Vern Brownell, CEO at D-Wave Systems, shares his thoughts on Quantum Computing in this presentation, which he delivered at Compute Midwest in November 2014. He addresses big questions that include: What is a quantum computer? How do you build one? Why does it matter? What does the future hold for quantum computing?

1. Quantum Computing:
Welcome to the Future
Vern Brownell
CEO

2. © 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 2

3. The Big Questions
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 3
Where did the idea originate?
What is a quantum computer?
How does D-Wave’s system work?
Why does it all matter?
What does the future hold?

4. Where did this idea come from?
Quantum Physics: the study of the
fundamental laws of our universe
(See: Max Planck, Erwin Schrödinger, Albert Einstein)
Quantum Computing: The idea, originally
proposed by Richard Feynman in the 1980s, that
we can leverage quantum properties for
computation – and solve problems unsolvable
by classical computing
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 4

5. Where did this idea come from?
1982
Richard Feynman
envisions quantum
computing
1994
Peter Shor develops
algorithm that could be
used for quantum code-breaking
1985
David Deutsch describes
universal quantum
computer
1999
D-Wave Systems
founded by Geordie
Rose
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 5
2000
Eddie Farhi at MIT
develops idea for
adiabatic quantum
computing
2013
D-Wave Two,
512 qubits
2010
D-Wave One:
first commercial
quantum computer,
128 qubits
A Recent History

6. What is a quantum computer?
• Exploits properties of quantum physics
• Built around “qubits” rather than “bits”
• Qubits are 1 or 0 and both simultaneously
• Operates in an extreme environment:
– 150x colder than interstellar space
– Shielded to 50,000×less than Earth’s
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 6
magnetic field
– Very low pressure: 10B times lower
than atmospheric pressure

7. Key Quantum Effects
Quantum
Tunneling
Superposition Entanglement
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8. How do you build one?
Different Models
• Gate
• Adiabatic/annealing
• One-way
• Topological
Different Basis
• Superconducting metals
• Ion traps
• Photons
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 8

9. How does a D-Wave computer work?
• User maps a problem into search for
“lowest point in a vast landscape”
• System processes an enormous search
space (ex. 2 512 ) with one instruction
• Processor considers all possibilities
simultaneously, finds lowest energy
solutions
• Multiple solutions returned to the user,
sorted by optimal probability
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 9

10. Why does this matter?
We are at the dawn of
the last computing frontier..
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11. Key Challenges
1. Deciding what approach will work - and scale
2. Creating the extreme operating environment
3. Manufacturing usable quantum processors
4. Proving quantum effects and understanding their impact
on computation
5. Finding “the right problems” for the computer
6. Scaling processors and performance
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 11

12. What is the future of quantum computing?
Health
Finance Computing
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 12
Space

13. What is the future of quantum computing?
• Powerful new resource for computation
• Complementary to classical computers
• Accessible via the cloud
• Emergence of quantum software ecosystem
- Developer tools
- Optimized algorithms
- Applications
© 2014 D-Wave Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved 13

14. "When you change the way you
look at things, the things you
look at change.”
Max Planck,
Father of Quantum Physics

15. Questions?
Thank You!