

   Looking Ahead

   Todayâs implementations of public key cryptography are secure because
   factoring large integers is computationally intensive. Depending on key
   length, the time to factor (and therefore break) keys ranges from
   months to forever (more than the [13]projected lifetime of our
   universe). However, when a quantum computer with enough qubits is
   available, factoring large integers will become instant and trivial.
   Defining âenoughâ turns out to be far beyond what I can cover (or fully
   understand) in this blog post, and brings in to play the difference
   between logical and physical qubits, noise rates, error correction, and
   more!

   You need to keep this in mind when thinking about medium-term
   encryption and data protection, and you need to know about
   [14]post-quantum cryptography. Today, [15]s2n (our implementation of
   the TLS/SSL protocols) already includes two different key exchange
   mechanisms that are quantum-resistant. Given that it takes about a
   decade for a new encryption protocol to become widely available and
   safe to use, it is not too soon to look ahead to a time when
   large-scale quantum computers are available.

   Quantum computing is definitely not mainstream today, but that time is
   coming. It is a very powerful tool that can solve certain types of
   problems that are difficult or impossible to solve classically. I
   suspect that within 40 or 50 years, many applications will be powered
   in part using services that run on quantum computers. As such, it is
   best to think of them like a GPU or a math [16]coprocessor. They will
   not be used in isolation, but will be an important part of a hybrid
   classical/quantum solution.

   Here We Are

   Our goal is to make sure you know enough about quantum computing to
   start looking for some appropriate use cases and conducting some tests
   and experiments. We want to build a solid foundation that is firmly
   rooted in reality, and to work with you to move into a quantum-powered
   future.

   Ok, with that as an explanation, letâs get into it!

   Amazon Braket

   [bk_icon_3.png] This new service is designed to let you get some
   hands-on experience with qubits and quantum circuits. You can build and
   test your circuits in a simulated environment and then run them on an
   actual quantum computer. [17]Amazon Braket is a fully managed AWS
   service, with security & encryption baked in at each level.

   You can access [18]Amazon Braket through a notebook-style interface:

   [bk_notebook_pre_1.png]

   The Python code makes use of the Amazon Braket SDK. You can create a
   quantum circuit with a single line of code (this is, according to my
   colleagues, a âmaximally entangled Bell state between qubit 0 and qubit
   1â):

bell = Circuit().h(0).cnot(0, 1)

   And run it with another:

print(device.run(bell, s3_folder).result().measurement_counts())

   In addition to the classically-powered simulation environment,
   [19]Amazon Braket provides access to quantum computers from [20]D-Wave,
   [21]IonQ, and [22]Rigetti. These devices have a couple of things in
   common: they are leading-edge tech, they are expensive to build and
   run, and they generally operate in a very extreme and specialized
   environment (supercooled or near-vacuum) that must be kept free of
   electrical, thermal, and magnetic noise. Taken together, I think it is
   safe to say that most organizations will never own a quantum computer,
   and will find the cloud-based on-demand model a better fit. It may well
   be the case that production-scale quantum computers are the first
   cloud-only technology.

   The actual quantum computers are works of art, and I am happy to be
   able to share some cool pictures. Hereâs the D-Wave [23]2000Q:

   [qc_d_wave_400_1.jpg]

   The Rigetti [24]16Q Aspen-4:

   [qc_rigetti_400_1.jpg]

   And the [25]IonQ linear ion trap:

   [qc_ion_trap_400_1.jpg]

   AWS Center for Quantum Computing

   As I noted earlier, quantum computing is still a very young field;
   thereâs a lot that we donât know, and plenty of room for scientific and
   technological breakthroughs.

   I am pleased to announce that we are forming the AWS Center for Quantum
   Computing. Located adjacent to the Caltech campus, our goal is to bring
   the worldâs top talent together in order to accelerate development. We
   will be researching technology that might one day enable quantum
   computers to be mass-produced, while also working to identify
   applications that are best solved on quantum computers. Both of these
   are long-term challenges, and I look forward to watching the progress
   over the next decade or two.

   Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab

   We understand that this is a new and intriguing technology, and we know
   that you want to learn, build your skills, and make some plans to put
   quantum computing to use.

   The [26]Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab will allow you to tap into our own
   expertise and that of our consulting partners. Our goal is to work with
   you to find those practical uses, and to help you to build up your own
   âbenchâ of qualified quantum developers.

   You will also be able to take advantage of research and collaboration
   opportunities at the [27]Quantum Solutions Lab.

   Quantum Computing Resources

   Here are some of the reference materials that you might find useful.
   Some of this will make your head spin, but if I can understand even a
   little bit of it, then so can you:

   [28]The Quantum Computing Party Hasnât Even Started Yet â A very gentle
   overview of the field.

   [29]Wikipedia â Quantum Computing â A good summary, with lots of links
   and diagrams.

   [30]How Quantum Computers Break Encryption | Shorâs Algorithm Explained
   â Helpful video. Skip ahead to [31]8:03 if you want the TL;DR.

   [32]Quantum Computation and Quantum Information â The definitive (so
   they say) textbook on the subject.

   [33]Quantum Computing for the Determined â A series of 22 short
   explanatory videos, starting with [34]The Qubit.

   [35]Quantum Computing for the Very Curious â A long-form article by the
   author of the preceding videos.

   [36]Quantum Computing Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of
   Difficulty â Like the title says, quantum computing explained to 5
   different people.

   [37]Quantum Supremacy Using a Programmable Supercomputing Processor â
   An important result, and a major milestone that shows how a quantum
   computer can outperform a classical one for a particular type of
   problem. Be sure to read Scott Aaronsonâs [38]Supreme Quantum Supremacy
   FAQ as well.

   [39]This is What a 50-qubit Quantum Computer Looks Like â A stunning
   photo-essay of IBMâs 50-qubit computer.

   [40]Shtetl-Optimized â Professor [41]Scott Aaronson has been
   [42]researching, [43]writing, and [44]blogging about quantum computing
   for a very long time.

   â [45]Jeff;

References

   1. https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-braket-get-started-with-quantum-computing/
   2. https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/author/jbarr/
   3. https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/introducing-qc2-the-quantum-compute-cloud/
   4. https://aws.amazon.com/braket
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bra%E2%80%93ket_notation
   6. https://www.caltech.edu/
   7. https://aws.amazon.com/quantum-solutions-lab/
   8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qubit
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_logic_gate
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shor%27s_algorithm
  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTqbM5Dq4Q&t=160s
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-quantum_cryptography
  15. https://github.com/awslabs/s2n
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8087
  17. https://aws.amazon.com/braket
  18. https://aws.amazon.com/braket
  19. https://aws.amazon.com/braket
  20. https://www.dwavesys.com/
  21. https://ionq.com/
  22. https://www.rigetti.com/
  23. https://www.dwavesys.com/d-wave-two-system
  24. https://www.rigetti.com/qpu
  25. https://ionq.com/technology
  26. https://aws.amazon.com/quantum-solutions-lab/
  27. https://aws.amazon.com/quantum-solutions-lab/
  28. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-quantum-computing-party-hasnt-even-started-yet/
  29. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_computing
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTqbM5Dq4Q&t=160s
  31. https://youtu.be/lvTqbM5Dq4Q?t=483
  32. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Computation_and_Quantum_Information
  33. http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/quantum-computing-for-the-determined/
  34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2q1PuI2RFI
  35. https://quantum.country/qcvc
  36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWJCfOvochA
  37. https://ai.googleblog.com/2019/10/quantum-supremacy-using-programmable.html
  38. https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=4317
  39. https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/09/this-is-what-a-50-qubit-quantum-computer-looks-like/
  40. https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/
  41. https://www.scottaaronson.com/
  42. https://www.scottaaronson.com/papers/
  43. https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Computing-since-Democritus-Aaronson/dp/0521199565/
  44. https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/
  45. https://twitter.com/jeffbarr