Quantum Rush
In the 1980s, renowned physicist Richard Feynman faced a major obstacle in his quest to understand the quantum universe. A pioneer in the field of quantum mechanics, Feynman was determined to unlock the secrets of quantum systems, but these systems are notoriously fragile and the information they contain is difficult to access.
Feynman realized that he could not observe quantum phenomena directly, so he set out to develop a simulation that would allow him to better understand these mysterious systems. However, he soon discovered that his classical computer was not powerful enough to handle the complexity of quantum calculations. The more particles he added to his simulations, the more the computational costs increased. Feynman concluded that the conventional computers of the day could not keep up with the increasing complexity of quantum computations.
This obstacle gave Feynman a breakthrough idea: what if he could design a device made of the quantum elements themselves? This device would operate according to the laws of quantum physics and provide a way to explore the quantum realm. The idea of the quantum computer was born, and with it, Feynman began to bridge the gap between quantum physics and computer science.
Feynman’s idea laid the foundation for the development of quantum computers, which use quantum bits, or qubits, instead of the classical bits used in normal computers. These qubits can exist in more than one state at a time, a property known as superposition, and they can also be entangled, meaning that the state of one qubit can depend on the state of another qubit, even if they are separated by large distances.
These properties of qubits allow quantum computers to perform certain types of computations much faster than classical computers. However, this computing power comes at a price: quantum systems are extremely sensitive to their environment and require extreme conditions to function.
What is the quantum bit?
Quantum bits, or qubits, are the basic unit of information in a quantum computer. Unlike classical bits in regular computers, which are binary and can take on the values of 0 or 1, qubits can exist in a superposition of states, meaning they can exist in multiple states at once. Additionally, qubits can become “entangled” with one another, meaning the state of one qubit can affect the state of another, even if they are physically separated.
The main difference between qubits and classical bits is the ability of qubits to exist in superposition and entanglement. This allows quantum computers to perform certain calculations, such as factorization of large numbers, much faster than classical computers. However, qubits are also more sensitive and fragile than classical bits, making them more difficult to work with and control.
How much faster ?
In October 2019, Google announced that it had achieved “quantum supremacy,” meaning that it had successfully executed a calculation that no ordinary computer could match. However, Google’s chief quantum-computing rival, IBM, disputed this claim, stating that the threshold for quantum supremacy had not yet been met. The disagreement centers around the definition of “quantum supremacy,” which is a term coined by physicist John Preskill in 2012 to describe the moment when a quantum computer surpasses even the best supercomputer. Experts have different ideas about what the term actually means, with some interpreting it as the point at which a quantum computer performs a calculation that, for all practical purposes, a classical computer can’t match. IBM argued that their supercomputer, Summit, could perform the calculation in question in 2.5 days, while Google claimed it would take 10,000 years for a classical computer to do the same.
Contributions to the Quantum Madness
After our genius Feynman’s introduction, there are several milestones happened in the quantum world. I personally believe that quantum computing will change the way we look at daily life!
Here are the pioneers of Quantum Computing:
Some of the leading figures in quantum computing research and development include:
People:
- Richard Feynman, you are here! :)
- David Deutsch, a theoretical physicist developed the first quantum algorithm, known as Deutsch’s algorithm, which could perform certain calculations exponentially faster than any classical algorithm.
- Peter Shor, a mathematician and computer scientist developed the first quantum algorithm for factoring large numbers, which is considered one of the most significant breakthroughs in quantum computing.
- David DiVincenzo, a physicist and computer scientist first proposed the idea of using quantum dots to create a scalable quantum computer.
- John Preskill, a theoretical physicist coined the term “quantum supremacy” to describe the moment when a quantum computer would surpass even the best supercomputer.
Companies:
- Many companies and research institutions are involved in the development of quantum computers, such as Google, IBM, Rigetti Computing, IonQ, Alibaba, Microsoft, Honeywell, and many others.
Institutes:
- Some of the leading research institutions in the field include the California Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bilkent University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the University of Chicago, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Sydney, the Australian National University and many others.
