A record-breaking milestone has been reached in quantum computing, which could mean unimaginably fast processing is now a realistic prospect.
Scientists at Sussex University have managed to transfer data between chips at record speed and, more importantly, with record accuracy.
“What we have achieved here is the ability to realize extremely powerful quantum computers capable of solving some of the most important problems facing industry and society,” said lead researcher Prof Winfried Hensinger.
speed and accuracy
Quantum computing relies on some of the principles of quantum psychology, namely that subatomic particles can be in two places at once and mirror each other’s actions across unfathomable distances almost simultaneously.
These properties mean that computers could potentially handle multiple processes at speeds not possible even with today’s best computers. They have been in development for over two decades, but so far only small systems of limited use are currently operational. Big tech companies like IBM, Google and Microsoft have some of their own machines.
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One of the biggest obstacles to the development of the technology has been the ability to transfer information between chips so that they remain intact. In order for quantum computers to work, they are highly sensitive and therefore have low fault tolerance. This means that the smallest disturbances can disrupt their effective operation.
But publication of the results in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, the research team at Sussex University (opens in new tab) demonstrated a way to transfer information between quantum chips with a reliability of 99.999993%, the connection rate was 2424/s.
Both set world records, the researchers say, and show it’s possible to stitch quantum chips together to build more powerful quantum computers.
The director of the National Quantum Computing Centre, Prof. Michael Cuthbert, commented on the results:
“To build the kind of quantum computer you’ll need in the future, start by connecting chips the size of your thumbnail until you get something the size of a dinner plate. The Sussex group has shown that they can have the stability and speed to take this step.”
However, he added: “You need a mechanism to connect these plates together to scale up a machine that might be the size of a football field to do realistic and useful calculations and the technology for communication is at that scale.” it’s not available yet.”
If quantum computing becomes practical, it could mean big things for all kinds of industries. This could lead to new discoveries in science as they can perform calculations that neither humans nor current computers can do.
Significant improvements in AI are also possible with quantum computers. Currently, it can take months to train an AI model to become effective. Quantum computers do not have to rely on the linear binary of standard computers, where information is processed as either 1 or 0, and can store two states of information at once, greatly speeding up their operation.
As a matter of fact, IBM has already presented a mathematical proof (opens in new tab) that quantum machine learning is exponentially faster than standard methods of ML as long as “one can provide the algorithm with classical data in the form of quantum states”. While still theoretical at this point, the future for AI and quantum computing looks bright if it can be applied.
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