Explaining quantum computing and quantum supremacy (IBM and Google)

IBM and Google are competing against each other to develop a genuinely usable quantum computer. Here’s what distinguishes quantum computers from other types of computers and how they could change the world.

Google asserted quantum superiority, claiming it was the first time a quantum machine outperformed a conventional one. But, first and foremost, what is quantum computing? What’s more, how does it work? Google asserted quantum superiority, claiming it was the first time a quantum machine outperformed a conventional one. Quantum computing has the potential to alter the course of human history. It has the potential to revolutionize medicine, communications, and artificial intelligence by breaking encryption and breaking encryption. But, first and foremost, what is quantum computing? What’s more, how does it work?

Entanglement and superposition.

It’s natural to be perplexed by these ideas because we don’t deal with them every day. Superposition and entanglement are only visible in the tiniest quantum particles, such as atoms, electrons, and photons.

Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to exist in multiple states at the same time — for example, something can exist in both “here” and “there,” or “up” and “down” at the same time.

Entanglement is a very strong interaction between quantum particles, so strong that two or more quantum particles can be inextricably connected in complete synchronization, even though they are separated by a large distance. Even when put at opposite ends of the world, the particles are so intrinsically linked that they can be said to “dance” in complete harmony in a moment. Entanglement was coined by Einstein as “spooky movement at a distance” due to this almost unlikely relation.

What are the implications of these quantum phenomena?

They’re interesting, first and foremost. They’ll also be incredibly useful in the future of computing and communications technologies.

Consider this: when a classical computer uses ones and zeros, a quantum computer would be able to use ones, zeros, and “superpositions” of ones and zeros. A quantum computer would be able to perform complex tasks that were previously considered to be impossible (or “intractable”) for classical computers.

What are quantum computers and how do they work?

Quantum computers use qubits instead of bits. Qubits may be in what’s known as’superposition,’ where they’re both on and off at the same time, or anywhere on a continuum between the two, rather than either being on or off.

Take a coin and toss it. It can be either heads or tails if you turn it. However, if you spin it, it has a chance of landing on heads or tails. It can be either until you weigh it by stopping the coin. One of the aspects that makes quantum computers so strong is superposition, which is similar to a spinning coin. Uncertainty is allowed with a qubit.

If you ask a regular machine to find its way out of a maze, it will try each branch one at a time, ruling them out one by one before it finds the correct one. A quantum computer will traverse all of the maze’s paths at the same time. It has the ability to keep doubt in its mind.

It’s like putting your finger through the pages of a pick your own adventure novel. Instead of having to restart the book if your character dies, you can take a new direction right away.

Entanglement is something else that qubits can do. Normally, when two coins are flipped, the outcome of one has no effect on the outcome of the other. They’re self-sufficient. Even if two particles are physically apart, they are bound together in entanglement. If one of them comes up heads, the other would as well.

It seems to be sorcery, and scientists are still baffled as to how or why it works. However, in the context of quantum computing, it means that information can be moved even though it involves uncertainty. You can perform complex calculations using the spinning coin. And if you can link several qubits together, you can solve problems that would take millions of years for our best computers to solve.

What does a quantum computer have that a traditional computer doesn’t?

For starters, multiplying large numbers. Any computer has no trouble multiplying two large numbers. Calculating the factors of a very large number (say, 500 digits) is, on the other hand, considered impossible by any classical computer. In 1994, MIT mathematician Peter Shor, who was working at AT&T at the time, revealed that if a fully functional quantum computer existed, it could easily factor large numbers.

However, I don’t want to factor in really big amounts…

Nobody enjoys factoring vast amounts of data! This is due to the fact that it is extremely challenging – even for today’s most advanced computers. Most of today’s cryptography is based on the complexity of factoring large numbers. It’s focused on insurmountably difficult math problems. The factoring problem is totally relied on by RSA encryption, which is used to encrypt your credit card number when you buy online. To encrypt your credit card details, the website you want to buy from provides you with a big “public” key (that everyone can see).

This key is the product of two extremely large prime numbers that are only known to the seller. Anyone who knows those two prime numbers that multiply to build the key will be able to intercept your data. Due to the difficulty of factoring, no eavesdropper will be able to access your credit card number, and your bank account will remain safe. Unless, of course, someone has constructed a quantum computer and is running Peter Shor’s algorithm on it!

How are these ultra-secret keys created using quantum mechanics?

Quantum key distribution is based on a fascinating property of quantum mechanics: any attempt to analyze or calculate a quantum device causes it to be disrupted.

Polarization is a special observable property of photons (which should sound familiar to any connoisseur of sunglasses).

There’s no way to know the special properties of each photon in advance since the polarization of each individual photon is unpredictable. But here’s where entanglement gets interesting: if Alice and Bob test the polarization of the entangled photons they get, they’ll get the same results (remember, “entangled” means the particles are strongly correlated with each other, even over long distances). Alice and Bob assign a “one” or a “zero” to each photon they obtain based on the polarization of the photon. As a result, if Alice receives a string like 010110, Bob will also receive a 010110. Unless, of course, an eavesdropper has been listening in on the conversation. The device will be disrupted, and Alice and Bob will find that their keys do not fit right away.

Alice and Bob keep collecting photons until their keys are long and similar enough, and then they have ultra-secure encryption keys.

As a result, using quantum mechanics to smash and create codes is possible.

Quite a bit. Quantum computers, for example, would be able to efficiently simulate quantum systems, as suggested by popular physicist Richard Feynman in 1982, essentially kicking off the field. Simulation of quantum systems has been dubbed the “holy grail” of quantum computing because it will enable us to research the interactions between atoms and molecules in incredible detail. This could aid in the development of new drugs and materials, such as room-temperature superconductors. Many optimization and search problems benefit from quantum computers. New quantum algorithms and applications are being developed all the time by researchers. However, quantum computers’ true potential is most likely yet to be realized. Certainly, the laser’s creators could not foresee store checkout scanners, CD players, or eye surgery. Similarly, quantum computers’ future applications are only limited by the fantasy.

Then a quantum machine would be able to access my personal information?

Don’t worry, traditional cryptography isn’t in jeopardy. Researchers are working on new encryption algorithms that are resistant to quantum computers. Alternatively, we can use quantum mechanics to create new information security methods.

Let’s take a look at the one-time pad, a popular cryptographic protocol: Let’s pretend that party A and party B (let’s call them Alice and Bob) have a long string of random zeros and ones that they share as the hidden key. They can send a hidden message that no eavesdropper (we’ll name her Eve) will be able to decode as long as they only use this key once and they are the only ones who know it. The biggest problem with the one-time pad is how the secret key is distributed. Governments used to send people to exchange books with random data that could be used as keys in the past. That is, of course, unrealistic and flawed. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) allows for the distribution of completely random keys over a long distance, which is where quantum mechanics comes in handy once more.

That’s fantastic! What is the best place to get a quantum computer?

Not so fast, my friend. Although quantum computers have been theoretically demonstrated to have enormous potential, and scientists at IQC and around the world are working to realize that potential, there is still a lot of work to be done before they enter the market.

What are the prerequisites for constructing a quantum computer?

Simply put, we need qubits that act in the manner that we desire. Photons, atoms, electrons, molecules, and possibly other materials could be used to make these qubits. IQC scientists are looking at a variety of them as possible quantum machine foundations. Qubits, on the other hand, are notoriously difficult to work with because any disruption causes them to lose their quantum state (or “decohere”). Quantum computing’s Achilles heel is decoherence, but it’s not impossible to overcome. Quantum error correction is the study of how to avoid decoherence and other types of errors. Every day, IQC and other researchers around the world discover new ways to get qubits to cooperate.

When will a real quantum computer be available?

It all depends on what you mean by “depends.” Quantum computers have also been prototyped, but they are not powerful enough to outperform classical computers. Although functional quantum technologies, such as highly effective sensors, actuators, and other devices, are already being developed, a true quantum computer that outperforms a classical computer is still years away. Experimentalists are gaining more and more influence over the quantum universe through different innovations and devices, while theorists are constantly devising new ways to solve decoherence. Today’s groundbreaking work is laying the groundwork for the quantum age to come.

Again…When will I be able to get my hands on a quantum computer?

A quantum chip would almost certainly never be found in your laptop or smartphone. The iPhone Q will not be released. Quantum computers have been theorized for decades, but their development has been slowed by the fact that they are extremely sensitive to interference.

A qubit can be knocked out of its fragile state of superposition by almost everything. As a result, quantum computers must be kept free of all electrical interference and kept at temperatures close to absolute zero. That’s colder than the farthest reaches of the universe. Academics and companies will mostly use them, and they will most likely be accessed remotely. It’s already possible to use IBM’s quantum computer via its website – you can even play a card game with it.

However, we still have a long way to go before quantum computers can do what they promise. The best quantum computers currently have about 50 qubits. That alone makes them extremely efficient, since every qubit added increases processing capacity exponentially. However, because of the intrusion issues, they have extremely high error rates. They have a lot of influence, but they aren’t really trustworthy. As a result, statements of quantum superiority must be treated with a grain of salt for the time being. Google released a paper in October 2019 claiming to have reached quantum dominance – the stage at which a quantum machine would outperform a classical computer. However, Google’s competitors denied the point, claiming that Google had not fully used the ability of modern supercomputers.

So far, the majority of major breakthroughs have occurred in managed environments or with problems about which we already have a solution. In any case, achieving quantum dominance does not imply that quantum computers are able to do useful tasks.

Researchers have made significant strides in designing quantum computer algorithms. However, the machines themselves still need a great deal of improvement.

Quantum computation has the potential to transform the universe, but the future is currently unknown.