Title: Quantum technologies at the dawn of the second machine age

Pedram Roushan

Google Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

Abstract: Quantum theory, formed in the early part of the last century, has revolutionized our view on the nature of physical reality.  More than half a century after its inception, a few great minds of physics, including Richard Feynman, predicted that the laws of quantum mechanics could give rise to a computing paradigm that is far superior to classical computing for certain tasks. Decades have passed since their great insight, but controlling fragile quantum systems well enough to implement even the most primitive quantum computer has proven difficult. One possible way of making quantum bits (qubits) is based on superconducting Josephson junctions. Devices made out of these junctions show quantum properties at the macroscopic level, providing advantages in controlling and connecting qubits. In this talk, I discuss the prospects and challenges in making a quantum computer using superconducting qubits.  I also report on our progress at Google and discuss a near term milestone, commonly referred to as the quantum supremacy.