Enterprise quantum software company Zapata Computing has partnered with the University of Hull in England, which is working on this to detect traces of life in deep space. The partnership will support Zapata’s quantum workflow platform, Orquestra, in the development of highly accurate astrophysical models and applications, and support research.
Professor of Molecular Physics and Astrochemistry at the University of Hull. “Although quantum computers are still an emerging technology and do not yet outperform classical hardware, Zapata has managed to generate valuable information from the Noisy Intermediate Quantum (NISQ) devices currently available,” says David Benoit.
Increasing model precision
Leveraging Zapata’s quantum expertise, the researchers will use quantum models prepared by MIT researchers in 2016 to probe 14,000 molecules thought to indicate traces of life.
University of Hull researchers aim to build a database of detectable biological signatures of these molecules using new computational models of molecular rotations and vibrations. However, little is currently known about how these molecules vibrate and rotate in response to infrared radiation produced by nearby stars.
To detect these molecules, researchers need to build highly accurate models based on highly accurate calculations, known as one of the best in quantum computing.
“The research by Dr. Benoit and colleagues has the potential to redefine our place in the universe, and we think Orquestra will have a supporting role,” says Christopher Savoie, CEO of Zapata Computing.
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