Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

First quantum computers need smart software

Early devices must solve real-world problems, urge Will Zeng and colleagues.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Mohseni, M. et al. Nature 543, 171–174 (2017).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Smith, R. S., Curtis, M. J. & Zeng, W. J. Preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.03355 (2016).

  3. Rubin, N. Preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/1610.06910 (2016).

  4. Farhi, E., Goldstone, J. & Gutmann, S. Preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/1411.4028 (2014).

  5. Kandala, A. et al. Preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/1704.05018 (2017).

  6. O'Malley, P. J. J. et al. Phys. Rev. X 6, 031007 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hayes, B. Am. Sci. 102, 22–25 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cross, A. W., Bishop, L. S., Smolin, J. A. & Gambetta, J. M. Preprint at http://arxiv.org/abs/1707.03429 (2017).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chad Rigetti.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors are employees of Rigetti Computing, which offers quantum accelerated computing services.

Additional information

Tweet Follow @NatureNews

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

How quantum trickery can scramble cause and effect 2017-Jun-28

Commercialize quantum technologies in five years 2017-Mar-03

Physics: Unite to build a quantum Internet 2016-Apr-12

Technology: Use or lose our navigation skills 2016-Mar-30

Nature Insight: Quantum software

Related external links

Rigetti Computing

Wired: Rigetti’s quantum-computer factory

Scientific American: Making quantum computing more accessible

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zeng, W., Johnson, B., Smith, R. et al. First quantum computers need smart software. Nature 549, 149–151 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/549149a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/549149a

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing