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IBM takes quantum computing to the next level

Summary: IBM takes advantage of qubits which can potentially work on millions of computations at once - far outperforming a PC.

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  • IBM brings quantum computing to the next level by relying on quantum bits (qubits) which are the basic units that carry data in quantum computing. Qubits can potentially work on millions of computations at once - far outperforming a PC. For more read Larry Dignan's blog.

    This is a 3D supercomputing qubit device.
    which is suspended in the center of the cavity on a small Sapphire chip. A qubit is about 1mm in length.

    Credit: IBM

  • Here's the side view of the 3D qubit device.

    Credit: IBM


    Credit: IBM

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Topics: IBM, Hardware


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  • ZDNet: Why does my comment keep being deleted?

    • This one

      Apparently your stupid filters are not smart enough to capture it as a reply, so here goes:
      Ugh. There is so much wrong here it is hard to know where to begin.
      First, the pictures do NOT show a qubit. It is no more possible to image a qubit than it is to image a classical bit. The picture shows a qubit storage device.
      More importantly, qubits can NOT store infinite numbers of states. The very definition of a qubit is a particle system that can exist in one of TWO quantum states, such as a photon, which can have one of two polarization states, or an electron, that can have one of two quantum spin states (1/2 and -1/2). The interesting thing about qubits is that they can hold all states simultaneously. As such, as long as the quantum state is not read/observed, they can act as intermediary in a large number of calculations simultaneously. This allows the amount of space needed to perform a given function to decrease exponentially. In addition, through other properties such as quantum entanglement, they can be made to operate on other qubits at what is essentially simultaneity, i.e., instantaneously. They can thus operate at incredible speeds, performing huge numbers of operations in parallel.
      In addition, qubit devices can not work on ANY calculations, let alone millions at once. They can only do one thing and one thing only, store qubits. What is necessary is to string together other quantum devices, including qubit storage, that can operate as NAND gates in a quantum state fluctuation. THIS is what allows the actual performance of basic calculations. In order to do this, the device must be able to hold state for at least on the order of 10E2 microseconds, to allow basic error correction. Otherwise, without this wait state, the resulting bit value can not be verified as being the proper result of any given calculation, and thus is bogus. This is very difficult to achieve, even at temperatures close to 0K (absolute zero).
      THIS is what IBM has done.
      This is the real accomplishment, and should have been the headline and central point of the article.