What is quantum computing and can Canada remain a hotbed for the futuristic technology? - Financial Post

Google has touted its new quantum computing chip Willow as a major breakthrough that could bring practical quantum computing closer to reality. Photo by HANDOUT /GOOGLE/AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentIn only four decades, the field of quantum computing has made big leaps, evolving from a theoretical framework in 1980 to working technologies that are showing the first glimmers of commercial potential. This year, the race to commercialization has only intensified, with a range of players claiming major technological breakthroughs. Canada has been a hotbed of quantum computing since its inception. On Dec. 15, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon unveiled a new federal initiative, the Canadian Quantum Champions Program, aimed at identifying and funding “anchor” companies in the quantum field. But can Canada remain a leader, or will quantum computing become another transformative technology that the country let slip through its grasp?

The Financial Post’s Yvonne Lau breaks down what you need to know, from the technical basics to the role Canada has played — and hopes to continue playing — it its development.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor Google Microsoft Apple View more offersArticle contentArticle contentWhat is quantum computing?Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentQuantum computing involves leveraging the unique properties of quantum mechanics — the physics of sub-atomic particles — to solve complex problems beyond the scope of traditional computers.Article contentOrdinary computers, from personal laptops to high-performance supercomputers, process information and perform calculations sequentially using binary “bits,” which can have a value of either 0 or 1. Quantum computers, on the other hand, use quantum bits or “qubits,” which are created by manipulating quantum particles such as photons and electrons. Qubits can represent a 0 or 1 but because of a property of quantum mechanics known as superposition, can also be both numbers at the same time, enabling them to perform exponentially faster calculations.Article contentBecause qubits are made from particles, they are highly sensitive to their surroundings and need to be kept in very cold environments to reduce noise, which can produce errors and inaccurate results, making it challenging to build large-scale, error-free machines.Article contentThe power of quantum computing nevertheless makes it particularly promising for complex applications such as material science, drug discovery and cybersecurity.Article contentArticle contentRead More 'Make or break': Why the next few years will be crucial for this Canadian company and quantum computing Ottawa promises up to $92 million for four Canadian quantum companies under new Champions program Article contentWhat are the recent breakthroughs in quantum technology?Article contentOver the past year, companies from U.S. big tech giants to Canadian-founded startups have announced significant technological developments.Article contentIn December 2024, Google LLC launched a quantum computing chip called Willow, which the company described as an ultra-fast chip with reduced error tendencies. Google said Willow solved a computational problem in five minutes, which would have taken the world’s top supercomputer 10 septillion years — far longer than the age of the universe — to crack. Google’s quantum team said that the speed of its chip suggested that quantum computation might even be occurring in multiple, parallel universes.Article contentThen in February, Microsoft Corp. revealed that it had invented a new state of matter — which is not liquid, solid, or gas, but a “topological superconductor” — to power its first-ever quantum computing chip, called Majorana 1. Amazon, meanwhile, claims its Ocelot chip, also released in February, can cut the costs of quantum error correction by up to 90 per cent.Article contentIn March, Vancouver-founded quantum computing firm D-Wave Quantum Systems Inc. became the latest entity to claim to have achieved “quantum supremacy” — the ability to solve a specific, complex problem using a quantum computer that would not have been possible on a traditional computer.Trending The Federal Reserve’s rate cut was a clear signal to investors Investor Posthaste: A metric that tells how Canadians are really doing is improving for the first time in years News Garry Marr: How raiding your TFSA before the end of year could save you thousands Personal Finance McKinsey plots thousands of layoffs in consulting slowdown Work Bank of Canada expected to hold interest rate steady through 2026 as inflation cools Economy Article contentHave we really achieved quantum supremacy?Article contentQuantum scientists and researchers largely agree that Amazon and Google’s chips signified major breakthroughs in the progress of error-corrected quantum computers.Article content“(The) clever physics, computer science, and sophisticated engineering they harnessed to approach the holy grail of ‘fault tolerance’ is extremely exciting,” said Aephraim Steinberg, a University of Toronto physics professor and founding member of the Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control.Article contentStill, the claims of quantum supremacy have been hotly debated within the academic community.Article contentGoogle was the first to make the claim in 2019, followed by China’s University of Science and Technology in 2020 and Toronto quantum computing firm Xanadu Technologies Inc. in 2022.Article content“It would be an understatement to say that the jury is still out about Microsoft and D-Wave’s claims,” Steinberg said. Some physicists contend that traditional computers can accomplish what D-Wave’s machine achieved, while scientists have pushed back on Microsoft’s claims citing a lack of evidence. “That’s not to say that (their) approaches aren’t promising … but simply that there hasn’t been persuasive evidence presented publicly that either of these goals has yet been achieved,” he said.Article contentArticle content Xanadu Quantum Technologies is one of three Canadian companies that will be participating in a U.S. military research program. Photo by Handout /Xanadu Quantum TechnologiesArticle contentHow soon will quantum computing be commercialized?Article contentQuantum computing remains at a nascent stage.Article contentThe recent claims of quantum advantage are “interesting” but involve “commercially irrelevant computational problems,” according to Barry Sanders, a physics professor at the University of Calgary and scientific director at Quantum City, an ecosystem for quantum science and technology in Alberta. This means that real-world use cases of the technology are still years away.Article contentExperts have offered varying timelines on how quickly mainstream adoption and commercialization will materialize. Many say that quantum computing for practical, niche applications is at least half-a-decade away. It would be a stretch to see widespread adoption in that time frame, Steinberg said, “though 10 years would no longer strike me as madness.”Article contentJuan Carrasquilla, an associate professor of physics at ETH Zurich and a faculty affiliate at The Vector Institute, a Toronto-based AI research organization, said today’s quantum computers aren’t yet powerful enough to take on the kinds of cybersecurity tasks that many see as promising uses of the technology.Article contentArticle content“Running these algorithms on a large-scale, relevant for real-world cryptographic protocols, has not been demonstrated yet,” he said, adding that at present, quantum computers are not suited to most tasks and aren’t expected to replace supercomputers, which are better for AI, anytime soon.Article contentWhat role has Canada played in the development of quantum computing technology?Article contentCanada has long been a hotbed of quantum computing, with a mix of public and private funds helping catalyze the sector in the early 2000s.Article contentD-Wave released the first computer based on quantum technology in 2011. By mid-decade, Vancouver-based 1Qbit had become the first software firm dedicated to making commercial applications for quantum computers. A few years later, Xanadu, which recently announced plans to go public via a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, launched the first dedicated machine learning software for quantum computers.Article contentToday, Canada is home to more than 60 quantum startups and SMEs — spanning technologies from quantum computing to sensors and communications — meaning it has the world’s highest concentration of quantum companies per capita.Quick PicksDirector convicted of scamming $11M from Netflix and going on lavish spending spreeFinancial PostUndoWhite Gold Corp.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Budget 2025 allocated an additional $336 million for quantum technologies tied to Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy.Article contentOn Dec. 15., Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon announced the launch of the Canadian Quantum Champions Program (CQCP), which will allocate up to $92 million to fund four quantum companies. The program is designed to keep Canadian firms and intellectual property at home, and to mirror the U.S.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), which hopes to determine a viable path to building a commercial-grade quantum computer by 2033.Article contentPhase one of the CQCP will give Photonic Inc., Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc., Anyon Systems Inc. and Nord Quantique up to $23 million each to accelerate the development of fault-tolerant computers useful for industry, helping them to grow in Canada.Article contentLambert heralded the quantum champions program as a move in the right direction.Article content“Quantum technologies — computing, sensing and communications — are now understood as strategic infrastructure that will underpin economic competitiveness and national security.

The Canadian Quantum Champions Program is designed to ensure that Canada translates its early leadership into scalable, sovereign capability with long-term value,” she said.Article contentArticle contentJulien Camirand Lemyre, founder and chief executive of Nord Quantique, said the funding would boost Canada’s competitiveness.Article content“Canada is stepping forward to make sure that we are a part of the (quantum) story,” he said. “The commercialization of quantum is not realized anywhere in the world (yet) so it’s really a race. We have globally competitive companies, so it’s important to invest and make sure that we stay competitive.”Article content• Email: ylau@postmedia.com Article contentShare this article in your social networkA third Russian tanker attacked in the Black Sea, Turkish authority saysANKARA, Turkey (AP) \u2014 A tanker carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia was attacked in the Black Sea, the Turkish maritime authority said Tuesday, days after two Russian \u201cshadow fleet\u201d oil tankers were attacked by Ukrainian naval drones.UndoCarney says world can move on without U.S., stresses new tiesTrump ordered a stayaway from the G20 after repeating a debunked claim that White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa are being subjected to a genocideFinancial PostUndoMeasurabl Appoints Maureen Waters as CEO to Lead Next Phase of Customer-Driven GrowthWaters tapped to advance Measurabl\u2019s mission to be the global source of truth for sustainability dataUndoUS Warship Cuts Path of Russian Tanker Headed to VenezuelaUndoRTOERO rebrands as Entente Education Canada; appoints Glenn O'Farrell to lead 2026-2030 strategic planUndoBessent divests from soybean farmland ahead of Trump aid announcement for farmersWASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has proclaimed solidarity with U.S. farmers in recent months as they grappled with the loss of a major soybean buyer due to President Donald Trump\u2019s trade war with China.UndoCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.0 Howard Levitt: Why Bell Canada’s 700-manager purge is a masterclass in mass layoffsUndoPhil and Penny Knight's donation tops the Chronicle of Philanthropy's list of 2025's biggest giftsUndoCanada's oilsands make their comeback as U.S. shale plateausThe catalyst for the brighter outlook is the newly expanded Trans Mountain oil pipelineUndoWilliam Watson: Does America First really favour Canada First, too?Financial PostUndoOpinion: Child care should serve kids and families, not ideologyFinancial PostUndoMOST POPULARCanada pension giant balks at paying fees to co-invest with private equityFinancial PostUndoMOST POPULAREU Carbon Extends Rally to Two-Year High as Bullish Bets BuildFinancial PostUndoRocky Shore Identifies Higher Gold Grades Within Recently Acquired Gold Deposits at its Gold Anchor Project in NewfoundlandTORONTO, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) \u2014 Rocky Shore Gold Ltd.