Quantum Computing Breakthrough by UK University Physicists

Some processes that would take literally millions of years on today's supercomputers will be carried out in microseconds with the new generation quantum computers of the near future.

Quantum Lab - University of Sussex

Today's computers use a binary system where the smallest unit of data has a value of either 0 or 1. This limits effective data transfer through a gate to the values 00, 01,10, or 11.

Quantum physics relies on the basis that one atom can exist in two places at once. Atoms are isolated in a vacuum many times stronger than that found in outer space and often at temperatures colder than anywhere else in the universe (that we know of). Individual atoms are held in position by electric fields and these atoms become quantum bits.

In quantum computing the term superposition is used to describe how any two or more quantum states can be added together (superposed) and the result will be another valid quantum state.

Quantum computers spin atoms (manipulate their orientation) which can be in superposition and are named qubits, - and can have the value of 1 and 0 simultaneously.

Currently quantum computers are typically built with say, up to 20 qubits, and logic gates are built in so that the qubits can talk to each other and carry out controlled swaps of bits in order to deal with massive quantities of information.

Physicists at UK's University of Sussex have devised a new method of building quantum gates by applying voltage to microchips.

Future quantum computers will replace those where atoms that are conventionally held with huge numbers of laser beams can now be held with electric fields on a microchip. Although quantum computers will not necessarily speed up many operations performed by binary field computers the solutions to some operations will be able to be performed at an exponentially faster pace.

Sussex University video outlining the theory of quantum computing

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