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The Quantum Future – Part 3 In this blog post, we will be exploring how quantum computing will shape the future. We will delve into the technology behind quantum computing, how it can help with solving complex problems, its impact on various industries, and the implications for the future. Finally, we will look at the […]
Computing is all about to change with the unveiling of quantum computers. This is going to be a big leap in computing that will bring with it fundamental shifts in different technologies used today. Currently, there are many security technologies built on the complexity of computing different puzzles of which normal computers can take thousands, millions, or billions of years to crack.
To read Part 1 click here
As stated already, one of the main disadvantages of quantum computing is that it will break the currently used encryption technologies. Some security experts have been arguing that the security of the existing encryption algorithms can be boosted by increasing the secret key lengths. However, quantum computers might have enough power to crack these keys. Therefore, there will be a need for a new security standard to be established to secure communication.
Europe’s quantum roadmap highlights this as one of the areas of focus. It wants to use quantum computing to create another mechanism of sending messages from a sender to a receiver without any worries about the privacy of the communication.
Secure communication is of high importance. Currently, it is due to secure communication that e-commerce stores can request their customers to pay online, people can enter login credentials to internet banking platforms, and other types of sensitive data can be exchanged. Without secure communication, these things will be difficult to achieve.
The challenge to quantum communication is with the cost since the systems that will be involved will be expensive. Alongside this is the challenge that quantum communication is estimated to work in point-to-point connections not exceeding one hundred kms. This is why there is a lot of research on quantum routers to send signals to quantum computers further apart.
Quantum computation
This is the research area that has been a center of focus for a long time. It is where quantum processes will be used for data processing. Therefore, instead of the normal use of bits in today’s computers, there will be the use of quantum bits. Europe outlines the separate ways that it is researching to achieve this.
One of these ways is through the storage of data in ions that are entrapped in magnetic fields or nuclei of atoms. Another way it has explained that can be used to achieve quantum computing is through the flow of current through very tiny superconducting circuits. Lastly, it has listed the use of photons forced to travel through photonic circuits as another way of achieving quantum computing.
It is expected that history will repeat itself in quantum computing. Like early electronic computers, the early quantum computers will be large-scale versions of the ones that will be there after five or ten years have elapsed.
Quantum simulation
Simulation is one of the most resource-intensive activities in computing. Ordinar computers face many challenges when trying to simulate quantum properties so that more can be learned. However, quantum systems can themselves be used to simulate other aspects of quantum systems. The basic idea of doing this is by coming up with a quantum system that can be manipulated and measured and then use it for the simulation purposes.
The well-understood quantum systems that fit these descriptions are ultra-cold atoms, ions trapped in magnetic fields, and then superconducting circuits.
These can be used to simulate much more advanced quantum computing properties. However, it is not as easy as it may seem. Even though the existing quantum systems are known, there are hardly any existing techniques that can be used to run the simulations in these systems. Even when techniques to do complex simulations are discovered, there is also the challenge of ensuring the correctness of the simulations.
Quantum sensing
To exploit the quantum future, there needs to be well-defined ways to sense or measure it. This will involve doing measurements at the scale of atoms. At this scale, changes happen over very short timescales. There have been some theorized techniques to achieve this. The first one is the use of quantum clocks. As said before, changes at the scale of atoms will take very short duration and the normal clocks might not be adequate to measure them. Therefore, quantum clocks will be necessary and they will have to be very accurate. The atomic-sized sensors will have to be very sensitive to changes.
Quantum software
Quantum computers will not be just a mere iteration of the current computers, they will be a new type of computer. Therefore, they will require a new type of software to run. These programs will be written quite differently from today’s programs. Today, programs end up being translated into ones and zeros so that the processor can understand them. With quantum computers, qubits will be able to exist as zeros and ones simultaneously. This will enable the qubits to carry out multiple calculations in parallel.
This is what makes quantum computers so powerful. However, when these calculations are done, their answers will need to be extracted. Extracting answers from qubits will not be as easy as today’s method of extracting answers in the form of zeros and ones. Therefore, very strong algorithms will be needed to extract answers after computations.
The problem is that there are hardly any algorithms known that can extract answers from qubits. This is why quantum software is of particular interest to Europe. If Europe will be successful at coming up with software that can operate in quantum computers, it will be years ahead of its competitors in the quantum road race.
Quantum technology breakthroughs
With the extensive research being done on quantum computing, some countries have been said to have had their own breakthroughs in the technology.
To begin with, China has been said to have achieved quantum communication. It is said that it has a satellite in space that is capable of quantum communication. Therefore, it can enable the secure sending and receiving of messages through quantum computers.
Secondly, in companies such as Google and Microsoft, it is said that there are early prototypes of quantum processors. It is reported, however, that the existing processors are five to ten qubits. In Microsoft, there are projects to overcome the environmental obstacles facing qubits. Qubits have unique properties that unfortunately make them susceptible to any slight disturbances. The qubits have quantum superstition. This is the feature that allows a qubit to hold zeros and ones simultaneously.
Qubits are also capable of entanglement, a feature that enables them to affect other qubits. These characteristics, however, mean that vibrations or external electric fields can upset the qubits. These characteristics have also limited researchers to building just between five and ten qubit test systems. The following image is of Google’s Quantum computer under development
Google is targeting building a 49-qubit system. This will be an attempt to reach the threshold known as quantum supremacy. This threshold is where today’s classical supercomputers computers have hit a snag. No computer, or even supercomputer, is able to handle the exponential growth of memory and bandwidth requirements that are necessary to simulate quantum systems. Therefore, supercomputers have been able to simulate what 10 to 20 qubit quantum computers can do, but as they approach 50 qubit computers, it becomes impossible for the simulation to happen.
Researchers are quite confident that 100 qubit computing systems will be stable enough to carry out operations. In five years, they estimate that they will have created 100,000-qubit computer systems.
These computers will disrupt many fields and industries. If this is scaled up to a millionqubit computing system, the end results cannot be fathomed at the moment
Part 3 of this article will cover:
Computing is all about to change with the unveiling of quantum computers. This is going to be a big leap in computing that will bring with it fundamental shifts in different technologies used today. Currently, there are many security technologies built on the complexity of computing different puzzles of which normal computers can take thousands, millions, or billions of years to crack.
These are mostly security solutions that use cryptography. However, the unveiling of quantum computers will mean that these complex puzzles will be solvable in less time. Therefore, many encryption algorithms that are currently deemed secure will not be after the release of quantum computers in the world.
Quantum computers will take over the future. It is not just an advanced way of computers; it is a reformation of computers atom by atom. These changes will have impacts that will be felt in all sectors.
This article will look into this based on the following topics:
The first general purpose computer was built in 1837 and it was man’s biggest attempt at computing. After a century, another big milestone was reached when ENIAC was built. It was the first electronic computer. It used vacuum tubes to control the flow of electricity. After that, transistors were introduced allowing smaller computers to be built. Today, microprocessor technology is in dominance, and it has allowed for the creation of very powerful but small computer processors. Therefore, computers have been reduced from the size of entire rooms to the size of a device that is handheld. This is the current stage of computing that seems to be a big improvement from the ancient computers.
However, there has not really been a fundamental change in the way computers are built. Most attempts were made to reduce the size of computers. The same idea of building a computer using a top-down approach is still in play. However, research is ongoing to build computers from the bottom up, at atom and electron level
The following is the path that the quantum technology research has taken: (history of quantum computing)
1965
A physicist called Richard Feynman was involved in the development of the atomic bomb. In his research, he came up with several theories on quantum electronics that explained how electrons interacted with each other. He created visual depictions between electrons and photons, as well as depictions of several other atomic interactions.
1980
Feynman investigated the conventional concepts about quantum physics and how binary states could be presented in two-state quantum systems. The idea was to simulate quantum computers, but instead of using the conventional computers, he wanted these simulations to be done in quantum systems.
1985
A theoretical paper was published by David Deutsch in Oxford explaining the two-state quantum system and a universal quantum computer. It describes how the attainment of the two-state quantum system could lead to the ability to perform simple operations.
1994
Peter Shor proposed an algorithm that could be used to break encryption systems. Since many encryption systems use large prime numbers, the algorithm is designed to efficiently arrive at these numbers if it is run on a quantum computer. The algorithm sparked a lot of interest from computer scientists.
1995
NIST and the California Institute of Technology worked on ways that can be used to shield quantum computers from potential environmental influences. Their research also touched
on ways through which magnetic fields could be used in quantum systems to allow ions t0 be trapped and cooled.
1996–present
Researchers from IBM, MIT, University of California, and Harvard University studied the way nuclear magnetic resonance could be used to manipulate quantum information in iquids. To reduce the effect of disturbances of the information, they use multiple molecules to represent a single qubit. Their study shows that NMR could act on the atomic nuclei of molecules making up the fluid causing a spin that could lead to the alignment of an atom’s spin, which would betray its value, either a 0 or 1.
When the electromagnetic field was varied, the researchers were able to identify oscillations that could lead to spins that flipped the states in a qubit, allowing it to have both zeros and ones at the same time. The researchers were also able to observe interactions between molecules that could be exploited to create logic gates within the qubit. The research team was able to build a 2-bit quantum computer and subsequent improvements have since been made to the quantum computer.
Nations globally are racing towards achieving quantum computing. The country that gets hold of the immense computing power offered by quantum computers will definitely be at a strong advantage over other countries. There is a fierce competition between the US and China in this race. Both nations have made massive investments in research and development activities aimed at achieving the quantum computing reality.
This will usher in a new era of computing and cause several changes in the security solutions offered today. Europe, even with a rich history of research on quantum computing, seems to have fallen behind in the race. It has only made small and stealthy moves, the most recent being in 2016 where it said it would jointly fund 1 billion research on quantum technology. The research was aimed at quantum communication, computing, simulation, and sensing.
Europe is also looking at areas that other nations do not have. In its 10-year quantum technology roadmap, it has included research and development activities on quantum software and quantum control. Since Europe’s roadmap is clearer and more public, let us take a look at its areas of interest, which will be of mutual importance to all in the quantum future
AI Generated Content
The development of quantum technology has changed the way we look at the world and has opened up a world of possibilities for the future. Quantum technology offers unprecedented opportunities for scientific progress and has enabled us to move beyond the traditional boundaries of computing power and energy efficiency.
In this blog post, we will explore the potential of quantum technology and its impact on future developments. We will take a look at the various technologies that are being developed and the potential implications of their application. We will also discuss how quantum technology is already being used in industry and how it might be applied in the future.
To begin, let us examine the basics of quantum technology. Quantum technology is based on the principle of quantum entanglement, which is a phenomenon where particles are intrinsically linked so that they can communicate and interact with each other, even when separated by a large distance. This means that quantum systems can be more powerful and efficient than traditional computers. This increased efficiency can be used for many different applications, from speeding up calculations to providing secure communications.
The applications of quantum technology are wide-reaching and far-reaching. For example, quantum computing can be used to simulate complex systems such as those related to materials science, chemistry, and biology, which could lead to advances in drug development, artificial intelligence, and robotics. In addition, quantum computers could be used to decrypt encrypted data and could even be used to simulate the behavior of the universe itself.
Quantum technology also has implications for communications. Quantum entanglement could be used to create secure communications that are impossible to decrypt. This could be used to protect sensitive data, or to ensure the privacy of communications between parties.
Finally, quantum technology has the potential to revolutionize energy production and storage. Quantum computers could be used to efficiently and accurately predict the timing and location of energy production, leading to more efficient energy networks and improved energy storage.
In conclusion, quantum technology offers the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives and bring us closer to achieving a true quantum future. In the next blog post, we will explore the potential applications of quantum technology and the implications of its use in industry and everyday life.