Quantum Computers: Machines of the Future

In most of the media we consume, the word “Quantum” is usually reserved for science fiction. Whether it's Marvel Studio’s “Quantum Realm” or Star Trek’s “Quantum Torpedoes”, you usually only ever hear “Quantum” as some kind of far future technology or fantastical plot device. In reality, quantum physics is far simpler than most people think. In its most basic form, quantum physics is the study of the behavior of the smallest possible amount, or quanta, of something. Although studying the smallest objects known to exist may seem inconsequential, the unique properties of fundamental particles can allow us to do things traditional physics deems impossible.

One of the most intriguing properties of quantum physics is wave-particle duality. On the smallest scale, particles can be thought of as both waves and particles. This was discovered by observing photons (the particles responsible for electromagnetic waves, including visible light) moving and acting as a wave, but also being a particle when observed. This basically means that we can treat a photon as a wave when we use the wavelength of light to determine something's color, but also treat it as a particle when we are analyzing how many of them the sun gives off as it burns.

One of the most promising pieces of quantum based technology is quantum computers. Traditional computers operate using bits, the most basic form of information a computer can use, only being able to store two digits: one and zero. Over the years we have found ways to increase both the amount of bits a computer can store and process and to make our programs and information take up less bits. Even with all these developments we are still restricted to only ones and zeroes. This is where quantum computers look to innovate. Quantum computers use the property of wave-particle duality to represent not just one or zero, but theoretically any value in between. This is due to quantum superposition, a phenomenon caused by the “particle” aspect of a quanta being able to exist at multiple points within the “wave” part of the quanta. These new types of storage units, called qubits, can store and process much more information than traditional computers.

So qubits are more efficient than traditional bits, but how can we use them? Quantum computers excel at doing calculations related to quantum systems, like very small molecules or atoms. Currently some potential uses for quantum computers include making accurate calculations about the interactions of individual atoms to create better medicines, batteries, or even computer parts to make more quantum computers. Quantum computers can also speed up calculations that might be extremely complex, but require a lot of repetition like cryptographic cybersecurity, traffic optimization in cities, and machine learning for creating artificial intelligence.

Currently, quantum computers are very difficult to produce, meaning that they are generally reserved for research institutions until they start becoming more mainstream. While consumer quantum computers do exist, they are very expensive and are not as strong as those used by the largest computer companies like IBM or Google. While it’s unlikely that you will unwrap a new IBM Q system this holiday season, it's possible that in a decade your school might have a quantum computer sitting in their computer lab, ready to simulate the entire known universe right in front of the next generation of scientists.

About the Author

Jacob is a passionate journalist and aspiring physicist. When he isn't researching new physics topics, he practices saxophone and runs games of Dungeons and Dragons for his community.

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