Quantum Computing and Quantum Supremacy

2020 DEC 6

Preliminary   > Science and Technology   >   IT & Computers   >   IT & Computers

Why in news?

  • Chinese scientists claim to have built a quantum computer that is able to perform certain computations nearly 100 trillion times faster than the world's most advanced supercomputer, thus crossing the quantum supremacy barrier.

About Quantum computing:

  • Quantum computing is an area of computing focused on developing computer technology based on the principles of quantum theory, which explains the behavior of energy and material on the atomic and subatomic levels.
  • Classical computers that we use today can only encode information in bits that take the value of 1 or 0. This restricts their ability.
  • Quantum computing, on the other hand, uses quantum bits or qubits.
  • It harnesses the unique ability of subatomic participles that allows them to exist in more than one state i.e. a 1 and a 0 at the same time.
  • Superposition and entanglement are two features of quantum physics on which these supercomputers are based.
  • This empowers quantum computers to handle operations at speeds exponentially higher than conventional computers and at much lesser energy consumption.
  • The ideas governing quantum computers have been around since the 1990s but actual machines have been around since 2011, most notably built by Canadian company D-Wave Systems.

About Quantum supremacy

  • Quantum supremacy is the point at which quantum computers can solve problems that are practically unsolvable for “classical” (non-quantum) computers to complete in any reasonable timeframe.
  • It is an important step towards ultra-powerful computers that can solve problems deemed impossible for current machines by using quantum physics.
  • Google said last year it has built a computer that could perform a computation in 200 seconds that would take the fastest supercomputers about 10,000 years, reaching quantum supremacy.
  • One of the most promising applications of quantum computers is for simulating the behavior of matter down to the molecular level.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding “quantum supremacy”:
1.The concept is related to the speed at which a quantum computer performs.
2.Quantum supremacy is the point at which quantum computers can solve problems that are practically unsolvable for “classical” (non-quantum) computers to complete in any reasonable timeframe.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question