A 56-Qubit Quantum Computer Just Did What No Supercomputer ...

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A 56-Qubit Quantum Computer Just Did What No Supercomputer Can Do

March 27, 2025

Researchers have achieved a major quantum computing breakthrough: certified randomness, a process where a quantum computer generates truly random numbers, which are then proven to be genuinely random by classical supercomputers.

This innovation has deep implications for cryptography, fairness, and security, and marks a shift from theoretical potential to practical, real-world applications of quantum advantage.

Milestone in Quantum Computing Unveiled

In a new study published in Nature, researchers from JPMorganChase, Quantinuum, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and 'The University of Texas' at Austin report a major milestone in quantum computing, with promising implications for cryptography, data privacy, and fairness.

Using a 56-qubit quantum computer, the team successfully demonstrated certified randomness for the first time. This process involves generating random numbers on a quantum computer, and then using a classical supercomputer to verify that the numbers are truly random and newly produced.

The achievement represents a concrete step toward using quantum computers for practical tasks that are currently impossible with classical systems.

Theory Behind the Breakthrough
The certified randomness protocol was originally proposed by Scott Aaronson, a computer science professor at UT Austin and director of its Quantum Information Center. Aaronson and his former postdoctoral researcher, Shih-Han Hung, provided the theoretical foundation and analytical support for the experimental demonstration.

"When I first proposed my certified randomness protocol in 2018, I had no idea how long I’d need to wait to see an experimental demonstration of it,” Aaronson said. “Building upon the original protocol and realizing it is a first step toward using quantum computers to generate certified random bits for actual cryptographic applications.”

Quantum Power Outpaces Classical Limits

Quantum computers have been shown to possess computational power far beyond that offered by even the most powerful classical supercomputers.

Last year, a team from Quantinuum and JPMorganChase and another from Google each announced they had performed tasks on their respective quantum computers that would have been impossible with existing supercomputers, a feat known as quantum supremacy.

However, converting this power into solving a practical task remained an open challenge.

This challenge has now been addressed by leveraging random circuit sampling (RCS) to generate certified randomness. Randomness is an essential resource for many applications in areas such as cryptography, fairness, and privacy.

Why True Randomness Matters

Classical computers alone cannot generate truly random numbers, so they are typically combined with a hardware random-number generator. But an adversary could commandeer the random-number generator and use it to provide the computer with numbers that are not fully random, allowing the adversary to then crack cryptographic codes. Using the new method described here, even if an adversary had commandeered the quantum computer, it would theoretically be impossible for them to manipulate the output and still be certified as random.

How the Protocol Works
Accessing the 56-qubit Quantinuum System Model H2 trapped-ion quantum computer remotely over the internet, the team generated certifiably random bits. Specifically, they performed a certified-randomness-expansion protocol based on RCS, which outputs more randomness than it takes as input.

The protocol consists of two steps. In the first step, the team repeatedly fed the quantum computer challenges that it had to quickly solve which even the world’s most powerful classical supercomputer can’t quickly solve and which the quantum computer can only solve by picking one of the many possible solutions at random.

In the second step, the randomness was mathematically certified to be genuine using classical supercomputers. In fact, the team showed that randomness could not be mimicked by classical methods.

Using classical certification across multiple leadership-scale supercomputers with a combined sustained performance of 1.1 x 1018 floating point operations per second (1.1 ExaFLOPS), the team certified 71,313 bits of entropy.

Quantum Solution to Real-World Cryptography

“This work marks a major milestone in quantum computing, demonstrating a solution to a real-world challenge using a quantum computer beyond the capabilities of classical supercomputers today,” said Marco Pistoia, Head of Global Technology Applied Research and Distinguished Engineer, JPMorganChase. “This development of certified randomness not only shows advancements in quantum hardware, but will be vital to further research, statistical sampling, numerical simulations, and cryptography.”

Hardware Upgrades Fueled the Breakthrough

In June 2024, Quantinuum upgraded its System Model H2 quantum computer to 56 trapped-ion qubits and, in partnership with JPMorganChase’s Global Technology Applied Research team, used this system to perform RCS, a task that was originally designed to demonstrate quantum advantage. H2 improved on the existing industry state of the art by a factor of 100 thanks to its high fidelity and all-to-all qubit connectivity, leading to the conclusion that the result could not have been obtained on any existing classical computers. This upgrade, combined with Aaronson’s protocol, led to the breakthrough now described in Nature.

Toward Practical Quantum Security

“Today, we celebrate a pivotal milestone that brings quantum computing firmly into the realm of practical, real-world applications,” said Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, President and CEO of Quantinuum. “Our application of certified quantum randomness not only demonstrates the unmatched performance of our trapped-ion technology but sets a new standard for delivering robust quantum security and enabling advanced simulations across industries like finance, manufacturing, and beyond. At Quantinuum, we are driving pioneering breakthroughs to redefine industries and unlock the full potential of quantum computing.”

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A quantum computer has been used to generate and certify truly random numbers, something classical computers can’t do, paving the way for unhackable encryption. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Using a 56-qubit quantum computer, researchers have for the first time experimentally demonstrated a way of generating random numbers from a quantum computer and then using a classical supercomputer to prove they are truly random and freshly generated. Credit: Quantinuum