Among the challenges for quantum computers is how to mitigate calculation errors caused by noise, which refers to the breakdown of the quantum state as a result of slight vibrations and changes in temperature. Suguru Endo established the world's first practical method of quantum error mitigation and proved that it is a useful countermeasure for noise in NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) computers.
At present, NISQ computers, which are being developed by companies like Google and IBM, have an extremely large amount of noise, rendering them useless in the real world unless the impact of this noise can be mitigated. Since the time that he started his doctoral program at the University of Oxford, Endo has engaged in research on algorithms for NISQ computers, as well as quantum error mitigation to reduce their calculation errors, and the papers he has written have been cited over 1,400 times.
The concept of quantum error mitigation had been proposed prior to Endo's research. However, it had no practicality due to its limitations, such as only being available for use when there is complete knowledge beforehand that a specified error would occur. Based on the characteristics of incomplete errors that could actually be measured through experimentation, Endo proposed the world's first method that would allow quantum error mitigation to function against unspecified errors and significantly expanded the range of application for quantum error mitigation.
Furthermore, Endo is also researching hybrid quantum/classical algorithms, which are believed to be optimal for NISQ computers, in parallel. At the time that these algorithms were first proposed, their use was limited to tasks such as calculating the ground state of molecules. However, Endo has developed algorithms that enable essential linear algebra operations for property analysis and machine learning, the design of quantum sensors, and simulation of open quantum systems in order to analyze nanodevices. He greatly expanded the potential of NISQ computers.
Endo's activities go beyond the academic world. He has also thrived in his collaborations with industry institutions, such as through his internship with a venture capital firm that develops quantum computers and software and his joint research with Mercari, the major online marketplace. Endo's words that he will "bring the spread of quantum computers across society forward by at least 5 years by conducting research and sharing the results with the world" carry a significant amount of weight.
