Quantum computing: discover the technology that will revolutionize the future

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The benefits of today's computing, no matter how advanced it is, will never be enough to overcome some challenges. There are certain problems of such complexity that they demand a new level of computational power to solve them. Quantum computing is responsible for delivering this new level.


In classical computing, computers work with the binary marketing with stockholder database system in which all quantities are represented based on two numbers: zero and one . Like a coin toss, there are only two options.

Now, imagine a computer that can use a more fluid non-binary identity .

Instead of just zero and one, think of a computer that runs on a superposition, or a combination of zero and one. Instead of bits, there are qubits, which can be either zeros or ones, until they are processed. So the possibilities are endless.

What could a computer with so many processing capabilities do? It could, for example, spur the development of new advances in science, with machine learning methods to diagnose diseases earlier, or even provide unbreakable code where hackers can't copy a private key.

The computer described above already exists and there are several institutions that are taking advantage of its immense potential. Known as a quantum computer, it was developed by IBM .

In an industry-first initiative to bring quantum computers from the lab to the real world, Q System One, the world’s first integrated universal quantum computing system designed for scientific and commercial use, has been launched.

And this promises to be one of the most impressive developments we'll see in the tech market .

How quantum computing works
IBM's first commercial quantum computer: Q System One
What are the benefits of quantum computing?
How quantum computing works
In a talk on quantum computing, Shohini Ghose, professor of astrophysics at Wilfrid Laurier University, gave a clear example of how powerful quantum computing can be for our lives. The comparison she made? It will be like evolving from candles to lamps.

“ Quantum physics describes the behavior of atoms and fundamental particles, such as electrons and photons. A quantum computer operates by controlling the behavior of these particles, but in a totally different way to more common computers . It is not just a more powerful version of our current computers, just as a lamp is not a more powerful candle ,” explains Shohini Ghose.

“ You can’t make a lamp by making ever better candles. A lamp is a different technology, based on deeper scientific knowledge. Similarly, a quantum computer is a new kind of device, based on the science of quantum physics. Just as the lamp transformed society, quantum computers have the potential to impact countless aspects of our lives, including our security needs, our healthcare, and even the Internet .”

The benefits of today's computing, no matter how advanced, will never be enough to overcome some challenges. There are certain problems of such complexity that they demand a new level of computational power to solve them. Quantum computing is responsible for delivering this new level .

All computing systems rely on a fundamental ability to store and manipulate information. Currently, computers manipulate individual bits, which store information as 0s and 1s. Quantum computers, on the other hand, take advantage of quantum mechanical phenomena to manipulate information . To do this, they rely on quantum bits, or qubits.

Qubits are usually superconducting electrons or other types of subatomic particles. There are a few ways to create them. One of these methods uses superconductivity to create and maintain a quantum state.

Managing qubits is a major scientific and engineering challenge. Superconducting qubits require temperatures close to absolute zero, as any heat can cause errors in the system. IBM, for example, relies on multiple layers of superconducting circuits in a controlled environment cooled to near absolute zero.

IBM's first commercial quantum computer: Q System One
In a recent interview , Jeff Welser, vice president and lab director at IBM Research, highlighted that quantum computers will work in conjunction with the computers we use today.

"Quantum computers and classical computers will work together in the future. Quantum processors need to be kept close to absolute zero to function, and we need classical computers to interact with quantum systems: sending signals to the processors, interpreting the results of these signals, etc."

“What we can imagine is classical computers taking advantage of quantum computers for tasks that are too difficult or intractable for them, such as molecular simulation. This is how quantum computers provide a “quantum advantage” for certain tasks ,” he added.

What are the benefits of quantum computing?
Even in its early stages, quantum computing has already sparked several predictions about the impact it will have on our lives. Some consider it still too early to make realistic analyses. After all, smartphones are the most present devices in our daily lives today, but they were rarely used until the beginning of this century.

However, several benefits of quantum computers have already been identified. Increased data security is one of them .

As Shohini Ghose pointed out, “ quantum uncertainty could be used to create private keys to encrypt messages sent from one place to another so that hackers can’t copy the private keys. They would have to break the laws of quantum physics to “hack” it.” Banks and other financial institutions are already testing this “uncrackable encryption . ”

There is still great anticipation about how quantum computing could revolutionize drug production. Currently, accurately describing and calculating all the quantum properties of all the atoms in the molecule is a difficult task even for supercomputers.

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A third point is the teleportation of information from one place to another without physically transmitting it. How is that possible?

The fluid identities of quantum particles can be trapped in space/time in such a way that when we change something in one particle, it can affect the other, and this creates a channel for teleportation.

Inside Quantum Technology pointed out which sectors are likely to receive more investment in quantum computing in the coming years.

In pursuit of quantum computing development, IBM is allowing anyone to access Q System One via the cloud . “We are in a rapidly evolving stage of quantum computing. It makes much more sense to put them in the cloud so we can maintain, update and scale them in our cloud data centers ,” said Jeff Welser.

Besides IBM, NASA and Google are two other big companies that have invested in quantum computing. It is still too early to say how this technology will change our lives, but we can say that things that seemed too futuristic are already close to becoming reality. And today, IBM is at the forefront of this revolution.

While we await the next steps in quantum computing, we can already map out what the technology purchasing process looks like .