Origin Wukong, China’s independently developed series of superconducting quantum computers, has completed more than 1 million computing tasks, according to a statement from the Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Computing Chips and the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center in Hefei. The milestone is special as it also demonstrates the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) protection framework, which will be a must for quantum computers of the future.
As quantum computers move from the laboratory to real-world applications, there is a major fear of their impact on encryption systems. It is well known that quantum computers can rapidly solve computations that the fastest supercomputers might take decades to complete.
Modern-day encryption systems have relied on mathematical problems that are difficult for classical computers to compute quickly. However, the arrival of commercial quantum computers will crash encryption protections if they are not upgraded. This is why PQC protection frameworks need to be rapidly developed and deployed before quantum computing becomes mainstream.
Powered by superconducting qubits, the Origin Wukong has been operational for over two years and has received more than 49 million visits from over 192 countries globally. During this time, it has completed over 1 million quantum computing tasks. While doing so, it has also demonstrated the effectiveness of its safety infrastructure.
Back in April 2024, Origin Wukong integrated Origin Rock, China’s first PQC protection framework. A software cryptographic model, it was China’s first attempt to build an anti-quantum-attack shield that can resist attacks from both quantum and classical computers.
According to the statement, Origin Rock is an early-stage ‘spear and shield’ model that combines strong quantum computing services with defensive security measures, creating a quantum computing service system capable of performing both tasks.
China has also deployed this PQC protection framework at other enterprises and public institutions in the country.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has previously estimated that quantum computers could disrupt existing cryptographic systems within the next 5-10 years. However, the US National Security Agency has urged federal agencies to switch to PQC as early as possible, as it has become an operational requirement and is not something that can be decided in the future.
Earlier this year, the NIST announced that nine candidates had qualified for the third round of evaluation for post-quantum digital signature algorithms. It has also previously approved three PQC cryptographic standards.
China is reportedly working to develop its own national standards for PQC within the next three years, and lessons from Origin Wukong will play a major role in shaping them. “I personally think that the next three-to-five-year period is potentially one of explosive growth for post-quantum cryptography industry migration,” said Wang Xiaoyun, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Institute for Advanced Study.
Origin Wukong will also help advance scalable programmable computing, the researchers associated with the project told Global Times. It is one of the areas where the Chinese government is expected to nurture future industries alongside embodied artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, energy, and 6G technologies, the annual Government Work Report said.
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Ameya is a science writer based in Hyderabad, India. A Molecular Biologist at heart, he traded the micropipette to write about science during the pandemic and does not want to go back. He likes to write about genetics, microbes, technology, and public policy.
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