Today’s computers, which are based on classical mechanics, process information coded in long streams of 1s and 0s.
Computers have become faster and faster at processing these values over recent decades but a new report, The age of the qubit: A new era of quantum information in science and technology, published today, Thursday 15 September, by the Institute of Physics (IOP) explains how physicists are working towards computers that can deal with more than one value at a time and force a paradigm shift in the speed and power of computers.
Excitement was first stirred in the early 1980s when Richard Feynman, the Nobel-Prize winning American quantum physicist, suggested exploiting quantum interactions to carry information.
The advantage of using quantum interactions is that, once controlled and encoded, the quantum states of electrons and photons are capable of carrying exponentially more information than any system in classical mechanics.
Due to quantum states and the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics, bits of quantum information (qubits) are not just a long line of 1s and 0s being processed one at a time, but rather bundles of 1s and 0s that can be processed all at the same time.
IOP’s report on quantum information processing includes examples of research teams, many of which are based in the UK, who are now grappling with ways to increase the lasting-power (or coherence) of fragile qubits which are known to collapse when they interact with the environment.
While the long-term goal of the first quantum computer is still at least a couple of decades away, the research has spun-off exciting advances in other areas, not least in secure communication.
Quantum cryptography – based on entangled quantum states – was used at the World Cup in South Africa and is being picked up by banks around the world, and other security conscious entities, for the secure sharing of data.
Professor Sir Peter Knight, incoming President of IOP, said, “This booklet is the perfect guide to anyone interested in the future potential of quantum information, the nature of the challenges faced by those working towards a quantum computer, and the contemporary gains we’re already reaping from the research undertaken over the past couple of decades.”
Explore further:
Quantum cryptography: No Signaling and quantum key distribution
ED__269_
not rated yet Sep 15, 2011I tend to agree with most of Edward Wittens latest. his video found at Harvard's website http://www.physic...tten.mov
But with all due respect
@ the definable-space level, Minkowski space time is a contradiction. In the overview, space isnt flat but is still co-dependent with -time. The contradictions arise in scale; and I suspect the underlying reason for the reluctance for gravity inclusion at the local emergent level?
Edward mentions a gauge region; It is the gauge region that is flat spacetime; i.e. we measure coordinates in real space, and the relative change happens in real space!
From discussions in here, it seems to be the consensus that our notion of the fundamental must emerge from the region of the definable;
Gravity is still a fundamental part of that, and I'm reluctant to abandon that even at the local emergent level
ED__269_
not rated yet Sep 15, 2011I tend to agree with most of Edward Wittens latest. his video found at Harvard's website http://www.physic...tten.mov
But with all due respect
@ the definable-space level, Minkowski space time is a contradiction. In the overview, space isnt flat but is still co-dependent with -time. The contradictions arise in scale; and I suspect the underlying reason for the reluctance for gravity inclusion at the local emergent level?
Edward mentions a gauge region; It is the gauge region that is flat spacetime; i.e. we measure coordinates in real space, and the relative change happens in real space!
From discussions in these commentaries, it seems to be the consensus that our notion of the fundamental must emerge from the region of the definable;
Gravity is still a fundamental part of that, and I'm reluctant to abandon that even at the local emergent level.
Callippo
1 / 5 (1) Sep 15, 2011Of course, the quantum computers running at the (near) zero temperature would supersede the classical computers running at room temperature pretty much - but the classical computers would run a way better at these low temperatures as well.
My subjective opinion simply is, the era of quantum computing is sorta hype without significant contribution for consumer electronics.
ED__269_
not rated yet Sep 16, 2011Why would anyone help under those circumstances. Its borderline theft & Plagiarism.
not only does it impacts on my time, family, health, and on my passion to continue helping solve physics; but you rush ideas out their before they have been fully conceived and properly deliberated.
And for the physics professors and community who let this stuff happen, how is that right? Don't we have a code of scholars?
ED__269_
not rated yet Sep 16, 2011and I know you have my email, you managed to get the confinement and gauge data.... so I've always been directly contactable.
JRDarby
not rated yet Sep 16, 2011Callippo
not rated yet Sep 16, 2011