Quantum computers can handle a vastly greater number of computations at once in a fraction of the time. They are elaborate and expensive, and typically only big corporations have them.

But the team of computer science graduate students came up with an algorithm for distributing large quantum computations across multiple smaller machines—quantum computers as well as traditional computers—that each handle a piece of the problem. Collectively, they achieve the same result as the bigger computer while using a bare fraction of the resources.

The team authored two academic papers last year describing the algorithm, which could expand public access to quantum computing beyond the corporations that can afford the expensive hardware that’s required for quantum machines.

Quantum Entrepreneurs

The NSF program provides the students with entrepreneurship training as well as interviews with potential customers for their invention. And the students are finding strong interest in the potentially game-changing technology. “There is a promising future” in business applications for quantum computing, said doctoral student Shuwen Kan, the lead researcher. “People are trying to commercialize it in all aspects, in all industries.”

She and her fellow students have talked to people who work in finance, technology, and the biomedical field, as well as someone from one of the ride-sharing companies, about how they might use the new algorithm.

One lesson she’s learned from the NSF training, Kan said, is to “try to avoid being technical” when talking to potential customers. That’s not always easy.

How Do Quantum Computers Work?

Quantum computers are an entirely new kind of computer: Unlike the ones we use every day, which read data in tiny streams of bits and bytes, they’re set up to harness the quantum states of electrons, which can exist in multiple places simultaneously. That means quantum computers can handle far more computing tasks at the same time, compared with current computers, and potentially save energy as well.

Quantum computers hold “immense” potential for addressing society’s problems—for instance, providing much more precise models of climate change by harnessing an exponentially greater amount of data, said Ying Mao, Ph.D., the computer science professor who mentored the students’ research. They could also slash the amount of energy needed for the burgeoning growth of data centers and the power-hungry process of artificial intelligence, he said.

But for now, the larger-scale quantum computers that could bring such benefits are in their infancy. They are not only costly but also require lots of power to correct errors and cool the components to extreme temperatures, Mao said. The students’ discovery would allow for quantum computing that requires far less energy.

Democratizing Quantum Computing

The students published an earlier version of their algorithm in May, and a more advanced version they announced in December is undergoing peer review. When implemented, it would allow a large quantum computing problem to be run from a computer “anywhere in the world,” as long as it’s connected to other machines online, Kan said. “I think it will help to democratize the distribution of [quantum] computing,” she said.

‘A ChatGPT Moment’

Kan and four fellow students—Zefan Du, Yanni Li, Yin Su, and Luisa Rosa—are taking part in the NSF program, calling their team Ascend Quantum. They eventually plan to offer the basic algorithm for free online, and they’re working with the Fordham Foundry to develop a business that will adapt the algorithm to particular companies’ needs.

Kan likened the current state of quantum computing to that of artificial intelligence before ChatGPT showed people how it could affect everyday life.

“People in the quantum community believe there will be a ‘ChatGPT moment’ for quantum,” she said.

Among the books that she penned before retiring in 1986 were The Ghanaian Factory Worker: Industrial Man in Africa (Cambridge University Press, 1972) and Cities and Suburbs: Urban Life in West Africa (Africana Publishing, 1981).

Her legacy also includes a bequest for her alma mater that will be used to establish a new distinguished chair in African and African American Studies.

The Margaret Peil Distinguished Chair will be open to scholars of any field—such as political science, history, cultural studies, literature, or sociology—who are devoted to the area of African and African American Studies, said Eva Badowska, Ph.D., dean of the faculty of arts and sciences and associate vice president for arts and sciences. Peil’s generosity will help the University strengthen its commitment to the work of anti-racism, she said.

“It’s about making visible the University’s commitment to developing leaders in social justice, of which racial justice is an extremely prominent part. It’s very urgent and timely,” she said.

The chair is unique both because of the source of its funding and what the University hopes its holder will achieve. Peil was a native of Racine, Wisconsin, who was described in her obituary as a devout Catholic who attended Mass every day. In her lifetime, she visited well over 100 countries, from Bhutan to New Zealand, and she was so enamored with Africa that she tended a lush garden shaped like the continent that she opened up to the public for 20 years.

Amir Idris, Ph.D., who has served as chair of Fordham’s Department of African and African American Studies for the past eight years, said he likewise hoped the holder of the chair would embrace a global perspective on helping advance the cause of African and African American Studies around the world.

“I expect the person who will be hired will not only produce his or her own research and create research initiatives in the University, but also play a leadership role as well,” he said.

“We are living in a transformative movement, and we need transformative actions. I think it’s a good step in the right direction,” he said, noting that he looks forward to beginning “the hard work of translating the endowed chair into reality to fulfill our mission and the mission of the University.”

Badowska echoed the sentiment. Rather than focus on the specific trajectory of intellectual academic inquiry in a narrow field, she said she hopes the recipient would aim to have a grander, institutional impact.

“This is an opportunity to build on Dr. Peil’s vision in support of the University’s mission to form future citizens while emphasizing the anti-racism and social justice commitments that are at the heart of the institution’s formation of its students,” she said.