Scientists are one step closer to building 'quantum' computers that are said to be more powerful than today's most advanced supercomputers and could change our lives.
Quantum computers use the unusual properties of atomic particles.
These quantum particles can exist in two different places at the same time and can surprisingly communicate with each other despite the distance of millions of miles, meaning that what one is doing can be done by the other at the same time.
A team at the University of Sussex has exchanged quantum information between two computer chips at record speed and accuracy.
Computer scientists have been trying to build an efficient quantum computer for more than 20 years. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft have built simple machines. But Professor Winfried Hensinger, head of research at the University of Sussex, says the new development paves the way for systems that can solve real-life problems that even today's best computers are unable to do.
"Quantum computers that exist now are very simple," he says. "What we have achieved will enable us to build quantum computers that will solve the most pressing problems of industry and society."
Today's computers solve problems simply, one calculation at a time.
In the quantum world, particles can exist in two places at the same time, and researchers want to use this feature to build computers that can solve multiple calculations or problems at the same time.
Quantum particles can surprisingly communicate with each other and copy each other's actions, even if they are millions of miles away at the same time. And this feature can be used to build powerful computers.
A major hurdle so far has been transferring quantum information between two chips quickly and accurately, as doing so often results in degraded information quality and errors.
This recent study, published in the journal Nature Communications, appears to have overcome this hurdle by Professor Hensinger's team.
The team has created a system that can transfer information between two chips at record speeds and with 99.999993 percent accuracy.
The director of National Quantum Computing, a new organization set up in Oxfordshire, has described the new research by the Sussex Research Group as an important step forward in the world of computing. But they also say that more work is needed before such a system can be put into practice.
Sahira Kalmia, a Ph.D. student who participated in the Sussex experiment, says the team is ready to take the technology to the next level.
This is not just a problem of physics anymore. It is a problem of engineering, computer science, and maths.
"It's hard to say how close we are to realizing the dream of quantum computing, but I'm optimistic that it will be effective in our daily lives," she says.
Rolls-Royce, the leading British engineering firm, is also optimistic about this technology. The institute is working with the Sussex team to help develop better aircraft engines.
Tests are carried out in simulators made possible by the use of powerful supercomputers to test the durability of new aircraft engine designs against the wind direction.
Innovation in Engineering
Dr. Lee Lipworth, who works on quantum computing at Rolls-Royce, says that a quantum computer can provide more accurate and faster wind direction information.
"A quantum computer can do calculations that we can't do now, and some that now take months or years. If it is possible to do this in days, it will lead to innovation in our design system and make better engines.
With the help of this technology, it is possible to test chemical reactions and make drugs in a short time, which is difficult even for today's supercomputers. Quantum computers will enable systems to be built that will be able to predict the weather more accurately and predict the effects of climate change.
Professor Hensinger says he first came up with the idea of building a quantum computer 20 years ago.
People used to say that it is impossible to do this. And when people say that, I want to do it even more. So I've spent the last 20 years breaking down the barriers one by one and now we're at a stage where we can practically build a quantum computer."
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