“I love building quantum computers,” Sebastian Weidt said, co-founder and CEO of Universal Quantum, as he began his talk at the Latitude59 startup conference in Tallinn, Estonia. Weidt’s passion for quantum computing and its potential impact on society is clear as he discusses his journey and the groundbreaking work at Universal Quantum.
Weidt didn’t always saw a career in quantum computing.
“I don’t have the story of when I was 5 years old and started dreaming about quantum,” he said. Initially pursuing a degree in physics with plans to enter the business world, Weidt’s path changed after working in management consulting and then earning a Ph.D. in quantum physics. His exposure to quantum computing revealed its vast commercial applications, making it an irresistible field for him to dive into.
“Quantum computing is a new technology focusing on solving really difficult problems,” Weidt explained. These problems are beyond the reach of even the most powerful supercomputers and AI. Quantum computers, using quantum bits or qubits, can tackle these challenges with unprecedented efficiency. “It’s not about making conventional computing better; it’s about doing things that you could spend a million years on a classical computer and a quantum computer will solve in a reasonable time scale,” he added.
The technology behind quantum computing is as fascinating as it is complex.
“In the quantum world, really weird things happen all the time,” Weidt said, mentioning phenomena like superposition and entanglement that make quantum computing possible.
When asked about the different types of qubits and why Universal Quantum uses trapped ions, Weidt explained that trapped ions tick many crucial boxes for building scalable quantum computers.
“Trapped ions are one of the best-performing qubits out there,” he said. The challenge, however, is scaling up these systems. Current quantum computers have tens or hundreds of qubits, but Weidt stressed the need to scale up to millions to solve more significant problems.
“It’s incredibly hard to connect quantum chips together in a quantum way,” Weidt explained. Universal Quantum has made significant progress in this area, demonstrating near-perfect fidelity in linking two quantum modules. This breakthrough, known as QConnect, opens up new possibilities for scaling quantum technology. “We managed to open up this really nice window of opportunity to scale up our technology through that,” he said.
On the topic of error correction, a crucial aspect of quantum computing, Weidt acknowledged the current limitations but remains optimistic.
“If you can do error correction well, you can cover most other applications,” he asserted. Universal Quantum’s focus on high-fidelity qubits and scalable hardware architecture positions them to tackle the challenges of error correction effectively.
Looking ahead, Weidt predicts a future where Universal Quantum provides the tools for various sectors to achieve groundbreaking advancements.
“We’re not proposing to develop new drugs ourselves; we provide this computational resource to smart people in their respective fields,” he said. This enabling role is crucial as quantum computing starts to impact industries from healthcare to finance.
The journey to practical quantum computing is a marathon, Weidt admitted, but it’s one filled with immense potential. “We’re still at the beginning of uncovering what quantum will be able to do for society,” he concluded, expressing excitement for the future advancements and applications that lie ahead.
With a clear vision and relentless drive, Weidt and Universal Quantum are set to push the boundaries of what’s possible in quantum computing, paving the way for revolutionary changes across various fields.
