Quantum Computing : The Future

One day, as I was contemplating the possibilities of computing on a beautiful day, I began to wonder if it was possible to use both 0 and 1 bits simultaneously to speed up computation. I was already familiar with DNA storage, which uses adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) to store data in a compact space, albeit at a higher cost. So, I began to ponder if there was a way to harness the power of both bits at once to make computing faster

That’s when I discovered the incredible world of quantum computing. The concept of quantum computing is absolutely fascinating, and how it revolutionize the way we perform calculations. By utilizing qubits, which can exist in both states simultaneously.

Let’s understand what Quantum Computing is…

Quantum computing is a new and rapidly developing field that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems too complex for classical computers. Unlike classical computers, which operate on bits that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers operate on quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in both states simultaneously. This property, known as superposition, allows quantum computers to perform certain computations much faster than classical computers. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at quantum computing and its potential applications (We will be discuss on IBM qubits later in this article).

What is Quantum Computing?

Quantum computing is a computing paradigm that uses quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform computations. Quantum computers operate on qubits, which can exist in both states simultaneously, allowing them to perform multiple computations at the same time. This property, known as quantum parallelism, allows quantum computers to perform certain computations much faster than classical computers.

Quantum computers are still in the developing stage, and there are many technical challenges that need to be overcome before they can be made perfect for applications. However, there has been significant progress in recent years, with several companies, including IBM, Google, and Microsoft, investing in quantum computing research.

History of Quantum Computing

Now, let’s see some historical facts on Quantum Computing.

The history of quantum computing dates back to the early 1980s when the physicist Paul Benioff proposed a theoretical model of a quantum mechanical computer. Benioff’s model laid the foundation for quantum computing and set the stage for further research and development.

In 1985, David Deutsch, a physicist at the University of Oxford, proposed the first universal quantum computer. Deutsch’s model used a combination of quantum logic gates and qubits to perform computations, and it sparked interest in the field of quantum computing.

The early 1990s saw the first experimental demonstrations of quantum computing, with the building of small-scale quantum computers using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. In 1994, Peter Shor, a mathematician at AT&T Bell Laboratories, proposed a quantum algorithm for factoring large numbers that would allow quantum computers to crack public key encryption codes. This was a significant breakthrough in the field, as it demonstrated the potential of quantum computing to solve problems that classical computers could not.

In the late 1990s, several other quantum algorithms were discovered, including Grover’s algorithm for database search and Simon’s algorithm for finding periodicities in data. These algorithms further demonstrated the potential of quantum computing and motivated researchers to continue developing larger and more powerful quantum computers.

In 2001, a team led by Isaac Chuang and Neil Gershenfeld at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) built the first scalable quantum computer using liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. Since then, researchers have made significant progress in developing more advanced quantum computers using a variety of technologies, including superconducting circuits, ion traps, and photonics.

Today, quantum computing is a rapidly growing field with research efforts and investments from both academia and industry.

Need of Quantum Computers

Scientists and engineers turn to supercomputers when they encounter difficult problems. This type of computer has thousands of CPU and GPU cores, but it does not provide a complete solution to the problem.

It’s likely to be possible that a supercomputer will get stumped if it’s asked a to solve a problem of high complexity. When classical computers fail, it’s often because of high complexity.

It is a complex problem to model the behavior of individual atom in a molecule, since each electron interacts with the others in different ways.

Applications

Mercedes-Benz is exploring quantum computing

ExxonMobil is exploring quantum computing to tackle complex energy challenges

CERN in partnership with IBM Quantum is researching how to explain cosmic mysteries.

Qubits

We are more familiar with the term bit that is 0 and 1 as a fundamental unit of data. In Quantum Computers the fundamental unit is called a quantum bit or qubit.

The basic idea of qubit is to carry information in same way the nature carries it, therefore, a qubit is not bound in to a binary system of information like ones and zeroes. This small difference makes Quantum Computing powerful and complicated at the same time.

IBM developing new generation of machines that uses qubits as fundamental unit of data.

Year 2020: 65-qubits machine known as Hummingbird (processor)

Year 2021: 127-qubits machine known as Eagle (processor)

Year 2022: 433-qubits machine known as Osprey (processor)

Year 2023 (set to debut) : 1121-qubits known as Condor (processor)

IBM Osprey (current one) has the largest qubit count of any IBM quantum processor, more than tripling the 127 qubits on the IBM Eagle processor unveiled in 2021. This processor has the potential to run complex quantum computations well beyond the computational capability of any classical computer.

A little note: IBM are using cooling system to cool down the qubits at the temperature of 15 Millikelvin that is equivalent to -273.135 degrees Celsius (below absolute zero), and the temperature of outer space is -270 degrees Celsius.

Conclusion

In conclusion, quantum computing is an exciting and rapidly advancing field that holds tremendous promise for solving complex problems that classical computers cannot handle efficiently. Maybe problem such as P = NP can also be solved with quantum computers in coming future.

Thank you for your time.

Regards

Siddhant Vijay Singh