Fire Opal Software
Leading UK Rail Companies and Q-CTRL Use Quantum Software to Increase Train Scheduling Efficiency
Global leader in quantum infrastructure software Q-CTRL has launched a major joint research with the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail. The performance of quantum hardware can be significantly enhanced by quantum software, as this work has shown. This could advance the anticipated date for the practical application of quantum advantage in transport logistics to as early as 2028.
Groundbreaking Results Achieved
An important use case was the study’s main emphasis: Resolving issues with train scheduling and routing. At London Bridge station, a significant rail hub in the UK, it included actual train arrival and departure timings. Researchers saw a 6x increase in the size of solvable problems with the use of Q-CTRL’s optimization software, Fire Opal Software, in comparison to what is possible on quantum technology without the program. The world record for the largest restricted quantum optimization task ever solved is set by this accomplishment.
Furthermore, by arriving at solutions more quickly, the software developed by Q-CTRL dramatically reduced computation costs by more than 2,500 times, outperforming alternative quantum techniques. Using Fire Opal Software and IBM quantum technology, Q-CTRL researchers optimized the routing for 26 trains that passed through the major rail hub over the course of 18 minutes. The timescale for practical quantum applications in the rail sector and other transport and logistics businesses is accelerated by our findings, which show that near-term quantum computing may produce approximation answers more quickly and with higher quality.
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The Role of Fire Opal Software
The Fire Opal Software from Q-CTRL was significantly responsible for this project’s success. By decomposing complicated issues into their classical and quantum components and by improving the performance of the quantum hardware, Fire Opal Software is able to accomplish its goals.
Network Rail’s subject matter expertise was crucial to this project since it assisted in co-designing a problem formulation. This formulation, which is compatible with Fire Opal’s optimization solver, described train scheduling as a periodic event scheduling problem. Because it eliminates the hassle of configuring and running quantum circuits and automates error suppression, this method enables users with expertise in rail scheduling to use quantum software without any prior knowledge of quantum computing.
Using Fire Opal Software to solve problems entails:
- The problem is defined by an end-user.
- Classical methods are used to address the “easy” part of the problem.
- The “hard” part is left to the quantum solver, which uses Fire Opal Software optimization solver to resolve this simplified issue.
- The output of the quantum solver is then transformed into an approachable format, complete with evaluations and solution visualizations that highlight important metrics and any conflicts.
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Fire Opal Benefits
Increased Solvable Problem Size: Compared to what is possible on quantum hardware without Q-CTRL’s software, Fire Opal Software allowed for a six-fold increase in the size of the solved problem. The world record for the largest constrained quantum optimization task ever solved was set by this accomplishment.
Outperformed Alternative Approaches: By arriving at solutions more quickly, Fire Opal’s method outperformed competing quantum approaches and drastically reduced computing costs by more than 2,500x.
Accelerated Practical Quantum Advantage: Fire Opal Software contributes to pushing ahead the anticipated date for a tangible quantum advantage in transport logistics to as early as 2028 by significantly enhancing the performance of quantum hardware.
Enhanced Near-Term Quantum Computing Capabilities: It makes it possible for near-term quantum computing to produce approximations more quickly and with better quality.
Problem Decomposition: By decomposing difficult issues into their classical and quantum components, Fire Opal Software enables success. The “hard” half of a problem is left to the quantum solver, while the “easy” part is resolved using classical techniques.
Hardware Performance Boost: It improves the quantum hardware’s overall performance.
User Accessibility: Fire Opal Software works well with issues that are written as Periodic Event Scheduling issues, which automate error suppression and eliminate the hassle of configuring and running quantum circuits. This makes it possible for end users with no prior knowledge of quantum computing to benefit from quantum software right away, even if they specialize in areas like rail scheduling.
User-Friendly Output: Following the solution, Fire Opal Software transforms the output of the quantum solver into an approachable format, complete with evaluations and solution visualizations that highlight important metrics and any possible conflicts.
Optimization of Real-World Data: Using actual train arrival and departure times at London Bridge station, it was able to optimize the routing for 26 trains over the course of 18 minutes, proving its relevance to real-world situations. According to Network Rail, Fire Opal Software would have been necessary to achieve the best routing feasible on a true quantum device.
Fire Opal Software essentially advances the practical use of quantum computing in sectors like logistics and transportation by making quantum optimization more potent, effective, and accessible.
Industry Perspectives and Future Outlook
Lead Solutions Engineer Niall Moroney of Q-CTRL was optimistic about the influence in the future, saying, “We expect our quantum solver to outperform classical approaches as early as 2028.” “Train scheduling is an especially high-impact use case for quantum optimization because even minor enhancements can result in substantial benefits in terms of sustainability, efficiency, and dependability,” he continued.
Network Rail’s Principal Engineer, Nadia Hoodbhoy, said she was pleasantly surprised to see the optimal routing of 26 trains over 18 minutes of real scheduling data for the full station topology realized on a real quantum device, which wouldn’t have been possible without Q-CTRL’s optimization solver.
Future train services would benefit greatly from this effort, according to Sarah Sharples, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department for Transport. “A difficult but essential element for future rail services is higher-quality and more flexible scheduling,” Sharples said. “Q-CTRL has demonstrated how quantum computing can facilitate and possibly expedite this capability, and their roadmap towards a demonstration of a real-world quantum solver already shows encouraging results.”
Project Funding and Recognition
In February 2024, Q-CTRL obtained financing for this research through the Quantum Catalyst Fund Competition of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). The purpose of this competition, which is supported by Innovate UK and the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), is to investigate the advantages of quantum technology in key sectors for the UK government. Out of the 30 initial participants, Q-CTRL was one of six businesses to move on to the project’s second phase, which opened up access to more funds.
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