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Tag: QUANTENCOMPUTER

  • Quantum entanglement – the ultra-fast dance of particles

    Quantum entanglement – the ultra-fast dance of particles

    Quantum entanglement occurs when two or more particles remain in a state in which the state of one particle is inextricably linked to that of the other. This connection remains even over large distances, so that a change to one particle has an immediate effect on the other. Albert Einstein described this effect as “spooky action at a distance.” This fundamental property of quantum physics is an important building block for many pioneering applications.

    The role of time in quantum entanglement
    Although quantum entanglement is extremely fast, it is not instantaneous. Using high-precision measurement methods, TU Wien has established that the formation of entanglement takes place over a period of attoseconds. The research shows that although quantum processes have an immediate effect, they can be measured over time. A laser pulse releases an electron from an atom, causing another electron to be put into a higher energy state – these two electrons are then entangled.

    Measuring attoseconds – a glimpse into the unimaginable
    The time span in which quantum entanglement takes place is so short that it is measured in attoseconds – a billionth of a billionth of a second. These measurements were carried out using advanced simulations and ultrashort laser pulses and revealed that the “birth time” of electron entanglement is 232 attoseconds. This advance allows researchers to directly observe the dynamics of these ultrashort processes and recreate them in experiments.

    Simulations at the attosecond level – a breakthrough in quantum research
    By combining simulations and experiments, researchers at TU Wien were able to precisely reproduce the process of quantum entanglement. The results, published in “Physical Review Letters”, are considered a milestone and create new perspectives for applications in quantum cryptography and quantum computers, in which entanglement plays a central role. The possibility of analysing quantum processes in attoseconds opens up new avenues for the further development of quantum technological systems.

    The understanding of time in quantum physics
    Current research shows that the classical understanding of time is not sufficient to describe quantum effects. In the quantum world, states arise and disappear in tiny time spans that are almost incomprehensible to us. “The electron doesn’t just jump out of the atom, it’s a wave that slowly sloshes out of the atom,” explains Prof Iva Březinová from TU Wien.

    Applications of quantum entanglement – a technology for the future
    Quantum entanglement is much more than a fascinating phenomenon; it forms the basis for revolutionary technologies such as quantum cryptography, which enables extremely secure communication systems, and quantum computers, which perform potentially complex calculations faster and more efficiently than classical computers. By deciphering the ultrafast processes of quantum entanglement, researchers gain insights that make it possible to design these technologies securely and efficiently.

    Research into quantum entanglement on the attosecond scale represents a breakthrough in our understanding of quantum physics and offers enormous potential for the technologies of the future. The precise understanding of these processes allows applications such as quantum cryptography and quantum computing to be further developed, fundamentally changing the world of information processing and security.

  • Breakthrough in quantum computing technology

    Breakthrough in quantum computing technology

    Quantum computers could fundamentally change our understanding of problem solving and calculations in the near future. However, the technology still faces a crucial hurdle – the error-proneness of quantum bits, which are the central building blocks of quantum computers. Google has now reached a significant milestone with its latest success in quantum error correction.

    Researchers at Google’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab have managed to combine 97 error-prone quantum bits into one logical quantum bit that has a significantly lower error rate. This is an important step on the way to error-tolerant quantum computers that could perform complex calculations in the future.

    Challenges of quantum error correction
    The biggest challenge for quantum computers is the high probability of errors during computing operations. In current systems, the probability of error is between 0.01 and 1 per cent, depending on the operation. As quantum computers potentially require thousands of calculation steps, this means that the possibility of errors increases exponentially. Without effective error correction, the advantages of quantum computers would be almost impossible to utilise in practice.

    The Google researchers developed a method in which quantum information is distributed across several quantum bits. Measurement bits ensure the stability of the states without directly changing the information. This redundant approach, which is also used in classical computers, led to the formation of a more robust logical quantum bit.

    A decisive advance – but not yet the goal
    Google was able to achieve a critical error threshold by reducing the error rate of a 97-qubit quantum bit system to half that of a 49-qubit system. This progress is highly rated by experts and can be compared to the groundbreaking results of 2019, when Google demonstrated for the first time that quantum computers can outperform conventional computers in certain tasks.

    Despite this promising development, quantum research still faces huge challenges. The next step is to perform basic computing operations with the stabilised logical quantum bits. In the long term, these stable bits will be used to enable complex and fault-tolerant calculations.

    Fault-tolerant quantum computers and their application
    Although the progress made so far is impressive, there is still a long way to go before quantum computers are able to solve really complicated problems. It is estimated that around 1457 physical quantum bits are needed to achieve an error rate of 1 in 1,000,000 – a minimum requirement for solving simple problems.

    For complex challenges such as breaking modern encryption methods, even thousands of logical quantum bits are required. Therefore, further progress in quantum error correction and more efficient algorithms are urgently needed to reduce the required number of physical quantum bits.

    A clear path ahead
    The current results from Google and other research groups form a solid basis for the development of the quantum computers of the future. While many technical hurdles remain, recent advances are making the goal of a powerful, fault-tolerant quantum computer more tangible. Whether and how the technology will become established in practice remains to be seen, but the outlook is now clearer than ever before.

  • ZHAW researchers successfully apply quantum computers in practice

    ZHAW researchers successfully apply quantum computers in practice

    Quantum computers not only know the state 0 and 1, but can represent several states between 0 and 1 through so-called qubits – analogous to bits of classical computers – and thus calculate many possible results simultaneously. However, qubits are susceptible to errors, for example due to external influences such as temperature fluctuations or electromagnetic radiation. But internal processes can also cause miscalculations, since the qubits only remain in a stable state for a short time. This is why the smallest possible algorithms are needed, with which quantum computers can calculate results as quickly as possible before the qubits become unstable.

    Exploiting the strength of quantum computers in a targeted way
    So far, there has mainly been theoretical work on how these advantages of quantum computers can be used in the field of quantum machine learning. However, this computer technology has hardly ever been applied in practice. ZHAW researchers have now, for the first time, chosen a new method with which quantum computers can achieve more precise results for complex problems. “Using a hybrid approach, we implemented the most complex part of an algorithm in a quantum computer, while still allowing a classical computer to calculate the remaining part,” explains ZHAW researcher Kurt Stockinger. The machine learning algorithm used here is used to classify objects. Since quantum computers are particularly strong in highly complex calculations, but offer no advantage over classical computers in simple tasks, a combination of both systems could actually be an efficient solution.

    Tested with quantum computers from IBM
    The ZHAW researchers conducted their experiments with a total of five data sets and had the calculations performed by quantum and classical computers and compared the results with each other. To do this, they used the option of docking directly onto an IBM quantum computer. In this way, they could simulate the calculation and have it actually performed by a quantum computer. The approach was tested, among other things, on the so-called iris data set, which contains information on flowers and is used to classify individual flower species. And indeed, the hybrid method led to more accurate results. “We were thus able to show that classical machine learning problems can be solved better by the hybrid approach than with classical computers,” Stockinger summarises the result.

    Optimising neural networks with quantum computers
    The ZHAW researchers also used neural networks because they can recognise complex patterns within large amounts of data on several layers. The team led by Kurt Stockinger and Rudi Füchslin used a weather dataset with many interdependent parameters such as humidity, air pressure or temperature and fed it into a neural network to obtain the result “rain” or “sunshine” at the end. “We implemented a certain layer of this network in the quantum computer. This makes it possible to calculate and look at several dependencies at the same time. This makes it possible to make much more accurate weather forecasts,” Stockinger describes the advantage of the method. “However, research here is still in its infancy, as further investigation is needed into how neural networks can be implemented most effectively in a quantum computer.”

    Diverse possibilities for industry and science
    “We have now moved from theory to application. This means that the technology is now also becoming interesting for companies,” says Stockinger. Many companies are also already showing great interest in the advantages of quantum computing, also with a view to the possibilities in security technology. “Banks in particular have a strong interest in this technology, as their encryption methods could be cracked by quantum computers,” explains the ZHAW researcher. The technology can also be used in many other areas, such as in the development of new and improved materials or medicines. “These are the same areas of application as for machine learning, with the crucial difference that quantum computers can deliver faster and more accurate results,” Kurt Stockinger sums it up.

  • Quantum technology influences future area developments

    Quantum technology influences future area developments

    Quantum computers will help build new kinds of platforms for drugs and revolutionise drug development at the same time. Quantum encryption will also completely revolutionise internet banking. Whether there will still be many traditional banks then is a question you can answer for yourself. Banks, however, are a fundamental part of the real estate industry. The revolution is coming fast, and there are very likely to be losers.

    Quantum computing will completely revolutionise the entire IT and IoT by 20 years and data processing will become faster by a factor of 1,000. A computing task that takes 24 hours today will take less than 2 minutes in 20 years. For special tasks, quantum computers will be available that will be 100,000 times faster. In other words, they will be able to solve tasks that cannot be solved today. This is the revolution that will completely change the world of work. Those who master the technology will be able to play in the industry, those who neglect it will have problems. This means preparing tomorrow’s workforce for the quantum future. Since quantum computers have arrived in industry more than 5 years ago, medium and larger SMEs also have to deal with the topic, and that is demanding. Waiting is not an option.

    It is crucial that future employees understand the programming differences between traditional and quantum systems. With traditional computing, thanks to well-defined firmware (operating and basic software) today, it is not necessary to know how the hardware of a computer works. The programmer needs to understand how to use it. In the emerging quantum computing industry, with its mix of implementation strategy and hardware types, the situation is reversed. In the absence of standardised hardware and associated quantum firmware, future programmers need to know how quantum computers work when they design their software applications. Using the necessary quantum circuits requires a special understanding of mathematics and physics to formulate questions and interpret answers from the quantum process. Those who understand some modern mathematics will have huge advantages.

    The next 10 years will bring significant advances in quantum computing. IBM has just demonstrated with Spectrum Fusion 2.2 where the journey will lead. Corresponding infrastructures must be ensured on future sites. In addition to trained personnel in sufficient numbers, this also includes a secure power supply and an existing connection to the international high-performance fibre optic network. Those who cannot ensure these factors should not believe that their site is ready for the industry of the future and can have fatal consequences for the invested capital.