November 27, 2024
As technology continues to advance, traditional computing methods don’t always do the trick. Xulong Tang, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, shared his expertise on how quantum computing is a solution to more complex problems to kick off the 2024-2025 Dean’s Spotlight Series.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Tang discussed innovations in quantum computing in his talk, “Toward High-Fidelity, Scalable, and Accessible Quantum Computing Systems.”
Quantum computing combines fields like computer science, physics, and mathematics to solve complex problems more efficiently than traditional computing. As we are living in an increasingly digital world, it is critical to advance quantum computing systems so that they are more effective, efficient, and reliable at solving real-world problems.
“Based on public information, there are many algorithms that cannot be solved quickly by classic computing,” said Tang. “It would take hundreds of years or thousands of years to solve. But with quantum computing, they can be solved in seconds.”
“From a computer science perspective, I am focusing on three major challenges in quantum computing: fidelity, scalability, and accessibility,” said Tang. Tang’s research focuses on optimizing how qubits, the basic units of information in quantum computing, are generated and on improving execution time for various processes.
By addressing these challenges, Tang is ready to set the stage for future quantum computing research, moving away from older systems towards more reliable ones. With more reliable systems, complex problems can be solved more efficiently and effectively than ever before.
“Our research helps transition from the current Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era toward more practical, large-scale and fault tolerant quantum computing systems,” said Tang.
Tang also highlighted the value of the Dean’s Spotlight Series, not just for faculty to share their research, but also to foster collaboration among the wider SCI community.
“The Dean’s Spotlight Series is a great opportunity to bring people from different backgrounds and potentially spark interesting interdisciplinary ideas,” said Tang. “I urge people to embrace both collaboration and persistence. Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving field full of complex challenges, and no one can solve them alone. Working together across disciplines opens new doors and accelerates breakthroughs.”
This talk was sponsored by the Department of Computer Science. Watch a recording of the talk here, and join SCI for the next talk, “The Science of Science: Exciting Progress and Future Directions” by Dr. Dashun Wang on Dec. 5!
--Alyssa Morales
