logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2021
49m 17s

Making Quantum Computers a Commercial Re...

Azeem Azhar
About this episode

IonQ is the first company solely focused on quantum computing to go public, with its quantum computers accessible via the cloud today. The company’s co-founder/chief scientist Chris Monroe and president/CEO Peter Chapman join Azeem Azhar to explore how they turned cutting-edge research into a scalable product. They also discuss the engineering challenges that remain before quantum systems not only surpass the fastest supercomputers, but also become widely available.

In addition, they address:

  • Why IonQ, unlike Google and IBM, have bet on the “trapped ion” approach to building quantum computers.
  • How major software innovation could move quantum computing forward.
  • Why quantum computers excel at optimization problems involving more variables than classical computers can accommodate.

@IonQ_Inc
@azeem
@ExponentialView

Further Reading:

Up next
Yesterday
2025 AI reality check: Are we in a bubble?
At the start of the year, I made seven predictions about how 2025 would unfold. Six months in, it's time to mark my own work. From AI capability breakthroughs to autonomous vehicles, climate extremes to workforce transformation, I examine what I got right, what I missed, and why ... Show More
24m 4s
Jul 2
What 72hrs in China taught me about the future (AI, EVs, more)
In this episode, I reflect on a whirlwind three-day visit to China - my first in over 20 years. And what I saw was remarkable. The infrastructure puts most of the West to shame. The AI isn't just hype - it's working at serious scale. And the electric vehicles? They're about to st ... Show More
22m 19s
Jun 18
The problem with Altman’s “gentle singularity,” Apple’s AI missteps, and Google’s fading ad model | Live with Azeem Azhar
Broadcasting live from Paris, I tackle three massive technology stories that are reshaping our digital future. From Apple's stunning interface redesign to the collapse of traditional search advertising, and Sam Altman's vision of an AI singularity that's already begun - this epis ... Show More
29m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Quantum computers aren't what you think — they're cooler | Hartmut Neven
Quantum computers obtain superpowers by tapping into parallel universes, says Hartmut Neven, the founder and lead of Google Quantum AI. He explains how this emerging tech can far surpass traditional computers by relying on quantum physics rather than binary logic, and shares a ro ... Show More
12m 18s
Jul 2024
Quantum computers aren’t what you think — they’re cooler | Hartmut Neven
Quantum computers obtain superpowers by tapping into parallel universes, says Hartmut Neven, the founder and lead of Google Quantum AI. He explains how this emerging tech can far surpass traditional computers by relying on quantum physics rather than binary logic, and shares a ro ... Show More
11m 29s
Jul 2024
2968: ORCA Computing's Breakthrough in Photonic Quantum Computers
In this episode of the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, we dive into the fascinating world of quantum computing with Richard Murray, CEO and co-founder of ORCA Computing. ORCA, a spin-out from Oxford University, is pioneering the development of photonic quantum computers that are robust ... Show More
28m 36s
Nov 2024
When Quantum Computing Brings Breakthroughs ... or Chaos
Quantum computers harness the almost mystical properties of subatomic particles to solve problems that are beyond even the most powerful “classical” computers available today. Will these computers usher in a new generation of custom pharmaceuticals and sustainable materials—or wi ... Show More
32m 31s
May 2021
1 - Dawn of a Quantum Era
On May 6th, 1981, at the MIT Endicott House, a group of computer scientists gathered together with elite physicists to make the case that quantum phenomena could be used for computation. Here, ideas that would influence the next four decades of quantum computing research and deve ... Show More
39m 39s
May 2021
2 - Quantum Computing Has A Purpose! (The Factoring Algorithm)
In the mid-90’s, there was no quantum computing field. There was excitement, sure, but nearly a decade and a half after the conference at MIT Endicott House, the possibilities of marrying physics and computer science had yet to yield a significant technological breakthrough. That ... Show More
38m 59s
Sep 2024
Working in quantum tech: where are the opportunities for success?
The quantum industry in booming. An estimated $42bn was invested in the sector in 2023 and is projected to rise to $106 billion by 2040. In this episode of Physics World Stories, two experts from the quantum industry share their experiences, and give advice on how to enter this b ... Show More
45m 53s
Jan 2025
Here's Why You Need to Understand Quantum Computing
Move over artificial intelligence, a new technological game-changer is coming. Developers of quantum computers say they will deliver huge advancements in fields from drug development to financial modelling. Some of the world's biggest tech companies, investors and governments are ... Show More
6m 29s
Apr 3
What Is the True Promise of Quantum Computing?
Quantum computing promises unprecedented speed, but in practice, it’s proven remarkably difficult to find important questions that quantum machines can solve faster than classical ones. One of the most notable demonstrations of this came from Ewin Tang, who rose to prominence in ... Show More
38m 47s
Apr 24
Quantum computing: Game on
Quantum computing has long been technology’s white whale. But in recent months, new developments suggest practical applications for this elusive technology could finally be within reach. “Quantum has been five to ten years away from fruition for many, many decades,” says McKinsey ... Show More
24m 18s