KITCHENER — A startup says it has solved a huge problem for quantum computers, unlocking the potential of these experimental machines to become the most disruptive technology of the 21st century.

Working out of a small office on Breithaupt Street in Kitchener, the team at Quantum Benchmark has developed software that finds and suppresses errors in the calculations performed by quantum computers, and tells users the likelihood of the answer being right or wrong.

"It is solving a problem that people have been asking about for two decades," said chief executive officer Joseph Emerson.

This week, the startup took a quantum leap forward, announcing a deal with tech giant Google. Its True-Q software will be integrated into Google's open source platform for building quantum algorithms. The platform, called Cirq, was launched this week.

The Google deal is huge validation for the startup, said Emerson.

"The fact that the experts at Google have said, 'We think these tools are valuable,' I think will accelerate our adoption."

Emerson has been on faculty of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo since 2005. His research into the errors produced by quantum computers goes back to 2002.

"I essentially pioneered this area of research," he said.

Emerson founded Quantum Benchmark in February 2017 to commercialize the research. It secured $1 million in funding from the private equity fund Vanedge Capital last August. The first employee wasn't hired until last October.

"Really it took us about six months to create this, to go from a research tool to a professional tool for business and industry," said Emerson. "There hasn't been much sleep and there hasn't been much time for the family. I think my kids grew three inches and I just noticed that today."

Quantum computers are touted as the next generation of supercomputers. They use the properties and characteristics of atomic particles — atoms, electrons, photons and the like — to process information. Researchers believe quantum computers will be able to quickly process huge amounts of information about complex problems that today's computers cannot even attempt. The emerging technology is expected to speed the development of new drugs, energy efficient materials and better cybersecurity.

There are many working prototypes of quantum computers at UW and other technology centres around the world. But so far, no one has produced a practical quantum computer that can be used to solve real-world problems.

Emerson said one of the main reasons for that is nobody could detect, control and correct the errors produced by quantum computers. At least until now.

"And so we have actually provided that solution, and we have provided that solution in a very robust way, and this is based on two decades of research from my team," said Emerson.

Few people cared about the issue when he started researching it 15 years ago, but that changed as more advanced prototypes were developed, he said, because quantum computers use atomic particles the technology is inherently fragile and prone to errors.

As bigger and more powerful quantum computers are built, the chance of error increases, Emerson said, potentially reaching a 50/50 chance that answers produced by the machines are correct. That's the same probability as a coin toss.

"The best people in the field have been emphasizing this point, that there are errors and that spoil the recipe, so to speak," said Emerson. "So you can use a near-term quantum computer or current quantum computer and it will give you the wrong answer."

Google recognizes the significance of the issue, he said.

"Google is being very strategic and honest about the fact that we have to deal with this problem," Emerson said. "They are not sweeping it under the rug, and they value the fact that we can provide tools that dramatically help with that problem.

"It is great to work with them because they are taking the bull by the horns, as we are, and being very fair handed and providing tools for users to know what they are getting."

Quantum Benchmark is one of about a dozen startups that have emerged from research at the Institute for Quantum Computing.

Mike Lazaridis, the inventor of the BlackBerry, has invested more than $150 million into quantum research. Lazaridis and BlackBerry co-founder Doug Fregin launched Quantum Valley Investments to boost the commercialization of quantum technologies.

Lazaridis, who often refers to Waterloo Region as the Quantum Valley, believes quantum computers will lead to what he calls the next industrial super cycle, and he wants this region to be at the forefront of it.

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"Our colleagues at UW and other private companies within the Quantum Valley ecosystem would definitely get value out of this software," said Emerson. "We are excited to provide the tools more broadly."

tpender@therecord.com