Quantum computers could one day provide breakthroughs in many disciplines, including materials and drug discovery, the optimization of complex systems, and artificial intelligence. But to realize those breakthroughs, and to make quantum computers widely useable and accessible, we need to reimagine information processing and the machines that do it.
We experience the benefits of classical computing every day. Today’s computers help and entertain us, connect us with people all over the world, and allow us to process huge amounts of data to solve problems and manage complex systems.
However, there are problems that today’s systems will never be able to solve. For challenges above a certain size and complexity, we don’t have enough computational power on Earth to tackle them. To stand a chance at solving some of these complex problems, we need a new kind of computing: one whose computational power also scales exponentially as the system size grows.
Google, IBM and a handful of startups are racing to create the next generation of supercomputers. Quantum computers, if they ever get started, will help us solve problems, like modeling complex chemical processes, that our existing computers can't even scratch the surface of.
But the quantum future isn't going to come easily, and there's no knowing what it'll look like when it does arrive. At the moment, companies and researchers are using a handful of different approaches to try and build the most powerful computers the world has ever seen. Here's everything you need to know about the coming quantum revolution.
How do quantum computers work?
In quantum computing, a qubit (short for the quantum bit) is a unit of quantum information—similar to a classical bit. Where classical bits hold a single binary value such as a 0 or 1, a qubit can hold both values at the same time in what's known as a superposition state. When multiple qubits act coherently, they can process multiple options simultaneously. This allows them to process information in a fraction of the time it would take even the fastest nonquantum systems.
The benefits of quantum computing
Where current computers would require tens of billions of years to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems, a quantum computer would be able to find a solution in only minutes, hours, or days. Quantum computing will enable researchers to simulate and develop new catalysts and materials, improve medicines, accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, and even answer fundamental questions about the origins of our universe.
Scalability in quantum computing
Qubits are highly fragile, and any outside disturbance can cause the quantum state to collapse. With this common challenge, the best way to scale a quantum computer is by using a more stable type of qubit—one with more resistance to disturbances. A topological qubit provides this stability, storing information much like a knot on a string. Regardless of what happens to the string, the knot remains. Quantum computers with topological qubits will have a more solid foundation and the ability to scale at a much higher rate.
References:
0 comments:
Post a Comment