Quantum Computing Takes an Exponential Leap With Honeywell’s Latest Breakthrough

BY admin June 23, 2020 Technology 8 views

Software-industrial conglomerate Honeywell International continues to push the technological-envelope, announcing the development of the world’s most powerful quantum computer. Eventually, gains should lead to the creation of an entire new industry.

A Honeywell Quantum Solutions vacuum chamber. Courtesy Honeywell

 

Software-industrial conglomerate Honeywell International continues to push the technological-envelope, announcing the development of the world’s most powerful quantum computer. Eventually, gains should lead to the creation of an entire new industry.

Honeywell (ticker: HON) has achieved a quantum volume of 64, meaning its tethered together six high functioning q-bits, or quantum bits.

The explanation isn’t all that helpful for many laypeople, but quantum computers are supposed to be, essentially, way more powerful than regular computers. More computing power means quantum computers can solve way harder problems.

“The capability grows exponentially,” Christopher Savoie, CEO of Zapata Computing, speaking about the development of quantum computing. “It will be tough to find an area of human activity where this won’t help.”

Climate change models can get better, drug development faster and logistics planning improved. Those are areas where the number of potential variables limit the usefulness of traditional computers.

Savoie, for his part, has ties back to Harvard’s theoretical chemistry department and has a PhD in biophysics. When he started down that path in the late 1980s his parents didn’t want him to go into computer science, where he’s ended up. They feared there would be no jobs.

But he says he would “absolutely” support his children going into quantum programming. “This is probably going to be a nice career.”

For starters, there is a limited supply of quantum programmers. “The people who know how to program are called theorists,” Tony Uttley, president of Honeywell Quantum Solutions tells Barron’s. “They are a combo of physicists and mathematicians and there are hundreds in the world, not thousands.”

That will change eventually. “The University of Rhode Island is offering a masters in quantum computing,” adds Savoie. “You don’t have to do PhD.” A doctorate means a lot of theory. The masters focuses on a little physics and math.

Savoie even points out one Zapata programmer had only high school education and another programmer is self taught, living in the Congo. “It’s important to start when you’re young and malleable, its easier to teach quantum thinking then.”

It’s a fascinating new technology, but with so few people specializing in quantum programming, are they in such high demand that they can simply name their price? “Not necessarily,” says Uttley. “You need access to data and you need access to a quantum computer, if you don’t have both you aren’t going to get anywhere.”

His observation demonstrates its still early days for the quantum computing industry. But, like in the past, new technologies will create new jobs like app-developers and Java programmers which didn’t exist a generation before.

Honeywell, for its part, is trying to speed the development of the industry and create QaaS, or Quantum computing as a service. It has partners, such as Zapata and Microsoft (MSFT) and it has some customers such as JPMorgan Chase (JPM).

Zapata is essentially an enterprise software company that can build interfaces and applications for quantum computing. They join with Honeywell to make the quantum hardware useful.

Honeywell stock, obviously, doesn’t trade on quantum fundamentals yet. Shares are down about 18% year to date, worse than comparable drops of the S & P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. Honeywell is a large aerospace supplier, and the commercial aviation business has been hammered by Covid-19. Boeing (BA) stock, for instance, is off more than 42% year to date.

Honeywell stock gained 0.6% last week. The S&P was up 1.9%.

Corrections & Amplifications: Savoie’s PhD is in biophysics. An earlier version of the story said his PhD was in computer science.

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