Room-temperature quantum-enabled AI modeling fluids to build better hypersonic weapons
Advanced Computing, AI/ML, Chips, and Extended Reality
Good morning,
First and foremost, we’d like to extend our heartfelt and sincere thanks and gratitude to our veterans on this Veterans Day. The sacrifices that you have made on behalf of our country and our ideals has ensured the world is a better place. As dark clouds loom on the horizon, we know that many of you will seek ways to continue serving or will watch sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and others raise their right hands knowingly committing themselves in the face of some of the greatest threats we’ve ever seen. Thank you for risking everything to protect what is worth protecting.
Alright, to the news! One of the major inhibitors to the widespread development and adoption of quantum computing is the requirement for exceptionally cold temperatures to enable superconductivity. As it currently stands, quantum computing cannot be proliferated in any widespread manner and certainly can’t play a significant role in tactical warfighting because of this requirement. Well, there are three stories this week on developments related to ‘high’ temperature QC.
Of course, you may remember this controversy last year about fraudulent claims of room-temperature superconductivity, or this one. That’s because these pseudo-researchers know that there is a lot of money and prestige to be had for finding this sort of tech.
What’s different about the announcements this week, is that researchers are not making outlandish claims but are sharing steady—yet very slow—progress on superconductivity. One approach is seeking to stabilize ‘supersolids’ at temperatures above near-absolute freezing. Supersolids are unique phenomena that share properties of both solids and liquids. Another approach is to create a ‘nitrogen-vacancy’ (NV) in a diamond. That is, researchers are stripping out two adjacent carbon atoms, replacing one with nitrogen while leaving the other vacant, and then bombarding that NV center with lasers. That last step allows the researchers to capture and control the spin of an electron in that vacancy, using it as a qubit.
In the third development announced this week, a team has succeeded in breaking time-reversal symmetry at temperatures up to -98C with Kagome (RbV₃Sb₅) superconductors. That’s still cold, but is virtually a sauna compared to the typical -213C needed. Beyond just that nice, toasty temperature, this team’s approach is allowing a tuning of the quantum states, meaning that they can create some really cool effects and allowing control of electromagnetic properties—something super useful in QC.
Let’s bring it back to why we care about QC. Most of you already know that one of the earliest use-cases emerging for QC is for cryptography and breaking it. That will have massive impacts on security, markets, and much more. Second, as we continue to develop these technologies, we inch closer to quantum AI, unlocking ultrafast computation of massive datasets. Finally, Quantum Insider this week explores the application of QC to the study of fluid dynamics, suggesting that China’s approach to this nascent field could give them an even larger lead on hypersonic technologies—something that should be concerning to those in security and defense circles.
Alright, enough yapping! Let’s dig in to the news around Quantum Tech, AI, and Nanotech!
News Headlines:
Putin suggests Russia could hold military drills with N. Korea (RT)
Russia prepares counteroffensive with 50,000 troops, potentially including North Koreans, sources say (ABC)
Quantum Computing:
Scientists’ quantum approach to fluid dynamics could give China a bigger lead in hypersonic tech (QI)
Quantum memory can reduce data requirements (WI)
Researchers’ new 3D quantum error scheme could lead to more compact quantum hard drives (QI)
Recent discovery of supersolids - a superposition of solid and liquid states - could lead to high-temperature superconductors for QC (QI)
SPINUS project uses diamonds to build scalable, room-temperature quantum computers for real-world applications (QI)
Time reversal symmetry broken at record high temperatures (STD)
Ericsson to invest $453M in quantum and next-gen communications tech research across Canada (QI)
IonQ partners with NKT Photonics to power future quantum computers (DIN)
AI / ML
Tech firms are rushing to redesign AI model testing and benchmarking (FT)
Quantum AI may be just around the corner (CNET)
Large Behavior Models surpass Large Language Models to create AI that walks and talks (FBS)
Anthropic, Amazon, and Palantir team up to bring AI to the Defense Department (INC)
KKR projects data center spending to top $250B annually (BBG)
Meta's plan for nuclear-powered AI data center thwarted by rare bees (FT)
Nanotech, Nanomaterials, Chips
Nvidia will replace Intel on the Dow Jones index (RT)
TSMC will halt advanced AI chip production to China (FT)
Chinese semiconductor patent filings rise dramatically in global chip race (IAM)
US Congressman accuses SMIC of making 7nm chips for China, violating U.S. sanctions (THW)
Uncertainty over CHIPS Act’s future under next administration (INC)
XR / AR / VR
Collins Aerospace to incorporate Dispelix’s waveguide technology into products including F-35 helmet (AUG)
Deal Flow:
VC
AI startup Anthropic is in talks to raise another multi-billion dollar round from Amazon (TI)
Robot AI startup Physical Intelligence raises $400M from Bezos, OpenAI (RT)
Forefront RF, a UK-based fabless semiconductor startup, closed a £16 million Series A from investors including BGF, Foresight Group and Octopus Ventures (FSME)
Semiconductor and aircraft materials manufacturer Boston Materials raised a $13.5 million round led by AccelR8 and Diamond Edge Ventures (PRN)
AllFocal Optics raised $5.3M, including $3.6M in equity led by SpeedInvest for its Mixed Reality glasses (TEU)
PE / M&A
Quantum network hardware and software startup Qubitekk has been acquired by NYSE-listed IonQ (BW)
Editor's Picks:
The New York Times published a good article explaining how Intel fell behind in the AI chip boom.
Jack Raines wrote a great piece on the importance of asking good questions, especially at a time where data can be construed to fit any narrative.
Lighter Side:
Keep Building,
BOF