Quantum in the Cloud: Application Potentials and Research Opportunities

Quantum computers are becoming real, and they have the inherent potential to significantly impact many application domains. We sketch the basics about programming quantum computers, showing that quantum programs are typically hybrid consisting of a mixture of classical parts and quantum parts. With the advent of quantum computers in the cloud, the cloud is a fine environment for performing quantum programs. The tool chain available for creating and running such programs is sketched. As an exemplary problem we discuss efforts to implement quantum programs that are hardware independent. A use case from machine learning is outlined. Finally, a collaborative platform for solving problems with quantum computers that is currently under construction is presented.