Jiuzhang 4.0, China\u2019s latest photonic quantum computer, is staking a claim to quantum supremacy. The photonic supercomputer completed a complex calculation in microseconds, which the world\u2019s fastest supercomputer would take 10^42 years to complete.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Often referred to as the next frontier of computing, quantum computers are being sought to complete calculations that are impossible for classical computers. Scientists hope that quantum computers will help us solve problems like climate change and accelerate drug discovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the core of quantum computing are quantum bits, or qubits, that can store multiple values simultaneously, unlike binary bits that can only be a 0 or a 1. This exponentially increases their ability to carry out complex calculations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the US-led research has focused on the use of superconducting qubits for these computations, China\u2019s Jiuzhang uses a photonic approach, where light particles instead of superconducting qubits are used for computations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is Jiuzhang?\u00a0<\/p>\n
First unveiled in 2020, the Jiuzhang machine was the world\u2019s first photonic system<\/a> to demonstrate the quantum computational advantage. Under the leadership of quantum physicist Pan Jianwei, the machine development has advanced rapidly, with Jiuzhang 4.0 unveiled earlier this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to reports<\/a>, the 4.0 operates with 1,024 squeezed-state inputs across an 8,176-mode interferometric network. The system can manipulate and detect 3,050 photons at once, which is 10 times more than its predecessor.\u00a0<\/p>\n Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), where the Jiuzhang machine is built, tasked the 4.0 machine with completing a Gaussian boson sampling. As per estimates, the El Capitan, the world\u2019s fastest supercomputer in the US, would take 10^42 years to complete this sampling. The Jiuzhang 4.0 completed it in mere microseconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Not just speed, the machine also achieved 92 percent source efficiency and 51 percent overall system efficiency. This is important, since photon loss is a major issue with photonic quantum computers and a major bottleneck in advancing this technology further.\u00a0<\/p>\n Claim to quantum supremacy<\/p>\n