How much performance can you squeeze out of quantum computing by improving the stack? A lot happens in code before classical bits touch qubits. One company’s hardware-specific algorithms, delivered via a cloud platform, supercharge real-world applications like protein folding and AI-enhanced machine learning. From outperforming classical tools like Gurobi on IBM’s 156-qubit processor to slashing circuit depths by up to 1,000x, Kipu Quantum is accelerating the timeline to advantage. Join host Kon...
Jul 09, 2025•34 min•Ep. 107
When NIST released the first post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024, it set off a domino effect that will hopefully result in protecting the world from the quantum computing threat. Now that we’re beginning to migrate and trust our data to lattice-based cryptography, it’s a good time to examine how ML-KEM works and get some hints about how to implement it well. And who better to ask than one of the coauthors of the PQC standard? Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging c...
Jun 25, 2025•44 min•Ep. 106
Quantum computing and sensing are emerging markets, but they are already worth well over $1 billion. How is growth looking? Some trends may surprise you, including a shift to on-prem quantum computers. Has AI really stolen quantum’s thunder, or is it about to synergistically help our industry and qubit counts grow? Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with Celia Merzbacher, where they discuss solid global research from QED-C. For more information on QED-C, visit https://qua...
Jun 11, 2025•41 min•Ep. 101
Over 1,000 GPS denial attacks happen around the world … every day! If GPS fails, planes, ships and drones could be stranded in a fog of uncertainty or forced into a dangerous situation. Can the unprecedented precision of quantum sensing help? We dive into cutting-edge innovations at Q-CTRL, exploring how AI-powered quantum navigation is revolutionizing aerospace and defense, outsmarting GPS denial attacks, and unlocking a future where quantum sensors and computers converge to redefine what's pos...
May 28, 2025•42 min•Ep. 104
Post-quantum cryptography is rapidly moving from the realm of NIST standards to running in production. The threat of quantum computing advances and coming regulations are driving this acceleration. One major component on the PQC migration plan for companies is VPN. In this episode we look at the Ambit corporate VPN client, which uses a standardized NIST PQC cipher: ML-KEM. Did you know there are potential gotchas with trying hybrids of classical and PQC instead? Find out the technical and philos...
May 14, 2025•36 min•Ep. 101
Quantum computing is a fast-moving field, and not just when photons are involved. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with Anastasia Marchenkova, where they cover recent developments and potential future outcomes. Topics include: chip hype, logical qubits, imminent practical business use cases, quantum random numbers, the implications of AI in quantum coding, investing, and networking or interconnect. Get caught up with the industry in this supersized episode. For more inf...
Apr 30, 2025•56 min•Ep. 102
As the quantum computing industry continues to evolve, it’s only natural that quantum incubators start appearing. How do investors like this choose what technologies to back in early stages? We look at the choices being made by one such investor, Spectral Capital. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with Sean Brehm on graphene quantum dots, a quantum blockchain, and algorithms with wide use cases. For more information on Spectral Capital, visit www.spectralcapital.com/ . V...
Apr 16, 2025•30 min•Ep. 101
What better way to celebrate four years and 100 episodes of The Post-Quantum World than to talk about an achievement we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve been watching quantum news feeds, you might have heard of the D-Wave supremacy paper published in Science. Using an Advantage 2 system, D-Wave has performed a useful task for materials science faster and with less power consumption than a classical supercomputer. Researchers have tried to challenge this, but the results seem to be holding up. ...
Apr 02, 2025•38 min•Ep. 100
Migrating to post-quantum cryptography across an organization will take time. But while you are replacing every cipher to defend against the threat side of quantum computing, you may also want to add systems that bring new functionality and come with PQC out of the gate. Imagine a mobile messaging app like WhatsApp, but with NIST-approved ML-KEM under the hood and enterprise-grade controls. From hospitals dodging ransomware to finance professionals sharing secrets in quantum-proof chats, custome...
Mar 19, 2025•35 min•Ep. 99
Quantum computing needs low-overhead error correction to truly scale. Building thousands of qubits to end up with a couple of useful logical ones feels like a bad strategy. Photonic recently published a paper describing a new type of error correction code that promises a 20x reduction in the number of qubits needed to run quantum algorithms that solve real business problems. Are these so-called SHYPS QLDPC codes the path to fault-tolerant systems? Will they help multiple types of quantum chips f...
Mar 05, 2025•38 min•Ep. 98
Quantum computing will never be the same again. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a special onsite interview at Microsoft Azure Quantum labs, where he was invited to see the launch of Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum processor powered by topological qubits. On the day this episode is posted, Nature will release a paper validating how Microsoft was able to create a topoconductor, or new material stack of indium arsenide and aluminum, built literally one atom at a time, to bring quantum ...
Feb 19, 2025•33 min•Ep. 95
I'm always asked the same question when talking to customers about the threats of quantum computing and the move to post-quantum cryptography. What are similar companies doing about it? It’s only been half a year since the NIST standards were published, but we’re starting to see some traction. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with Samantha Mabey from Entrust about an interesting study on migration, along with some tactical advice for getting your PQC journey underway. For more infor...
Feb 05, 2025•37 min•Ep. 96
Many companies call 2025 the year of quantum computing for reasons ranging from PQC to better applications and hardware. Here comes the Helios system from Quantinuum, and we say it’s all right to celebrate 50 logical qubits this year. We look at the company’s roadmap, aggressive error-correction ratios, and some innovative ways the coming systems will work with AI to solve problems and not just generate hype. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with CEO Rajeeb Hazra from Quantinuum. Fo...
Jan 22, 2025•37 min•Ep. 92
Most applications businesses rely on are complex, with subroutines, loops, etc. Is it possible to run a binary like this on a quantum computer? Not quite, but one company has a tool that identifies portions of code where quantum computing circuits could make a difference and then manages the necessary handoffs. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses the future of running programs on both classical chips and qubits with Joe Fitzsimons from Horizon Quantum. For more information on Hori...
Jan 08, 2025•37 min•Ep. 90
You could summarize 2024 in two quantum computing topics: the release of the NIST PQC standards and the arrival of logical qubits. We dig into the latter in this episode. Atom Computing recently performed computation on 28 logical qubits with the help of Microsoft’s qubit virtualization. The future roadmap is optimistic and exciting for those looking for quantum advantage from hardware. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses how we get to fault-tolerant systems with Kristen Pudenz fr...
Dec 11, 2024•40 min•Ep. 93
If you’re a longtime listener, you probably have heard that we can’t simulate more than 50 qubits on a classical computer. Representing each qubit doubles the required system resources, and state vector simulation hits a wall even on supercomputers. But what if there was a different way to break this barrier, even on a laptop? Is the threat to cryptography on an accelerated timeline because of this or other techniques? Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses with Bob Wold from Quantum...
Nov 27, 2024•38 min•Ep. 92
To modify a Feynman quote, we can safely say that no one understands quantum … networking. The definition does mean different things to different folks. Sometimes, the best way to solidify a concept is to bring it to the real world. It turns out there is a way to experiment with quantum networking, and you wouldn’t believe how it’s already being used to interconnect different quantum computing modalities (for example, superconducting and trapped-ion systems). You read that correctly; we didn’t t...
Nov 13, 2024•36 min•Ep. 88
Want to be a quantum coder? There’s no shortage of tutorials for your chosen programming language, but when you complete them, you might not feel ready to solve real-world problems. It’s challenging to go from a scientific paper to practical code and to do so with results that impress your company. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with Mariia Mykhailova, a software engineer from Microsoft Quantum who’s written a couple of books that should help you boost your skillset. To get the bo...
Oct 30, 2024•34 min•Ep. 85
Quantum information science deals with the world of the very small, sure, but imagine 128 acres of land devoted to advancing QIS. Now imagine this mega complex in a major city! The Illinois Quantum and& Microelectronics Park is expected to draw leading companies and researchers to Chicago, and DARPA is already playing a significant role. Find out what this will mean for advancing the industry and the race to fault-tolerant quantum computing. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat abou...
Oct 16, 2024•35 min•Ep. 87
Since 2018, the United States has had a national strategy for excellence in quantum information science that includes getting the science right, enhancing competitiveness and enabling people. To achieve that aim, regions across the country have begun ramping up their efforts to become quantum silicon valleys. Find out how Colorado stacks up in advancing the quantum stack and how recent federal and state funding is fueling the entrepreneurial spirit of the region. Join host Konstantinos Karagiann...
Oct 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 88
Imagine a mesh network of AI-powered nodes that could validate the security of your organization’s systems and applications. It’s a clever use of blockchain to add security to real-world devices, and, best of all, it will feature post-quantum cryptography. How soon will this technology simplify security for businesses and governments worldwide? And might this kind of approach even prevent killer robots? Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with David Carvalho and David Holtzman from Nao...
Sep 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 87
Microsoft Azure Quantum has provided access to quantum computers in the cloud for about four years. A lot has changed in that time, including the generative AI revolution. It’s now possible to create quantum circuits with the help of Copilot and users can work on advanced scientific problems in Azure Quantum Elements by combining quantum computing, high-performance computing (HPC) clusters and AI. Microsoft is also making advances in logical qubits in partnership with Quantinuum as well as with ...
Sep 04, 2024•48 min•Ep. 86
They’re here! After a seven-year process, NIST has finally released the first standards for post-quantum cryptography. The industry is excited and optimistic about the future, but what does it mean for you and your organization? In an interview recorded right before the August 13 release, you’ll hear how we got here with the quantum computing threat, what standards were selected and what additional ciphers are coming in the future. You’ll also get a sense of how soon you may need to start implem...
Aug 21, 2024•39 min•Ep. 81
Skeptical about practical quantum computing applications? Perhaps D-Wave could change your mind. Over 100 real corporate customers are using their quantum annealing systems and software platform today…in production. In this episode, we cover a lot of exciting advances with their current machines, discuss future roadmaps and delve into what it means to achieve quantum advantage, supremacy and utility. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a wide-ranging chat with CEO Alan Baratz from D-Wave Syst...
Aug 07, 2024•44 min•Ep. 80
The migration to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is about to begin and is necessary to protect against the threats of fault-tolerant quantum computing. However, critical assets like those in military, banking and government environments also require other layers of security and strategies, such as zero trust and increased encryption bit sizes. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses with his guest, Richard Blech from XSOC, a high-performance symmetric encryption solution that will pro...
Jul 24, 2024•35 min•Ep. 78
August in Vegas brings intense (but dry) heat and the annual Summer Hacker Camp of events. Arguably, the most fun and intriguing of the bunch is DEF CON (August 8-11, 2024), the world’s leading hacking conference, 32 years strong. The show features the third year of the Quantum Village. And for the second year in a row, host Konstantinos Karagiannis will be speaking. Join him for a chat with Mark Carney and Victoria Kumaran to learn how you can get hands-on experience with quantum computing and ...
Jul 10, 2024•38 min•Ep. 79
Error correction typically involves a lot of physical qubits and using them to create one logical qubit. Ratios vary by modality and approach, so getting a single fault-tolerant qubit may take seven to a thousand physical ones. What if there was a way to correct most of the errors that appear on each qubit instead? Scaling up from there would certainly be much easier, getting us to machines that can reliably solve business problems. Join host Konstantinos Karagiannis as he discusses the details ...
Jun 26, 2024•33 min•Ep. 81
When Richard Feynman proposed the idea of a quantum simulator or computer in 1981, he was frustrated by the limitations of classical systems. He logically suggested that if we live in a quantum world, we need a quantum device to simulate all the interactions of particles that make up reality. An excellent example of such a transistor-choking calculation is the quantum many-body problem. Have quantum computers finally cracked it and reached the level of Feynman’s original idea? Can working on suc...
Jun 12, 2024•47 min•Ep. 80
Large language models are … large. Forget Bitcoin and recharging electric vehicles; the grid could be toppled by powering AI in a few years. It would be optimal if AI could run on more underpowered edge devices. What if there was a quantum-inspired way to make LLMs smaller without sacrificing overall performance in combined metrics? We explore a way to do that and other advanced ideas, like selectively removing information from models, in this episode. Join Host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a ch...
May 29, 2024•42 min
The phrase “quantum internet” gets tossed around a lot, usually as a placeholder for something that will fix many nonspecific issues in the future. The core concept of quantum networking is a real thing, though, and is more robust today than you might think. How does it work? How fast is it? And is it really running in the Big Apple? Join Host Konstantinos Karagiannis for a chat with Noel Goddard from Qunnect as they explore all this and potential business use cases. For more on Qunnect, visit w...
May 15, 2024•43 min•Ep. 76
