The Post-Quantum World

How much performance can you squeeze out of quantum computing by improving the stack? A lot happens in code before classical bits touch qubits. One company’s hardware-specific algorithms, delivered via a cloud platform, supercharge real-world applications like protein folding and AI-enhanced machine learning. From outperforming classical tools like Gurobi on IBM’s 156-qubit processor to slashing c...

When NIST released the first post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024, it set off a domino effect that will hopefully result in protecting the world from the quantum computing threat. Now that we’re beginning to migrate and trust our data to lattice-based cryptography, it’s a good time to examine how ML-KEM works and get some hints about how to implement it well. And who better to ask th...

Quantum computing and sensing are emerging markets, but they are already worth well over $1 billion. How is growth looking? Some trends may surprise you, including a shift to on-prem quantum computers. Has AI really stolen quantum’s thunder, or is it about to synergistically help our industry and qubit counts grow? Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with Celia Merzbacher, w...

Over 1,000 GPS denial attacks happen around the world … every day! If GPS fails, planes, ships and drones could be stranded in a fog of uncertainty or forced into a dangerous situation. Can the unprecedented precision of quantum sensing help? We dive into cutting-edge innovations at Q-CTRL, exploring how AI-powered quantum navigation is revolutionizing aerospace and defense, outsmarting GPS denial...

Post-quantum cryptography is rapidly moving from the realm of NIST standards to running in production. The threat of quantum computing advances and coming regulations are driving this acceleration. One major component on the PQC migration plan for companies is VPN. In this episode we look at the Ambit corporate VPN client, which uses a standardized NIST PQC cipher: ML-KEM. Did you know there are p...

Quantum computing is a fast-moving field, and not just when photons are involved. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with Anastasia Marchenkova, where they cover recent developments and potential future outcomes. Topics include: chip hype, logical qubits, imminent practical business use cases, quantum random numbers, the implications of AI in quantum coding, investing, and...

As the quantum computing industry continues to evolve, it’s only natural that quantum incubators start appearing. How do investors like this choose what technologies to back in early stages? We look at the choices being made by one such investor, Spectral Capital. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with Sean Brehm on graphene quantum dots, a quantum blockchain, and algorith...

What better way to celebrate four years and 100 episodes of The Post-Quantum World than to talk about an achievement we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve been watching quantum news feeds, you might have heard of the D-Wave supremacy paper published in Science. Using an Advantage 2 system, D-Wave has performed a useful task for materials science faster and with less power consumption than a classi...

Migrating to post-quantum cryptography across an organization will take time. But while you are replacing every cipher to defend against the threat side of quantum computing, you may also want to add systems that bring new functionality and come with PQC out of the gate. Imagine a mobile messaging app like WhatsApp, but with NIST-approved ML-KEM under the hood and enterprise-grade controls. From h...

Quantum computing needs low-overhead error correction to truly scale. Building thousands of qubits to end up with a couple of useful logical ones feels like a bad strategy. Photonic recently published a paper describing a new type of error correction code that promises a 20x reduction in the number of qubits needed to run quantum algorithms that solve real business problems. Are these so-called SH...

Quantum computing will never be the same again. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a special onsite interview at Microsoft Azure Quantum labs, where he was invited to see the launch of Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum processor powered by topological qubits. On the day this episode is posted, Nature will release a paper validating how Microsoft was able to create a topoconductor, or new m...

I'm always asked the same question when talking to customers about the threats of quantum computing and the move to post-quantum cryptography. What are similar companies doing about it? It’s only been half a year since the NIST standards were published, but we’re starting to see some traction. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with Samantha Mabey from Entrust about an interesting study...

Many companies call 2025 the year of quantum computing for reasons ranging from PQC to better applications and hardware. Here comes the Helios system from Quantinuum, and we say it’s all right to celebrate 50 logical qubits this year. We look at the company’s roadmap, aggressive error-correction ratios, and some innovative ways the coming systems will work with AI to solve problems and not just ge...

Most applications businesses rely on are complex, with subroutines, loops, etc. Is it possible to run a binary like this on a quantum computer? Not quite, but one company has a tool that identifies portions of code where quantum computing circuits could make a difference and then manages the necessary handoffs. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses the future of running programs on bo...

You could summarize 2024 in two quantum computing topics: the release of the NIST PQC standards and the arrival of logical qubits. We dig into the latter in this episode. Atom Computing recently performed computation on 28 logical qubits with the help of Microsoft’s qubit virtualization. The future roadmap is optimistic and exciting for those looking for quantum advantage from hardware. Join host...

If you’re a longtime listener, you probably have heard that we can’t simulate more than 50 qubits on a classical computer. Representing each qubit doubles the required system resources, and state vector simulation hits a wall even on supercomputers. But what if there was a different way to break this barrier, even on a laptop? Is the threat to cryptography on an accelerated timeline because of thi...

To modify a Feynman quote, we can safely say that no one understands quantum … networking. The definition does mean different things to different folks. Sometimes, the best way to solidify a concept is to bring it to the real world. It turns out there is a way to experiment with quantum networking, and you wouldn’t believe how it’s already being used to interconnect different quantum computing mod...

Want to be a quantum coder? There’s no shortage of tutorials for your chosen programming language, but when you complete them, you might not feel ready to solve real-world problems. It’s challenging to go from a scientific paper to practical code and to do so with results that impress your company. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with Mariia Mykhailova, a software engineer from Micro...

Quantum information science deals with the world of the very small, sure, but imagine 128 acres of land devoted to advancing QIS. Now imagine this mega complex in a major city! The Illinois Quantum and& Microelectronics Park is expected to draw leading companies and researchers to Chicago, and DARPA is already playing a significant role. Find out what this will mean for advancing the industry...

Since 2018, the United States has had a national strategy for excellence in quantum information science that includes getting the science right, enhancing competitiveness and enabling people. To achieve that aim, regions across the country have begun ramping up their efforts to become quantum silicon valleys. Find out how Colorado stacks up in advancing the quantum stack and how recent federal and...

Imagine a mesh network of AI-powered nodes that could validate the security of your organization’s systems and applications. It’s a clever use of blockchain to add security to real-world devices, and, best of all, it will feature post-quantum cryptography. How soon will this technology simplify security for businesses and governments worldwide? And might this kind of approach even prevent killer r...

Microsoft Azure Quantum has provided access to quantum computers in the cloud for about four years. A lot has changed in that time, including the generative AI revolution. It’s now possible to create quantum circuits with the help of Copilot and users can work on advanced scientific problems in Azure Quantum Elements by combining quantum computing, high-performance computing (HPC) clusters and AI....

They’re here! After a seven-year process, NIST has finally released the first standards for post-quantum cryptography. The industry is excited and optimistic about the future, but what does it mean for you and your organization? In an interview recorded right before the August 13 release, you’ll hear how we got here with the quantum computing threat, what standards were selected and what additiona...

Skeptical about practical quantum computing applications? Perhaps D-Wave could change your mind. Over 100 real corporate customers are using their quantum annealing systems and software platform today…in production. In this episode, we cover a lot of exciting advances with their current machines, discuss future roadmaps and delve into what it means to achieve quantum advantage, supremacy and utili...

The migration to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is about to begin and is necessary to protect against the threats of fault-tolerant quantum computing. However, critical assets like those in military, banking and government environments also require other layers of security and strategies, such as zero trust and increased encryption bit sizes. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses wit...