Quantum Turing Pathfinder frontier
interview group
On October 16, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized when presiding over the 24th collective study of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee that it is necessary to fully understand the importance and urgency of promoting the development of quantum technology, strengthen the strategic planning and system layout of quantum technology development, and grasp The general trend is to play a good first move.
It is necessary to improve the speed and efficiency of the transformation of quantum technology theoretical research results into practical and engineering, actively attract enterprises to participate in the development of quantum technology, guide more universities and research institutes to actively carry out quantum technology basic research and applied research and development, and promote the deep integration of industry, university and research. And collaborative innovation.
Inspired and driven by the mission, Shanghai Turing Quantum Technology Co., Ltd. was born in February this year, and the founder Jin Xianmin started researching related fields as early as 2010.
This is my country's first optical quantum chip and optical quantum computer company.
At present, its team has independent intellectual property rights of 3D and ultra-high-speed chip processing capabilities and independent tape-out technology, which can complete the entire chain of development of optical quantum chips.
On November 7, Shanghai Jiaotong University signed a contract with the Binhu District Government of Wuxi City to establish the Shanghai Jiaotong University Wuxi Optical Quantum Chip Joint Research Center.
It is Professor Jin Xianmin, director of the Integrated Quantum Information Technology Research Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and his research team who are leading the planning and construction of the joint research center.
In the school laboratory located in the Minhang District of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Jin Xianmin looked proud when he introduced the photon quantum chip and quantum computer; in the rudimentary company office, his team members believed in the prospects of photon quantum computing; the latest launch in Shanghai The policy clearly states that it is necessary to focus on supporting strategic areas and major directions including quantum technology, and support enterprises to participate in major scientific and technological projects...
In the process of investigating Turing Quantum, we found that aiming at the frontier areas of great strategic significance, achieving key technological breakthroughs, relying on the resource advantages of universities and localities, and striving to market scientific research results are what this young technology company is exploring Development path.
How to solve the problems that may be faced in the process of in-depth integration of industry, university and research is also a challenge that similar enterprises need to accept.
Needless to say, both Turing Quantum and China's quantum technology research and development are just getting started.
Scientific research: 11 years of focusing on the light quantum track
It is not easy to find a straightforward metaphor to describe quantum.
As the smallest unit that cannot be divided into physical concepts, quantum is everything ubiquitous.
Zhang Shengyu, head of Tencent’s Quantum Lab, said that quantum computing will change the way human beings understand nature. It will be used in the fields of cybersecurity, scientific computing, financial forecasting, logistics planning, artificial intelligence, new drug research and development, material design, energy management, etc. Great application prospects.
In the laboratory of the Quantum Integrated Information Technology Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University, we have an intuitive understanding of quantum for the first time.
In this constant temperature and humidity environment, there is a rectangular metal "cabinet" that is as high as one person and suspended by magnetic force. As the "cabinet door" opens slowly, you can see a flexible "mechanical pen", which is shining green. The faint light "sniffed" on a glass chip the size of a fingernail.
This femtosecond laser direct writing machine is the result of Professor Jin Xianmin's painstaking research in the laboratory of Jiaotong University from 2014 to 2018.
It can stably prepare a three-dimensional integrated light quantum chip, restore the initial design of the chip to the greatest extent, and control its iteration time within 3 days.
Speaking of his previous research time, Jin Xianmin still sighs with emotion: “When he was doing experiments at Oxford University, he was often restricted by the preparation of chips. After returning to China, he wanted to turn passive into active and be able to achieve autonomous filming.” Shanghai Jiaotong University provided him. With 10 million yuan in research funding, he established the Photonic Integration and Quantum Information Laboratory. At that time, he was so excited that he spent almost 15 hours in the laboratory every day.
During the first 4 years of his tenure at Jiaotong University, Jin Xianmin went out early and returned late every day, immersing himself in technology research and development until he thoroughly studied the parameters of femtosecond laser direct writing.
Since 2018, he and his team have published papers in top journals at home and abroad at a frequency of 1 per month. He and his team have become famous in the field of photons.
According to data from financial data and software company PitchBook, in 2021, investors have invested US$1.02 billion in quantum computing companies around the world, which is more than the sum of inflows into the industry in the past three years.
The Boston Consulting Group of the United States predicts that quantum computers are expected to generate US$850 billion in profits by 2050, and a Japanese website has even increased this valuation to US$1 trillion.
Scientists and entrepreneurs from various countries are struggling to run, trying to take the lead in a certain stage and a certain field as soon as possible.
According to reports, the main technical paths of quantum computing currently include superconductivity, photons, ion traps, quantum topologies, and semiconductor/silicon quantum dots. Among them, superconductivity, photons, and ion traps are currently recognized as more reliable.
Jin Xianmin said that there are three prerequisites for the realization of a general-purpose quantum computer-the ability to manipulate millions of qubits, low environmental requirements, and high integration.
He believes that the optical quantum path is the only technical system that can meet these conditions, and it is also the most feasible path to large-scale general-purpose quantum computing.
According to Zhang Long, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a doctoral supervisor, light quantum chips will be the basic core technology for future technological development and one of the most promising technologies for breaking through Moore's Law.
At present, no country in the world has formed an absolute advantage in the field of light quantum chips, and China needs to take the lead in the immature light quantum chip field.
Counting from choosing light quantum chips as the research direction at Oxford University, Jin Xianmin has been deeply involved in this field for 11 years.
"We are one of the few industrialized teams in China that has not changed direction." He said.
Starting in 2018, Jin Xianmin turned his attention to the research and development of lithium niobate thin film photon chips.
He pointed to a piece of lithium niobate thin film material in his heart that can be seen by light, and said that for three years, the team has been trying to leave precise traces of light quantum on this difficult-to-etch material to make the chip the ultimate.
He said: "Our chip technology is completely autonomous and can be mass-produced in the near future."
With the development of three-dimensional integrated optical quantum chips and lithium niobate thin-film optical quantum chips, Jin Xianmin's team has the full chain of R&D capabilities from chip design, tapeout, packaging, testing, to system integration and quantum algorithms.
Entrepreneurship: Gathering elites from all directions to seek the future
"Time can't be missed anymore."
During the 2020 new crown pneumonia epidemic, Jin Xianmin thought at home for several months, and finally made the decision to start a business.
Looking at Jin Xianmin's resume, you will find that he is not a genius now at the forefront of technology, but more like a grassroots counterattack.
In 1980, Jin Xianmin was born in Wushan Town, Hefei City, Anhui Province.
In 2002, he was admitted to the postgraduate of the Department of Modern Physics of the University of Science and Technology of China with the first overall score.
Initially, his professional direction was atom and molecule, and then Pan Jianwei was a star professor of quantum research at the University of Science and Technology of China.
With a bunch of certificates, Jin Xianmin approached Professor Pan to recommend himself and admitted that he "hoped to do some leading research."
His sincerity and perseverance impressed Professor Pan. In 2003, he successfully changed his major.
After studying with Pan Jianwei for 5 years, Jin Xianmin received a doctorate degree from the University of Science and Technology of China.
In 2010, he went to Oxford University to do post-doctoral research in the Department of Physics, University of Oxford, under the tutelage of Ian Wormsley, then Vice President of Oxford University and Director of the National Quantum Technology Initiative (NQIT) Center in the United Kingdom, and joined the first international research on optical quantum chips. One of two teams.
In 2012, he was awarded the titles of "Mary Curie Scholar" by the European Union and "Wolverson College Scholar" by Oxford University, and was funded to independently carry out experimental research on optical storage and quantum networks based on Oxford University.
In 2014, Jin Xianmin gave up the British green card he was about to obtain and returned to Shanghai Jiaotong University.
After he has made remarkable achievements in the field of quantum research, he has created an all-round team with "light quantum chip + quantum computing + photon computing + optical AI" technology. In July 2019, Jin Xianmin was promoted to Shanghai Jiaotong University's long-term professor.
Honors and titles such as Sugon, Shanghai Young Science and Technology Talent, Shanghai Science and Technology Venus Winner, and Academic Leader of the State Key Laboratory of Regional Optical Fiber Communication Network and New Optical Communication System also came in abundance.
I thought he would devote his life to academics from now on, but an accident changed his mind.
During the Spring Festival of 2020, Jin Xianmin learned that PsiQ, an optical quantum computing company in Silicon Valley, USA, is about to receive a huge investment, and the founder of this company is his old friend Jeremy O'Brien in Oxford.
That year, the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol applied for government awards in the field of photons. The team of Oxford University Ian Wormsley finally won and received 100 million pounds of support.
Soon after, Professor O'Brien took the students to Silicon Valley in the United States and founded PsiQ, the first optical quantum computing company, and received venture capital from Microsoft.
This is also the company with the largest amount of financing and the highest valuation in the field of quantum computing.
Jin Xianmin feels that if he does not keep pace with foreign counterparts in optical quantum computing, he will fall behind step by step and repeat the mistake of "lack of core and less soul" in classical computing.
Subject to others on key technologies and some key components and parts, they will encounter the problem of "stuck neck".
After soliciting opinions from several industry seniors, Jin Xianmin reported to the leaders of Shanghai Jiaotong University on his ideas for industrialization of scientific research results.
After being affirmed, he decided to establish Turing Quantum Corporation.
Fame in the industry is the best banner.
In February 2021, Turing Quantum Company was formally established, and it soon recruited nearly 20 employees from prestigious universities at home and abroad.
In June 2018, Jin Xianmin and his partner co-authored an article about the first attempt to use machine learning algorithms for quantum state classification applications that attracted the attention of the industry, and was later reported by a new media "Quanke".
Hu Junjie, who was studying for a PhD in quantum chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences at that time, thought that after a breakthrough in quantum computing, it could be combined with quantum chemistry to solve problems in biological or molecular systems.
For this reason, he came to Shanghai Jiaotong University to study as a postdoctoral fellow with Jin Xianmin, responsible for the exploration of quantum computing in the biomedical sector.
He said that after graduation, he would first join Turing Quantum.
Coincidentally, Wang Xinwen, a partner of Quantum Ke, joined Turing Quantum a year later.
When he was studying for a PhD in Astrophysics at Baylor University in the United States, he paid close attention to the latest information in the quantum field. “Basically, there will be a medium-scale news every week, and there will be a huge news every month. Quantum computing is a field that makes people happy. excited".
He is also paying attention to Kim Hyun Min's movements.
After seeing the recruitment information released by Turing Quantum, he came here admiringly and is now responsible for the ecological construction of the company's quantum computing industry.
At present, Turing Quantum has gathered more than 80 graduates from universities at home and abroad such as Oxford University and Tsinghua University.
Jin Xianmin, who has no extravagance for matter, has a strong desire for success and a competitive spirit: "Turing Quantum will become the Intel of the quantum age."
In the offices of schools and companies, you can see a whole upright blackboard wall.
“He often discusses issues with us at the blackboard. When it comes to rising, he will stand on the chair and scribble in the empty space at the highest point.” Wang Xinwen said.
In 2021, the first year of Quantum will start.
In May, Turing Quantum completed an angel round of financing of 100 million yuan, which is also the largest single early-stage financing in the field of quantum computing in China.
Finally able to pay the salary that matched the scientific research personnel, Jin Xianmin really felt the importance of capital blessing and strengthened the company's determination to go public.
Good news from foreign counterparts are also frequent: In July, PsiQ of the United States announced the completion of a USD 450 million Series D financing, with a total financing amount of USD 665 million; Xanadu of Canada also recently announced a Series B financing of USD 100 million, with a cumulative total of financing. More than 200 million US dollars.
While proving that the track selection is correct, this information is actually an invisible pressure.
However, Jin Xianmin and the team are confident: "Our technology is in the first echelon in China, and the team has the largest number of people. We hope to have better results within a year."
Balance: mutual promotion of industry, university and research is inseparable
"The threshold for the quantum computing industry is very high. In this field, the founders or partners of domestic and foreign companies basically have a college background." Wang Xinwen said, it is a hard-core basic discipline that has emerged from the laboratory.
It only takes 3 minutes to walk from the company located in the Danshui Riverside Science and Technology Park to the Shanghai Jiaotong University campus.
A black cabinet shaped like a safe in the laboratory attracted our attention.
Jin Xianmin introduced that this is the first generation of optical quantum computing prototype verification machine they developed in June. It is a masterful of advanced laboratory results. It has a value of 10 million yuan and integrates quantum light source processing and detection. Features, "Users can step into the forefront of quantum computing technology in one step."
"Post-90s" young man Dr. Tan Xi is Jin Xianmin's right-hand man.
After joining the project team in 2019, he participated in the whole process of light source construction, chip preparation, chip testing and packaging of the light quantum chip, until the formation of the whole process of integrated installation.
In the laboratory, Nie Fangsong, an optical engineer for Turing Quantum, and Yu Yulin, a mechanical processing engineer, are busy in front of the instrument.
Tan Xi said that doing experiments requires not only knowledge of physics, but also skills such as data analysis, programming, and image animation.
In these areas they are not good at, the company's professional engineers have helped a lot.
Hu Junjie said: "Jiaotong University has given us a relaxed environment, and it is good to balance personal time. Professor Jin is my academic leader and the founder of the company. While working in the company, we can also promote academic progress. ."
How to balance the relationship between scientific research and entrepreneurship?
Jin Xianmin understands the inseparability of the two in this way: the development of frontier science is very rapid, and only the industrial transformation will lose the opportunity and ability to grasp the direction and adjust the route in real time on the giant ship of frontier science; and the exploration in application can Let the exploration of frontier science and technology become more directional and meaningful.
"Academic and theoretical exploration should not become self-entertainment in the ivory tower, but should really improve the country's scientific and technological strength." Jin Xianmin said.
In fact, he knew very well, "The matter of starting a business is detrimental to the reputation of the professor."
He hopes that he can do a good job of academics while taking into account the development of the enterprise. He also hopes that Turing Quantum can give more talented young people in the field of cutting-edge science and technology more space.
In order to ensure scientific research and teaching, he applied twice as many teaching tasks as other teachers, and there are more than 30 scientific research projects.
Data show that from January to September this year, Shanghai Jiaotong University had 95 achievements transformation contracts, with a contract value exceeding 545 million yuan, far exceeding the level of the same period last year.
In addition, Shanghai Jiaotong University has also formed an ecosystem for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements on and off campus, such as the Advanced Industrial Technology Research Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Jiaotong University National University Science Park, and completed the first batch of corporate compliance rectifications.
The reporter learned that Jiaotong University is issuing certificates of compliant enterprises for entrepreneurial teachers to relieve teachers' worries after starting a business, and the compliance rectification of a new batch of enterprises is advancing.
The next step will be to gradually untie the "thin rope" that binds scientific researchers.
The support from the Shanghai Municipal Government has also made Jin Xian sensitively warmed by sending charcoal in the snow.
In 2016, the scientific research team was faced with the dilemma of tight funds, many equipment had to be borrowed, and the project was once stalled.
At the critical moment, the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission gave them a scientific research fund of several million yuan, which relieved their urgent need.
In July of this year, with the support of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology and the guidance of the Office of the Organizing Committee of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Turing Quantum held the "Quantum Computing and Optical Quantum Chip Forum" for the first time at the 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Use this world-class platform to showcase and communicate.
"We cherish this opportunity very much. Let us speak about quantum computing in high-level forums and let people in the industry understand the capabilities of Turing Quantum." said Wei Zongkai, Chief Marketing Officer of Turing Quantum.
And Shanghai is also becoming China's quantum technology center.
In June 2019, the Shanghai Quantum Science Research Center, jointly built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Municipal Government with the support of the University of Science and Technology of China, was established.
In order to better accomplish quantum-related scientific tasks, scientific research forces in the quantum field such as Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, East China Normal University, etc. have gradually joined this team that is at the forefront of quantum technology in the world.
Recently, the Shanghai Municipal Government issued the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Strategic Emerging Industries and Leading Industries in Shanghai", which clearly focused on the deployment of future-oriented leading industries such as optical quantum chips and devices, and brain-like intelligence.
Exploration: Bright prospects and roads are still bumpy
On September 27th, at the "ICT China 2021 Quantum Computing Forum" held in Beijing, Jin Xianmin took the opportunity to launch a job advertisement for Turing Quantum after giving his speech, publicly recruiting optics, physics, finance, medicine, biology and other fields Talents.
The shortage of talents is undoubtedly the primary obstacle affecting the development of the quantum industry.
There are not many high-end talents familiar with quantum technology in our country, and there are very few talents who have knowledge of quantum computing, but also understand financial, medical and other application scenarios.
Second, there is path risk.
Wang Xinwen believes that the maturity of products or solutions is a puzzle faced by the entire industry.
At present, among the three main technological routes in the quantum field, the superconducting route is the most crowded. IBM, Google, Intel, and domestic Quantum Quantum and National Shield Quantum are all deployed on this route; Honeywell, IonQ and domestic Qike Companies such as Quantum chose the ion trap route, while Turing quantum and Bose quantum chose the optical quantum route.
Finally, there are application scenarios.
Unlike many basic research or scientific explorations that have no clear application goals, quantum technology, including quantum information technology, has a clearer application prospect.
Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that it is very important to improve the speed and efficiency of the transformation of quantum technology theoretical research results into practical and engineering.
Medicine, finance, and artificial intelligence are the first three areas that Turing Quantum tries to conquer.
Jin Xianmin introduced that in the field of biomedicine, the use of the super computing power of quantum computers can accurately assess the interaction between molecules, proteins and chemical substances, and check whether drugs will improve or cure certain diseases.
At present, Turing Quantum has cooperated with a tertiary A hospital in Shanghai. The two parties are trying to use the large amount of brainwave data accumulated by the hospital to monitor abnormal brainwave data before the occurrence of neurological diseases, so as to give early warning of the occurrence of the disease.
In terms of financial transactions, quantum computing can help optimize investment portfolios and more effectively identify key fraud indicators.
"At present, nearly 20 domestic banks have begun to deploy in the field of quantum computing. Increasing the speed of calculation, this advantage will bring about an unimaginable improvement in specific businesses." Jin Xianmin said.
Artificial intelligence is also the object of Turing quantum exploration cooperation.
Jin Xianmin predicts that in the next 5 to 10 years, the industry prospects for the combination of quantum computing and optical artificial intelligence are very broad.
Challenges also include the external environment.
Professor entrepreneurship, a topic that has been controversial since the reform and opening up, still has "some thin ropes that have not been untied" after decades of exploration.
Jin Xianmin said that in order to comply with the country’s laws and regulations and school rules and regulations, he fully communicated with the relevant departments of Shanghai Jiaotong University when his entrepreneurial idea was born, and the school also delineated “to avoid the exchange of funds from the laboratory to the company”. Red line.
"Don't be greedy for small profits, don't step on the red line" is Jin Xianmin's principle, "to do quantum computers and do great things, this is our ultimate goal."
Compared with other start-ups, Turing Quantum is easy to raise money.
On November 10th, Turing Quantum announced that it has once again completed a pre-A round of financing of several hundred million yuan.
"It is relatively easy to finance our projects. First, the central and local governments support the development of quantum technology and have issued a series of supporting policies; second, the scientific research results of Professor Jin's team have attracted much attention, and investors will take the initiative to connect; 3. It is the current capital market that has an investment preference for hard technology." said Li Hua, chief financial officer of Turing Quantum, these factors make them a confident seller's market, so they will choose those funds that have an industry background and are well-known in the industry. Better leverage when realizing commercial applications.
More than 70% of the funds obtained from financing will be invested in the field of research and development, and some will be used for the commercialization of quantum algorithms.
The journey of quantum technology is the sea of stars.
A wider world is the best reward for explorers.
(Members of the interview team: "Chinese Entrepreneur" reporter Zhou Chunlin and "Economic Daily" reporter Liu Rong and Li Zhiguo)
Newspaper interview team