Dr. Pascal Elahi, Pawsey Supercomputing Centre
In this theCUBE Research segment, Paul Gillin of theCUBE Research interviews Dr Pascal Elahi of Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre, the quantum lead for Setonix‑Q. Elahi outlines Setonix‑Q's mission to integrate quantum technologies with the Cray supercomputer and Pawsey's high-performance computing environment, referred to as HPC, describes the deployment of a room-temperature diamond quantum system from Quantum Brilliance and explains hybrid quantum-classical workflows and national efforts to democratize access to quantum resources in Australia. They highlight applications in jet engine design, machine learning and large-scale simulation. Elahi emphasizes that quantum systems complement rather than replace classical high-performance computing and that hybrid quantum-classical workflows are essential for tackling intractable optimization and certain machine learning challenges. They stress democratizing access through Setonix‑Q, validating noisy intermediate-scale devices and using Pawsey's supercomputing resources to simulate test and co-design quantum algorithms with domain researchers. The discussion also covers implications for artificial intelligence, AI and outlines factors to consider for co-design, validation and deployment across scientific domains.