Imagine a computer that is so fast and powerful that it makes the worlds beefiest supercomputers look like mere graphing calculators. It is capable of making millions of calculations simultaneously in a matter of minutes, when a normal computer or even a supercomputer would take a nearly incomprehensible amount of time and energy to perform the same types of computations. I know what you’re thinking; most likely a combination of, “Why is that even important?” and “How is that even possible?” That’s OK. I’m going to spew science words and stuff at your eyeballs now, so just sit back, relax, and prepare yourself as we enter the realm of Quantum Computing.
In today’s world, the most powerful computers around that are considered to be technologically mainstream are supercomputers; massive, complex, energy-sucking beasts that are capable of performing equally massive and complex calculations. Because supercomputers are so powerful, they produce extreme amounts of heat energy, requiring thousands and thousands of gallons of water every minute in order to cool them down. According to the article “What, Exactly, Is a Supercomputer?” by Keith Wagstaff, a supercomputer can cost “...anywhere from $100 million to $250 million for design and assembly, not to mention the maintenance costs,” in addition to around $6 million to $7 million in energy costs. Supercomputers are also very limited by the laws of physics. The speed of a supercomputer is directly affected by the speed and number of processors it has. However, increasing the speed of a processor also increases the amount of energy the processor releases in the form of heat, which is where the trouble lies for supercomputers. Increasing the speed of these processors would literally melt the equipment in the supercomputer. Therefore, the only way to increase the speed of a supercomputer is to add more processors, which is why supercomputers are so massive and so expensive to maintain.
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In order to overcome the limitations of the supercomputer, scientists and engineers have been exploring the realm of quantum physics for solutions. Their answer to the problem? The Quantum Computer.
According to Bernhard Warner in his article “What Quantum Computing Can Do for You,” a quantum computer “...uses the quantum nature of matter, the atoms themselves, as computing devices.” Normal computers, including supercomputers, process information in the form of bits, which can either be represented as a zero or a one (Binary Code). Because the laws of physics at the quantum level become increasingly hazy, quantum computers take advantage of this by utilizing something called Superposition. Instead of only being able to represent only a zero or a one at a single time, superposition allows quantum bits (also known as qubits) to be any proportion of both one and zero at the same time. This allows quantum computers to perform multiple calculations simultaneously at an exponential rate, instead of going through one calculation at a time like a normal computer. The video “Quantum Computers Explained – Limits of Human Technology,” does an amazing job of explaining and demonstrating this process through animation, so I highly recommend that you watch it to better understand the process.
So what does this mean for the rest of the digital world? Are we looking at the dawn of a full-scale technological revolution? Well, that depends. At the moment, the quantum computer is still a partially theoretical technology, with the only real quantum computers being created in labs and being as large as 12 qubits. According to the article “Toward Practical Quantum Computers” from MIT News, the only way to create a practical quantum computer that is capable of performing large numbers of calculations would be to miniaturize qubit technology, similar to how miniaturizing transistors enabled the growth and development of today’s computers. According to Professor Rajeev Ram, who is quoted in the article from MIT News, the basic assembly of a quantum computer includes, “…a barrel that has a vacuum inside it, and inside that is this cage that’s trapping the ions. Then there’s basically an entire laboratory of external optics that are guiding the laser beams to the assembly of ions.” The ions that professor Ram is speaking about serve as the qubits of the quantum computers. Currently, the researchers at MIT are working on developing technology that will miniaturize the exterior laboratory surrounding the heart of the quantum computer into the size of a computer chip. If and when they accomplish their goal, then we’ll definitely be looking at the beginning of a new era in computing and other human technologies.
But what technologies would Quantum computing even be useful for? Well, they would essentially assume the responsibilities of supercomputers all around the world, and then some. Quantum computers would be revolutionary in the areas of large databases and cataloging, cybersecurity, creating computational models, and creating large simulations. The accuracy and complexity of each of these subjects would increase tenfold, due to the nearly unlimited amount of computing power that practical quantum computers could possess.
Although scientists are on the brink of producing the technology necessary for practical quantum computers, there is still a long way to go in terms of its development. So, until that day comes, it looks like we’re going to be stuck with massive supercomputers, smart phones, and PCs.
