Q-muse: a Quantum Computer Music System Designed for a Performance for Orchestra, Electronics and Live Internet- Connected Photonic Quantum Computer

Quantum computing is a form of unconventional computation utilizing quantum effects as a fundamental part of its calculations. It has already been used in practical signal encryption in the 2010 Soccer World Cup, and there is competition amongst many governments to build more powerful and practical quantum computers. Although quantum computing is the most widespread and invested in form of unconventional computation, there have been no implementations of artistic systems with live hardware quantum computers. Furthermore there is a vast gap between public understanding of classical digital computing and of quantum computing. Q-Muse is a quantum computer music system design for a specific performance. The Entangled Orchestra is a performance for Orchestra, Electronics and Live Internet-Connected Photonic Quantum Computer. There are many types of quantum computation hardware implementations including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Trapped Ions, and Optical Computing. Q-Muse incorporates the third of these – a system that utilizes wave guides, phase-shifters and beam splitters to compute with entangled photons. The processor is located at University of Bristol in the UK is accessed over the cloud. It can implement a Controlled NOT gate (CNOT) – an essential component in the construction of quantum processors. The CNOT gate is part of a two gate set that can be used to build any type of quantum computing process. The resulting musical performance will provide not only a representation for the quantum processes in the chip, but a proof-of-concept for using hardware quantum computing processors in the computer-aided arts.