Researchers in Australia have developed a new type of quantum cryogenic computer chip that operates close to the coldest theoretical temperature in the universe and could trigger a new technological revolution.
The system, called Gooseberry, works at a temperature 40 times colder than deep space – a 20-fold increase over what is possible with quantum computers today.
Immensely complex mathematical equations that traditional supercomputers would take hundreds, if not thousands of years to calculate, can take a quantum computer to finish in a matter of seconds.
“This will be transformative in the years to come,” said Andrew White, director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems.
Also at rt.com
Google proclaims ‘quantum supremacy’ with new supercomputing breakthrough
Traditional computers operate using “bits” of information. A little by its very nature is binary, on or off, black or white, yes or no. Its equivalent in quantum computing is a qubit, which takes advantage of the strange and bland world of quantum mechanics to inhabit a “overlay” of two separate states simultaneously, greatly multiplying computational power.
Most contemporary quantum computers operate using a few dozen qubits. But these new cryogenic chips would allow machines to perform calculations with thousands, if not millions of qubits or more, reaching previously unimaginable levels of processing power.
Qubits require extremely low temperatures to function efficiently and the electrical wiring used to connect them frequently interrupts operations due to overheating. The Gooseberry system uses a widely reduced two-wire system to connect it to a secondary core in a separate compartment.
The system can do this because it operates in “Millikelvin” temperatures, which are fractionally above absolute zero at 0.1 kelvin, or -459.49 degrees Fahrenheit (273.05 degrees Celsius). Absolute zero itself is -273.15 degrees Celsius.
Also at rt.com
The quantum leap forward: in creating the world’s fastest and most advanced internet network, China claims supremacy over the US
The discovery marks what scientists at the University of Sydney and Microsoft Corporation have dubbed “The next chapter in quantum technology”, and it can lead to historical and revolutionary advances in fields as diverse as cryptography, medicine, finance, artificial intelligence and logistics.
The researchers say that quantum computers are currently at a stage of development similar to that of traditional computers in the 1940s.
Although their current prototype took four years to develop, scientists intend to fully “Realize quantum technology on an industrial scale.”
Do you think your friends would be interested? Share this story!