In this episode of The New Quantum Era podcast, your host Sebastian Hassinger interviews two of the field's most well-known figures, John Preskill and Rob Schoelkopf, about the transition of quantum computing into a new phase that John is calling "megaquop," which stands for "a million quantum operations." Our conversation delves into what this new phase entails, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and the innovative approaches being explored to make quantum computing perform better and become more useful. This episode was made with the kind support of the American Physical Society and Quantum Circuits, Inc. Here’s what you can expect from this insightful discussion:

• Introduction of the Megaquop Era: John explains the transition from the NISQ era to the megaquop era, emphasizing the need for quantum error correction and the goal of achieving computations with around a million operations.
• Quantum Error Correction: Both John and Rob discuss the importance of quantum error correction, the challenges involved, and the innovative approaches being taken, such as dual rail and cat qubits.
• Superconducting Qubits and Dual Rail Approach: Rob shares insights into Quantum Circuits' work on dual rail superconducting qubits, which aim to make error correction more efficient by detecting erasure errors.
• Scientific and Practical Implications: The conversation touches on the scientific value of current quantum devices and the potential applications and discoveries that could emerge from the megaquop era.
• Future Directions and Challenges: The discussion also covers the future of quantum computing, including the need for better connectivity and the challenges of scaling up quantum devices.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Beyond NISQ: The Megaquop Machine: John Preskill's paper adapting his keynote from Q2B Silicon Valley 2024
• Quantum Circuits, Inc.: Rob's company, which is working on dual rail superconducting qubits.