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Quantum computing is getting a lot of attention these days, and many people are excited about the fact that once it is fully operational, it will allow the solving of calculations much faster. So fast that computations that would today take decades could be done in just hours or days.
While a lot of work still needs to be done to get standard quantum computing out into the mainstream, researchers at the University of Oxford are already working on the next major advancement. Quantum supercomputers.
Quantum supercomputers would work by combining many quantum processors together to amplify their power. To make this even more impressive, the researchers are using something called quantum teleportation in order to make it possible for systems that are not built together to operate as one.
For this test, they linked two quantum processors together. They were only 6.5 feet apart, but the concept could work at much greater distances. They used a method called photonic network interface, which was analyzed and explained in a paper they published in the journal Nature.
In addition to making extraordinarily fast computers, a quantum supercomputer would also be far more secure than traditional options, which will be important in the future when everyone has a quantum computer.
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The team was led by Dougal Main, who is an Oxford University Physics graduate student. He explained how this works in a statement, saying:
“In our study, we use quantum teleportation to create interactions between these distant systems. By carefully tailoring these interactions, we can perform logical quantum gates — the fundamental operations of quantum computing — between qubits housed in separate quantum computers.” He went on, “This breakthrough enables us to effectively ‘wire together’ distinct quantum processors into a single, fully connected quantum computer.”
They hope that they will be able to use light rather than electrical systems to send and receive the data. This will help them to overcome various engineering challenges that exist due to the fact that it is hard to keep electrical signals in a stable quantum state. Main went on to say:
“By interconnecting the modules using photonic links, the system gains valuable flexibility, allowing modules to be upgraded or swapped out without disrupting the entire architecture.”
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The test performed for the study helps to prove that this is possible using today’s technology. Most cutting-edge computer scientists understand that scaling up quantum computing will be very difficult and may require advancements in physics to be successful. So, using the concept of supercomputers shown in this study, engineers should be able to dramatically increase the speed and security of a system while using only technology that is available today.
This would likely serve as a bridge between the current limits of quantum computing and those that may be possible when (or if) new physics is discovered that would allow them to maintain stable quantum states more effectively.
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