Corporate Technology - Rolf Hellinger

Research Partnerships
A Global Network
of Top Scientists
Munich Technical University: Quantum
Leap for Information Processing
Computer performance is a key success factor in virtually all fields of
research that Siemens is involved in. Today’s computers, which work
with binary codes, are not ideally suited to many calculation tasks,
which is why a quantum computer would offer a much better option
for the future. Experts believe that such a computer would be much
faster than today’s units in terms of its ability to recognize patterns in
many applications such as image processing, detecting viruses, and the
analysis of genetic databases. A quantum computer would also be able
to reliably read hand-written addresses on envelopes and more
effectively monitor technical facilities.
In cooperation with Munich Technical University, researchers from
Corporate Technology have now taken a giant step toward improved
information processing with quantum computers by successfully
40 Corporate Technology
According to Henry Ford, “Thinking is the hardest work there is.”
Which is why Corporate Technology (CT) is constantly on the lookout
worldwide for the most capable minds to participate in joint research
projects. CT initiates nearly half of the more than 1,000 partnerships
Siemens enters into every year with universities, research institutes
and industrial partners. In doing so, it ensures its participation in
much of the most exciting basic and applied research being
conducted around the world.
completing the first-ever experiment to create an artificial neural
network on a simple quantum computer.
Specialists from CT’s Learning-Enabled Systems department have
been working with artificial neural networks for many years now. Such
networks operate in a manner similar to that of the human brain and
are especially suited to pattern recognition operations. They are able to
learn and can be trained via examples. The idea behind placing neural
networks on quantum computers is to ensure more efficient processing
of the huge amounts of data associated with pattern recognition.
Instead of bits, quantum computers work with data units known as
quantum bits, or qubits. These units are capable of assuming different
states simultaneously, and can also be entangled with other qubits in
a special type of quantum correlation. Because of these properties,
computer calculations with qubits are much faster — and more complex
— than operations with conventional bits.
In his Siemens-sponsored doctoral dissertation, quantum computer
programmer Rodion Neigovzen simulated a complete system consisting
of a quantum computer and a neural network. He then created a
program to run on it that can compare a bit pattern consisting of various
colors with stored sample patterns, and subsequently calculate the
degree of similarity between them. Researchers at Munich Technical
University then worked closely with Neigovzen to carry out a feasibility
study for the system in an NMR spectrometer. Here, a room-temperature
solution of sodium formate was used. Among other things, this
compound contains one carbon and one hydrogen atom. In strong
magnetic fields, the nuclear spins of both particles each form one qubit
with two possible states. The quantum computer signals measured in
the feasibility study corresponded extremely closely to the signals
calculated and postulated by Neigovzen, thereby confirming that the
researchers’ algorithm for a quantum computer delivers accurate results
in practice.