Title: Practical Quantum Computing: The Status Quo
Abstract: While quantum computing is showing strong promise, there is dismay about its current practical capabilities. After giving a quick introduction to quantum computing, this talk aims to highlight existing promising approaches in quantum computing that are starting to demonstrate a quantum advantage. We start with the quantum principle and variational circuits. We will discuss their utility in solving the ground-level energy that is used in many applications in computational chemistry, as well as their use in quantum neural networks. We then move into quantum optimisation using adiabatic quantum annealing, and the newly more promising counterdiabatic quantum computing. We then move into provably secure quantum communication. We conclude with quantum ghost imaging, showing how picturing an object without seeing it results in better quality!
Biography: Prof. Ahmed El-Mahdy is the dean of the ITCS school. He joined NU in February 2023. He got his BSc and MSc from Alexandria University and PhD from Manchester University, UK. Coming from a computing systems background, Prof El-Mahdy is now exploring making quantum computing usable in practice. His group is exploring Quantum-AI, dealing with quantum noise, developing ‘self-healing’ quantum memories, and doing practical quantum communications. He collaborates strongly with Waseda University Japan, UAEU, Emirates, and E-JUST, Egypt. Upon his undergraduate graduation, he achieved the best student award from the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University. He was also awarded the prestigious IBM faculty award for his work on the Cell processor. He has also won first prize in the Middle East in the MIT Arab Start-up Competition; he had a distinguished promotion to full professor from the Supreme Council of Universities. He was awarded the Tariq Abd El-Wareth Award for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation Pillar from Nile University. He has many issued US patents and publications. He is currently a member of the organization committee of the IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering, responsible for publicity for the Middle East and Africa.