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Quantum computers are here — but why do we need them and what will they be used for?
- Despite still being a few years away from practical applications, huge investments are going into quantum computing technology. Scientists have been making significant progress in building large-scale devices, with companies including Google and IBM among those investing in the technology. Quantum computers could theoretically solve problems beyond the capability of even the most powerful classical computers. Presently, quantum computers can provide insight into improving the technology. Future applications may include cracking unsolvable challenges in fields such as chemistry, physics and materials science, as well as machine learning. The most significant uses for quantum computing may be in simulating physical systems and optimising searches.
- Quantum computers differ significantly from classical computers, with the ability to solve specific tasks far more efficiently than classical computers. Current state-of-the-art quantum computers are prone to error, hampering attempts to run large quantum programmes for extended periods of time.
- The qubit, a unit of quantum information, is the basic building block of a quantum computer, capable of representing both 0 and 1 simultaneously. Superposition, which allows a quantum system to occupy multiple states until measured, is central to the technology's power in quantum computing.
- Simulating physical systems is one of the most significant potential applications for the technology, as quantum effects play a significant role in fields such as materials science and battery technology. In the future, breakthroughs in superconductors, catalysts and even pharmaceuticals may be possible through the use of quantum computers.
- Optimisation – which involves searching for the best solution in a problem with numerous possible outcomes – is also a potential application for quantum computing. However, most algorithms currently offer less than exponential speed ups, cutting down any computational advantages from using the technology.
- With progress in quantum algorithms comes advancements in classical computing too, while it remains early days for the field of quantum computing. There is potential for future algorithmic breakthroughs with the use of quantum algorithms in the discovery and development of mathematical procedures that can tackle more complex problems.
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