China Ups Ante in Quantum Computing Global Competition

Chinese scientists believe the success of domestic firm Origin Quantum’s computer development has given China “a ticket” to global quantum computing competition, despite restrictions imposed by the US on quantum computing chip and technology exports.

On 6 January China opened to global users the first of its 3^rd generation superconducting quantum computers, the independently developed Origin Wukong 3 (OWK-3). According to Chinese media, as of 16 January 350,000 users from 61 countries remotely accessed the computer — the largest number of users originated from the US. At its first outing, the computer completed 33,871 quantum computing tasks. 

• OWK-3 is powered by a home-made Chinese 72-qubit superconducting quantum chip. The chip consists of 72 working qubits and 126 coupler qubits. It can send out and execute up to 200 quantum circuits at one time, according to Chinese scientists.

OWK-3 was developed by Origin Quantum (OQ) based in Hefei, Anhui Province in eastern China. Established in 2017, its operations cover the entire range of quantum computing science: superconducting quantum computers, quantum chips, operating systems, and applications. OQ founders have extensive personal and professional ties to the University of Science and Technology of China. Behind the company are many other leading Chinese R&D institutions related to quantum computing, including: 

• Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and eight other CAS institutions
• Tsinghua University
• Peking University
• National University of Defense Technology 
• Beijing Computational Science Research Center

OQ introduced its first-generation quantum computer, OWK-1, in 2020 and delivered its second-generation quantum computer, OWK-2, the following year to an undisclosed Chinese user. OWK-2 is powered by a 24-qubit chip.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to quantum computing development, and the establishment of OQ is said to be the result of President Xi Jinping’s direction. OQ received both technology and financial support from the Chinese government and has been designated as a “National Key R&D Program.” This designation directs priority funding, policy backing, and R&D support to OQ. 

Pamir assesses that the Chinese government will continue to mobilize the entire Chinese scientific community to pursue its goal of becoming a global leader in quantum computing technology. In this vein, on 16 January Chinese media reported that Chinese scientists from CAS and Beihang University made a breakthrough in liquid helium-free deep refrigeration technology. The details of their research were published on the CAS website and in the 11 January edition of Nature. According to Nature, “Supersolids are long-sought-after quantum materials with two seemingly contradictory features: a rigid solid structure and superfluidity. A triangular-lattice cobaltate material provides evidence for a quantum spin analogue of supersolidity, with an additional giant magnetocaloric effect — discoveries that pave the way for helium-free cooling to temperatures below 1 kelvin with frustrated quantum magnets.” 

• Chinese media claim this discovery has huge significance for making progress in quantum computing technology, advanced materials development, and deep space exploration.