Activities

At ETH Zurich, QubiTO tackled the challenges set by QuEra and Zurich Instruments. For the QuEra challenge, where we secured third place with an honorable mention, we tackled a counterintuitive question: can a 1-qubit logic gate be harder to implement than a 2-qubit one? Diving into fault-tolerant circuit synthesis, we experienced firsthand the enormous hardware cost of non-Clifford gates, addressing one of the major hurdles for large-scale quantum computing. For the Zurich Instruments challenge, we set ourselves a crucial goal: how quickly and autonomously can a qubit be calibrated? By creating a digital twin of the system, we replaced slow brute-force sweeps with physics-guided spectroscopy and Bayesian estimation algorithms. This approach drastically reduced the required measurements, optimizing QPU machine time and taking a decisive step toward fully automated, human-free operation.

In December, the student team QubiTO traveled to Madrid for the IQM Quantum Hack, a 24-hour quantum computing hackathon. The team tackled two major challenges: Algorithm Resolution (Indra) and Risk Prediction (Santander). For the Indra challenge, QubiTO designed and implemented a modified Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm. This approach allowed the team to efficiently navigate a complex problem space within the strict 24-hour limit, earning them second place. In the Santander track, QubiTO applied quantum concepts to financial modeling, aiming to predict and mitigate risk factors more accurately and efficiently than classical computing methods.

During the hackathon, our team dove into one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing: error correction. We developed a strategy to protect computations from noise, aiming to achieve the highest possible accuracy while working with extremely limited hardware resources. To find the perfect solution, the group tested and compared several algorithms: we started with standard baseline approaches, experimented with advanced mathematical optimization models, and ultimately even built our own custom solution from scratch.

Our team obtained a great result at the GenQ Hackathon, hosted by QAI Ventures at CERN, where we competed in a series of exciting quantum machine learning challenges. We split into two groups to tackle distinct problems: medical image classification and air quality forecasting. Our efforts were rewarded when the medical imaging team secured 2nd Place and brought home the Innovation Award.

Six of our students competed against their brilliant international colleagues at ETH Zurich. Divided into two teams, they tackled the “Portfolio Optimization” challenge presented by QCentroid and the “Gate Parallelization” challenge by QuEra. Upon returning to Turin, they presented their solutions to fellow colleagues, professors, and quantum computing enthusiasts.

Second participation at the Orientation Fair, meeting new students interested in quantum physics.

Celebrating Pi Day with a quantum perspective, exploring the role of π in theoretical physics and quantum mechanics.

Second internal hackathon focused on Quantum Optimization and Quantum Machine Learning, featuring original projects and exploration of new application horizons.

Participation in the international hackathon at the TUM Entrepreneurship Research Institute in Munich.

Second participation at Google DevFestAlps with a new talk, sharing our passion for quantum computing.

Our first international hackathon at ETH Zurich. We worked intensively for 24 hours on various challenges proposed by startups and companies.

During Politecnico’s annual Orientation Fair, we introduced ourselves to curious and quantum-interested prospective students.

Our first major outreach event at Politecnico di Torino in collaboration with BeQuantum. A great success with over 200 attendees in the room.

On stage at Google DevFestAlps at Toolbox Coworking in Turin, we presented our work on Grover’s algorithm and quantum oracles.

The team took on an internal challenge focused on developing Grover’s algorithm. Heterogeneously composed teams worked independently and competed against each other, recreating the authentic spirit of a hackathon.