In a major breakthrough for quantum computing, researchers at the University of Chicago simply inserted qubit states via a communication cable connecting one quantum network node to another, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature.
The first results of this study bring us closer to realizing quantum computing – laying the essential foundation for future quantum communication networks.
Breakdown of quantum computing
Qubits – also known as quantum pieces – are basic units of quantum information. And, using their quantum properties as a superposition – as well as their ability to interact – scientists and engineers are building the next-generation quantum computers capable of solving quantitative problems reducing the capabilities of computers. today.
The researchers – working from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago (UChicago) – succeeded in connecting a state by using one cable to attach two knots to each of the two nodes, and then to engage further in these angles. with other qubits in the nodes, according to a blog post shared on the UChicago website.
“Developing techniques that allow us to move connected states will be critical for scaling quantum computing,” said the new scientist’s lead scientist, Professor Andrew Cleland.
Quantum states transmitted in the form of microwave photons
Cleland Lab scientists used superconducting qubits – which are small cryogenic cycles capable of manipulating electricity – to complete their research.
To detect input states via a communication cable – which was a 3.28-ft (1-m) long superconducting cable – the researchers devised an experimental method in which three superconducting qubits were in place. each of the two nodes. The scientists attached one qubit in one node to the cable, then emitted quantum states in the form of microwave photons – and saw very little information loss.
Because quantum states are extremely fragile, scientists faced a daunting challenge.
Extremely fast transfer process reduced information loss
A former Cleland post-named Youpeng Zhong built a system where the whole process of moving – going from one node through the cable to another node – took only a few tens of nanoseconds, or one billionth of a second. .
To put this distance into perspective, a lifetime of even a billion minutes will not last. This short time allowed the research team to send quantum states without losing too much information.
The researchers’ system also allowed them to engage in qubit. In other words, they inserted the qubits in each node together by passing one half-proton through the cable. They then extended this connection with the other qubits in one node, and when the process was complete, the six qubits in both nodes were merged into a single “global” state.
The quantum computing version is coming
In the future, scientists (and possibly commercial organizations) may build quantum computers out of models – where “families” of connected angles make computing very complex. Eventually these computers in the future may include many such network modules – as today’s supercomputers make parallel computing through multiple processing units interconnected.
“These models need to put together complex quantum states, and this is a big step toward that,” Cleland said in the blog post. “We want to show that superconducting qubits play a vital role in progress. “
With the advent of quantum computing, theoretical solutions to complex unambiguous mathematical problems – with great relevance for theoretical physics – will ultimately provide the computing power they want. Encryption will transform the way we communicate, and will help transform telecommunications infrastructure and roads in ways that even city initiatives have not imagined.
This was an interesting story and was regularly updated as new information became available.