While it seems that there is less and less left to realize the dream of many scientists of being able to enjoy a true quantum Internet , it seems that the arrival of commercial quantum computers would also be around the corner. At least, they could be available in just 8 years, which is how long it would take Google to make them available to the general public.
And, as we have recently learned, the company’s developers trust the possibility of building a commercial quantum computer by 2029 . This is what Sundar Pichai, current CEO of Google, announced in the I / O transmission held on Tuesday, May 18.
During the celebration of this event, the executives revealed what has become Google’s new field in Santa Barbara, California, dedicated entirely to quantum artificial intelligence , which has Google’s first quantum data center , in addition to quantum processor chip manufacturing facilities and hardware research laboratories.
In turn, Erik Lucero, chief engineer of quantum artificial intelligence, has also published an article on the official blog where he describes the company’s goal of “building a useful quantum computer, with error correction within the decade.”
What are the benefits of quantum computing?
The main benefits come, above all, in terms of processing power, precision and scale , since it offers researchers the execution of complex calculations amazingly fast .
According to specialists, quantum computing could help drive advances in a wide variety of industries , from encryption to economics, through artificial intelligence, health, energy and sustainability.
As Google experts say, “many of the biggest global challenges, from climate change to managing the next pandemic, require a new kind of computing.” For example, “build better batteries (to lighten the load on the electrical grid), create fertilizers to feed the world without generating 2 percent of global carbon emissions, or create more targeted drugs (to stop the next pandemic before let it begin).
“We need to better understand and design the molecules. Which means to simulate nature with precision . But you can’t simulate molecules very well using classical computers . “
What is and what does a quantum computer consist of? What advantages could it offer us?
A quantum computer is the equivalent of traditional computers, but it would carry out its calculations directly using the laws of quantum physics and, basically, what is known as superposition of quantum states.
For example, while a classical computer manipulates bits of information, which are 0 or 1, a computer or quantum computer uses qubits . We could say that they are generalizations of the classical bits, which in a certain way are a simultaneous superposition of these two states, such as a photon or an electron.
In some cases, a quantum computer may be able to perform calculations much faster than a conventional computer , which would require a large number of qubits. However, the higher this number, the more unstable the superposition of quantum states, and may disappear before the requested calculation is completed.
Although physicists already know how to make some quantum computers, they are characterized by being very basic. However, experts believe that only quantum simulators, consisting of specialized calculators for solving many specific problems (rather than programmable universal Turing machines), will do so.
Interestingly, we also learned recently that IBM is installing its first commercial quantum computer at the Cleveland Clinic, as part of a partnership to drive discoveries in both the pharmaceutical and medical industries.
