The Emergence of Quantum Computers: The End of the Silicon Age

The scientific world witnessed two seismic events in 2019 and 2020. During this time, two groups made announcements claiming to have achieved quantum supremacy or quantum superiority. This is an imaginary point where a quantum computer, a new type of computer, can outperform any conventional digital supercomputer in specific tasks. This proclamation heralded an era of unexpected instability, potentially reshaping the entire landscape of computing and even aspects of our daily lives.

Quantum Computers

First, Google made an announcement that their Sycamore quantum computer could solve a mathematical problem in just 200 seconds. The same problem would take nearly 10,000 years to solve using the world's fastest supercomputer. According to a report from MIT Technology Review, Google has labeled this event as a significant milestone, comparing it to the launch of the first satellite or manned flight in history. It will be considered as "the dawn of a new era in computing, where today's most powerful computers will seem as ordinary as abacuses."

Following this, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Quantum Innovation Institute has made further strides. They claim that their quantum computer is more than 100 trillion times faster than a conventional supercomputer. [One trillion = 1,000,000,000,000]

The emergence of such astonishing advancements in quantum computers has led IBM's Vice President, Bob Sutor, to comment, "I believe this is becoming the most important computing technology of our century."

Quantum Computers

Quantum computers are often referred to as ultimate or 'ultimate computers.' This is because they represent a paradigm shift in technology that will be able to compute on the smallest possible scale, namely, on the level of atoms. Quantum computers will surpass even our best supercomputers, as they will be able to compute problems that are currently impossible for digital computers. For example, digital computers can only compute on digital tape, where there is a series of 0s and 1s. When it comes to describing the subtle wave patterns of deeply dancing electrons in an atom, these computers fall short. The task becomes prohibitively complex for digital computers to analyze every possible path one by one. However, quantum computers can analyze all possible paths simultaneously. It can be said that they work at the speed of lightning.

As a result, there is now fierce competition among computing giants. IBM announced its quantum computer, Eagle, in 2021, which leads in computing power compared to all previous models.

But these records are actually just the tip of the iceberg. They are made to be broken.

In the current revolution, many leading corporations worldwide are investing heavily in this technology. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Rigetti, and Honeywell are all developing prototypes of quantum computers. Silicon Valley leaders understand that they need to keep pace with this revolution rather than lag behind in the dust.

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IBM, Honeywell, and Rigetti Computing have put their first-generation quantum computers on the Internet for public viewing. This will quench the curiosity of the general public. Anyone can now experience firsthand what it is like to interact directly with a quantum computer through the Internet. The "IBM Q Experience" was launched in 2016, making 15 quantum computers freely available to the public via the Internet. Users ranged from school students to professors, with nearly 2,000 people using them each month.

Even Wall Street is deeply interested in this technology. AIONIQ, the leading quantum computing company, has gone public. This has led to a staggering $6 billion IPO in 2021. What's more astonishing is that there is no track record of any previous product in the quantum market. Yet, the company has soared to such heights, surprising market analysts. They have the ability to mobilize nearly $665 million in cash overnight.

Consulting and accounting firm Deloitte has forecasted that the quantum computing market should reach several million dollars by the 2020s and several billion dollars by the 2030s. When quantum computers will enter the commercial market and transform the entire economy, no one knows yet. But in this field, scientific discoveries are always accompanied by revisions of predictions. Christopher Savoie, CEO of Zapata Computing, said, "It's no longer a matter of 'if' but 'when' this quantum leap will happen."

Even the US Congress is eager to assist in facilitating the advancement of this new technology. They have realized that for quantum computing research, generous funding must be provided as other countries are also contributing. Therefore, in December 2018, the National Quantum Initiative Act was passed by the US Congress. This Congress has directed the establishment of two to five new National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. They will allocate $80 million annually for this purpose.

Google Quantum Supremacy

In 2021, the US government announced an investment of $625 million in quantum technology, with further contributions of $340 million from giant corporations like Microsoft, IBM, and Lockheed Martin. The initiative is under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Energy. Not only China and the US but now even the UK government is building a National Quantum Computing Center. It will serve as a hub for quantum computing research and is being constructed at the Harwell Laboratory of the Science and Technology Facilities Council in Oxfordshire. Encouraged by their own government, thirty quantum computing startups were established in the UK by the end of 2019.

Industry analysts have highlighted this technology as a trillion-dollar gamble. There's no guarantee in such highly competitive fields. While companies like Google and others have achieved remarkable technological successes in recent years, the effective use of quantum computing to solve real-world problems still remains a long way off. It will require tremendous effort ahead. Even though some critics have expressed skepticism, computer companies understand that if they don't keep up, they risk being left behind. Therefore, their focus must be on moving forward.

Evan Astujic, a partner at McKinsey & Company, said, "Companies that are most afraid of being completely disrupted by quantum computing should start working with this technology now." There's a mature environment for significant changes in industries like chemistry, medicine, oil and gas, transportation, logistics, banking, pharmaceuticals, and cybersecurity. He further stated, "Theoretically, quantum computing is relevant for all CIOs because it will accelerate solving big environmental problems. These companies need to own quantum capabilities."

Former CEO of Canada's quantum computing company D-Wave Systems, Vern Brownell, commented, "We believe we can deliver capabilities that cannot be achieved through classical computing."

Many scientists believe that we are entering a completely new era. This can be compared to the times of the invention of transistors and microchips. Even companies that have no direct involvement in computer manufacturing (such as Quantum Daimler, the owner of Mercedes-Benz) have now invested in this new technology. They have realized that quantum computers can pave the way for new developments in their own industries. On the other hand, their rival BMW's CEO, Julius Marcier, wrote, "We are excited to see the transformative potential of quantum computing in the automotive industry. It also promises to expand the limits of engineering efficiency." Other major companies like Volkswagen and Airbus have also established their own quantum computing divisions to explore how it can revolutionize their businesses.

IBM Quantum Computers-3

Pharmaceutical companies are closely monitoring developments in this field as well. They have also realized that quantum computing may be able to simulate complex chemical and biological processes that are beyond the capabilities of digital computers. Perhaps one day, the testing of millions of drugs can be replaced by virtual laboratories. These could potentially test drugs in cyberspace. Some fear that one day, chemists too may be replaced by machines using this technology. However, drug discovery blogger Derek Lowe has stated, "Machines won't replace chemists one day, that's not true. Actually, those chemists who will use the machine will replace those who will not use the machine."

The largest scientific instrument in the world is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located outside Geneva, Switzerland. It is used to collide proton particles with each other. It recreates the conditions of the early universe by generating 14 trillion electron volts. The LHC is now being used to explore the complex nature of subatomic particles using quantum computing. In just one second, it can analyze a trillion bytes of data generated by the collision of nearly a billion particles. It is hoped that one day, the mysteries of the creation of the universe may also be unlocked by quantum computers.

-----  AUTHOR   -----

Rahman Siddique Rony

is a Bangladeshi YouTube Content Creator, Blogger and

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