The quantum breakthrough that could revolutionize computing

As of today (February 10, 2023) scientists have advanced the field of computers one step further and are hopeful that they have made the "impossible" feasible.

Other scientists told Winfried Hensinger 20 years ago that creating a powerful quantum computer was impossible. Now he has made up a system in his head that he is sure will disprove their claims.

Scientists made progress towards creating multitasking "quantum" computers, which are more powerful than today's state-of-the-art supercomputers. Quantum computers use the peculiar characteristics of subatomic particles.

Wales's eccentric monarchy, which began as the desperate idea of a used bookstore owner.

Quantum particles, as they are known, may be in two locations at once and curiously related, even if those sites are separated by millions of kilometres. The University of Sussex team set a new record for the speed and precision with which they transported quantum data across processors in a computer. It has taken the computing community almost 20 years to attempt to develop a practical quantum computer. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft created basic machinery.

By linking two devices together, the researchers were able to send an unprecedented volume of quantum information at an unparalleled rate of dependability.

However, the study's lead investigator, Professor Winfried Hensinger of the University of Sussex, claims that the new development paves the way for systems that can solve complex real-world problems that even the most advanced computers of today can't.

He illustrates that modern quantum computers can be built from very inexpensive microchips. In addition, he says, "What we have achieved here is the ability to realise powerful quantum computers capable of solving some of the most important problems for industries and society."

Rolls-Royce is funding quantum computing study to see if they can speed up the design process for its aircraft engines.

At the same time, in two locations Problems are often solved by computers nowadays in a linear fashion, one computation at a time. Researches aim to take use of the fact that, in the quantum world, particles may be in two locations at once in order to create supercomputers.

Strangely, quantum particles may be separated by millions of kilometres while yet being linked and reflecting one other's activities immediately. Once again, this could be used to create more robust computer systems.

The performance of quantum computer chips may be severely degraded by even the smallest amount of contamination, hence they must be installed in a clean environment and sealed in a vacuum container.

The necessity for rapid and reliable transmission of quantum information across chips was an issue because of the inherent degradation and error-introduction that occurs during such transfers. However, a breakthrough was made by Professor Hensinger's group and published in Nature Communications that may have cleared that roadblock.

The group developed a method for sending data from one chip to another at lightning speeds while maintaining a dependability of 99.999993%. The researchers say their findings prove that the chips might, in theory, be combined to make a more powerful quantum computer.

As the team of scientists checks out their quantum computer, they can see atoms floating on their chips.

Independent of the Sussex research team, Professor Michael Cuthbert, director of the newly established National Quantum Computing Centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire, hailed the development as "a really important step." He did, however, stress the need of keeping up the effort to create useful systems.

If you want to make the type of quantum computer that will be necessary in the future, you have to start by connecting chips the size of your thumb nail until you obtain something the size of a plate. The Sussex team has shown that it is possible to achieve the required level of stability and velocity.

However, "a mechanism is then required to connect these dishes and scale a machine, potentially as big as a football pitch," in order to carry out realistic and useful calculations, and the communications technology for that scale is not yet available.

Doctoral candidate and leader of the Sussex experiment Sahra Kulmiya expressed confidence in the group's ability to advance the technology. "It's become more than just a physics issue."

It's a mathematical problem, a computer science issue, and an engineering challenge. It's tough to put a date on the practical use of quantum computing, but I'm hopeful that it will eventually become so.

Despite being separated by millions of kilometres, quantum computers are able to take use of two peculiar characteristics of subatomic particles: their ability to exist simultaneously in two different locations and their unique connection to one another.

Rolls-Royce, one of the major engineering firms in the United Kingdom, is likewise hopeful about this development. Working with scientists at Sussex, he is helping to create tools that will improve the efficiency of jet engine design. Supercomputers are used to simulate airflow in order to evaluate the performance of new aviation engine designs.

Mechanical engineering's metamorphosis Quantum computers, according to Professor Leigh Lapworth, who is directing the development of quantum computing at Rolls-Royce, could theoretically track air movement with much higher accuracy and speed. Quantum computers have the potential to do computations that are now impossible or would take months or years for conventional computers to complete. If they could be produced in a matter of days, it would completely revolutionise our design processes, leading to superior engines.

The method might also be used to speed up the process of drug discovery by properly modelling chemical interactions, a computation now beyond the capabilities of even the most advanced supercomputers. They may also be able to improve weather forecasting and climate change projections.

Professor Hensinger says he first got the notion for a quantum computer over 20 years ago. Some would scoff and say, "That's impossible!" I really like taking on challenges when others have told me it's impossible to succeed. So, I've spent the previous 20 years chipping away at the obstacles until we've reached a place where a workable quantum computer can be constructed.