Why are quantum computers so error prone?
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Original Coverage: What is quantum error correction (QEC)?
Quantum computers can harness exotic quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superposition to encode data efficiently and process calculations in parallel. But these quantum states are inherently fragile, and even the tiniest interaction with their environment can cause them to collapse. Logical operations in Google’s state-of-the-art quantum processor fail at a rate of about 1 in 100, says Joschka Roffe, an innovation fellow at The University of Edinburgh. “We have to find a way of bridging this gulf so that we can actually use quantum computers to run some of the really exciting applications that we’ve proposed for them,” he told Live Science. “There’s still a long way to go, but this is kind of the first step, a proof of concept,” he said of the new quantum error correction scheme, which is being developed by researchers at The Edinburgh University and The Queen’s University of London. “Its a landmark result in that it shows for the first time that QEC actually works,” says Roffer, who is part of a team developing quantum error-correction schemes for a variety of practical problems, such as banking and military secrets, he said. “It’s a step in the
A primer on quantum computing storage and memory
Microsoft recently revealed its first quantum computer. quantum computing is a work in progress, and there are still a number of hurdles for the technology to overcome. Many of the challenges pertain to memory and data storage. Since qubits can only store data for a fraction of a second, no quantum hard drives exist. But it might eventually be possible to use quantum entanglement to transmit data across great distances in real time, such as 15 billion miles from Earth to Voyager 1 in the 1970s. The technology can read and process data in 50 ms, it doesn’t matter that the data essentially evaporates after 100 ms. It is also possible to read quantum bits without significantly altering them. Some theorize that it might be possible in the future to build a quantum network that enables data to be sent from point to point with a guarantee that there has been no tampering with the data. The idea has been based on a concept called quantum Entanglement, which is based on the idea that qubits share identical states even if there is a vast distance between them — even if the qubit is entangled with another qubit in the quantum world. The concept of superposition is often compared to a coin toss. Think of heads as being the
MIT’s ‘remote entanglement’ discovery lets QPUs to communicate at vast distances
MIT scientists have created a device that allows quantum processors to communicate with each other directly. Existing quantum architecture offers only limited communication between separate quantum processing units (QPUs) The new device allows for “all-to-all” communication, so that all processors in a single network can communicate directly with any other processor. The work is broadly applicable to practical quantum computing applications, according to lead author of the study Aziza Almanakly, an electrical engineering and computer science graduate student. The researchers outlined their “remote entanglement” approach in a new study published March 21 in the journal Nature Physics. It is a state where two particles share the same state, and changes to one automatically affect the other. The distance between the two can be vast, with no currently known limit, but it’s a critical phenomenon for quantum computing because it allows qubits to be correlated and act as a single system. The scientists said that any number of processors could be connected in this way, creating a highly scalable network. It could also be expanded to other kinds of quantum computers and bigger quantum internet systems, the study’s lead author said, adding that the technology could be used to build “quantum internet systems” in the future.
Amazon uses quantum “cat states” with error correction
Amazon is publishing a paper describing a new take on quantum computing hardware. The system mixes two different types of qubit hardware to improve the stability of the quantum information they hold. The idea is that one type of qu bit is resistant to errors, while the second can be used for implementing an error-correction code that catches the problems that do happen. Combined, the two are hoped to allow error correction to be handled by far fewer hardware qubits. The paper follows up on Microsoft’s announcement of a qubit based on completely new physics, and Amazon’s general approach is the best route to getting logical qubits that are capable of complex algorithms. The company says it has no immediate plans to release the paper to the public, but it’s an important proof of principle for the future of quantum computing in the long run. It’s hoped the paper will lead to the development of a quantum computer that can solve complex problems.
Computers of the future
Quantum computers use the principles of quantum mechanics to process information. Unlike conventional computers, they don’t work with bits but with quantum bits – or qubits for short. Google’s Willow is the most powerful quantum chip right now. Willow was able to solve a complex quantum statistics problem in five minutes for which Frontier – currently the most. powerful supercomputer – would have taken billions of years. It is more likely that hybrid systems will combine conventional computers with quantum computers: the quantum computer then carries out the calculation, while the conventional computer takes care of everything else. The technology is still very complex and fragile, so they have to be shielded from vibrations and from magnetic and electric fields. As such, the systems are still very error-prone. Not in the foreseeable future will conventional computers be replaced entirely by quantum computers at some stage. The most powerfulQuantum computer right now is Google’s Willow – German computer scientist Hartmut Neven was a key figure in developing this. The development team established an innovative approach to error correction: by doubling the number of qubits it was possible to halve the error rate. The quantum computer is not only faster, they also use less energy.
Google is pushing quantum computing closer to reality
Google says it has crossed a crucial threshold on the way to an error-free quantum computer. Google is pushing quantum computing closer to reality.
Will Quantum Computers Break Bitcoin?
Google’s Willow chip is the most advanced quantum processor they’ve ever built. The chip solved a problem in under 5 minutes that would take the fastest supercomputer in the world over 10 to the 25th years. With the help of AI and machine learning, Google can improve the efficiency of quantum error correction, ensuring better results. But what does this mean for Bitcoin’s encryption? Can a quantum computer really crack the cryptography that protects Bitcoin? Let’s break down what quantum computers are, how the Willow chip changes the game, and if Bitcoin is really at risk. What Are Quantum Computers and Why Are They So Powerful? The computers we use today rely on bits — binary pieces of information that are either a 1 or a 0. However, quantum computers use something called qubits, which can be both a 1 and a 0 at the same time. This concept, called superposition, allows quantum computers to perform multiple calculations simultaneously, giving them an incredible edge in problem-solving power. To put it simply, while a traditional computer solves a maze by trying one path at a time, a quantumComputer tries every path at once. This is why quantum computers can be exponentially faster than even the fastestsupercomputers
What Google’s Quantum Computer Breakthrough Means For Bitcoin
Google’s new Willow chip can make quantum computers more powerful and scalable by helping qubits work together better. In theory, quantum computers could pose a threat to bitcoin someday. But the network has solid defenses – and ways to upgrade if needed. Here are five reasons why I’m not too worried about ‘quantum computers’ before quantum computers become a serious threat. The network could upgrade to post-quantum-resistant cryptography for exactly the same reason. Bitcoin’S “mining squad” could use quantum computers to automatically keep the network secure (from attacks from quantum computers) That would help them fend off any stronger attacks (from every one of these) Bitcoin‘s “miners’ are automatically adjusting the difficulty of the hash every time a transaction is made. Miners can run trillions of computations per second, and about every ten minutes, one miner successfully guesses the hash. That particular miner adds a new transaction block to the blockchain and earns some bitcoin as a reward. (That�s also how new coins are created, by the way). You can read all about mining in our bitcoin guide, but here’s where the quantum computer fears come in. Some experts say
Google’s Latest Quantum Computing Breakthrough Shows Practical Machines Are Within Reach
Quantum computing promises to solve problems that are beyond classical computers. But to do so we’ll need processors made up of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of qubits. Google’s new Willow quantum processor, unveiled Monday, has crossed a critical threshold suggesting that as the company’s devices get larger, their ability to suppress errors will improve exponentially. The team found that the logical qubits they created lasted more than twice as long as the physical qubits that make them up. The more qubits we use in Willow, the more we reduce errors, and the more quantum the system becomes,” wrote Hartmut Neven, founder and lead of Google Quantum AI, in a blog post. “It’s a strong sign that useful, very large quantum computers can indeed be built,’ wrote Neven in a statement about the Willow project, which has just crossed the 1,000-qubit mark. ‘This is the most convincing prototype for a scalable logical qubit built to date,‘ said Neven of the Google team’S results. ”It’d be great if one day we could use quantum computers to solve real-world problems.” –
Google Says It Has Cracked a Quantum Computing Challenge with its New Willow Chip
Google says it has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing with a new generation of chip. Google hopes quantum computers will one day solve problems in medicine, battery chemistry and artificial intelligence. The results came from a new chip called Willow that has 105 “qubits,” which are the building blocks of quantum computers. Qubits are fast but error-prone, because they can be jostled by something as small as a subatomic particle from events in outer space. But Google says that it has found a way to string together the Willow chip’s qubits so that error rates go down as the number of qubits goes up.”We are past the breakeven point,” Hartmut Neven, who leads the Google Quantum AI unit, said in an interview. The company also says it can correct errors in real time, a key step toward making its quantum machines practical, he said in a blog post Monday. The problem solved by the company’s Santa Barbara, California quantum lab does not have commercial applications, but Google hopes it will be used in the future for medicine, chemistry and other applications that are out of reach for today’s computers. Google is chasing quantum computing because it promises computing speeds far faster than today’s fastest
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Sources
- Original: What is quantum error correction (QEC)?
- A primer on quantum computing storage and memory
- MIT’s ‘remote entanglement’ discovery lets QPUs to communicate at vast distances
- Amazon uses quantum “cat states” with error correction
- Computers of the future
- Google is pushing quantum computing closer to reality
- Will Quantum Computers Break Bitcoin?
- What Google’s Quantum Computer Breakthrough Means For Bitcoin
- Google’s Latest Quantum Computing Breakthrough Shows Practical Machines Are Within Reach
- Google Says It Has Cracked a Quantum Computing Challenge with its New Willow Chip
Source: https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/what-is-quantum-error-correction-qec