Physicists Made An Unprecedented 53 Qubit Quantum Simulator (vice.com) 70
Two teams of researchers have published papers [1, 2] in the journal Nature detailing how they were able to create unprecedented quantum simulators consisting of over 50 qubits. The University of Maryland team and National Institute of Standards and Technology team -- the two teams behind one of the two new papers -- were able to create a quantum simulator with 53 qubits. Motherboard reports: Quantum simulators are a special type of quantum computer that uses qubits to simulate complex interactions between particles. Qubits are the informational medium of quantum computers, analogous to a bit in an ordinary computer. Yet rather than existing as a 1 or 0, as is the case in a conventional bit, a qubit can exist in some superposition of both of these states at the same time. For the Maryland experiment, each of the qubits was a laser cooled ytterbium ion. Each ion had the same electrical charge, so they repelled one another when placed in close proximity. The system created by Monroe and his colleagues used an electric field to force the repelled ions into neat rows. At this point, lasers are used to manipulate all the ytterbium qubits into the same initial state. Then another set of lasers is used to manipulate the qubits so that they act like atomic magnets, where each ion has a north and south pole. The qubits either orient themselves with their neighboring ions to form a ferromagnet, where their magnetic fields are aligned, or at random. By changing the strength of the laser beams that are manipulating the qubits, the researchers are able to program them to a desired state (in terms of magnetic alignment).
According to Zhexuan Gong, a physicist at the University of Maryland, the 53 qubits can be used to simulate over a quadrillion different magnetic configurations of the qubits, a number that doubles with each additional qubit added to the array. As these types of quantum simulators keep adding more qubits into the mix, they will be able to simulate ever more complex atomic interactions that are far beyond the capabilities of conventional supercomputers and usher in a new era of physics research. Another team from Harvard and Maryland also released a paper today in which it demonstrated a quantum simulator using 51 qubits.
According to Zhexuan Gong, a physicist at the University of Maryland, the 53 qubits can be used to simulate over a quadrillion different magnetic configurations of the qubits, a number that doubles with each additional qubit added to the array. As these types of quantum simulators keep adding more qubits into the mix, they will be able to simulate ever more complex atomic interactions that are far beyond the capabilities of conventional supercomputers and usher in a new era of physics research. Another team from Harvard and Maryland also released a paper today in which it demonstrated a quantum simulator using 51 qubits.
Re:That's all fine and dandy... (Score:5, Funny)
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I peeked inside. It can't now. :(
Does this impacts any KeyEx (Score:3)
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Seriously? That's *EXACTLY* what this'll be used for -- just give it some time..
the NSA and FBI feel entitled to decrypt everything to you know, keep us safe.
They'll probably issue a gag order to the research teams to prevent them from going public with their findings, and a press release like this one will be the last we ever hear about the technology.
Scott Aaronson's take (Score:5, Informative)
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How did this get modded up? Quantum computers are not supposed to give results instantly. Even general purpose quantum computer algorithms are expected to not return the best optimization every time, which is why they are proposed as good for problems that are easy to verify but hard to search. E.g. Shor's algorithm for factorization includes the possibility of re-running the algorithm when verification of the result on classical computer fails.
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Yes they can! (Score:1)
They can bubble sort faster than 'classical' computers. Only sometime the results won't be sorted properly, and often it will be slower than qsort.
Quick take my money, I'm gullible!
RSA (Score:2)
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They're gonna need about tree fiddy.
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Don't hold your breath.
If there's one rule of thumb for how technology develops, it's that it follows S curves. Slow in the beginning, then absurdly fast in the main development phase, then slow again once most of it has been developed. That's how it went with industry, then computing, now biotechnology (we're beginning to enter the exponential part of the curve), and how it's going to be with Quantum computing once the threshold of industrial production of qubits is achieved.
So, if Quantum computing is currently at its "vacuum t
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The sources that claim 4k or 10k for a 2048k key are misinformed themselves or don't know how quantum computing (theory) works.
You're more than welcome to point out the specific thing they get wrong, as there are plenty of detailed accounts of how many qubits are needed for Shor's algorithm, e.g. here's a paper [arxiv.org] discussing the trade-off of space vs. speed scaling. Much like classical digital circuitry, you need some scratch space to store intermediate values, and more space lets you use fewer operations for quicker results, or less space requires more operations.
Even the naive implementation of Shor's algorithm for n bit number req
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How is it circular? This is no different than saying, "A hydraulic computer is not modeling water flow without water, but is an analog computer using water to model other things."
GGP said this uses no actual quantum states. GP says that is flat out wrong: This computer uses qubits, but is not a general purpose quantum computer. It is the same difference as between a general purpose cpu and a fixed logic circuit that does one thing, but still uses bits.
If that seems circular, then it is because your readi
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Others have pointed out that it should be able to break a 21-bit key (half the number of qbits).
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Is there any way to use a 53 qubit quantum computer to crack a longer key faster than a classical computer but slower than a quantum computer with more bits? I.e split Shor's algorithm [wikipedia.org] up into multiple stages?
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Now THAT is a classic I have not seen in some time.
Thats enough qubits. (Score:5, Funny)
Super Impressive:magnetizing coherent light. (Score:2)
Shortcut (Score:2)
Only 247 more qubits (Score:2)
That would give them a decent start on building an arq.
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I'm here 'til Sunday. Try the fish.
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quantum teleporation
Stop. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
Teleportation violates causality. Stop using that fucking word for things that are absolutely not teleportation.
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Teleportation is instantaneous spatial transference.
Anything else (such as encoding, destroying and rebuilding) is not teleportation.
Teleportation is impossible without violating causality. And that's why it's important to keep the definition clear, just as Tachyons are not merely "really fast particles".
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Besides, if violating causality is impossibly, why reserve and lock away a word to only be used to describe an impossible process, when a slightly broader use is actually applicable to something that exists?
Precisely because there's a hard, definitive line between what's possible and what isn't (as far as we know).
It's the same reason Tachyons have a name that isn't bastardized and used for other random fast particles.
Excited! (Score:1)
Not only size matters, but also resilience (Score:1)
According to John Martinis' (from Google) invited talk to this year's Crypto 2017, building a quantum computer with as many qubits as possible might be good for getting into the headlines, but for being otherwise useful, the qubits' error rate and how long they stay stable is as important. For current sizes 1% error rate might be OK, but as quantum computer become bigger they have to drop below 0.1% for being able to use error correction.
Thanks to error correction there is an important distinction to make b
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Technobabble (Score:5, Insightful)
Quantum simulators are a special type of quantum computer that uses qubits to simulate complex interactions between particles. Qubits are the informational medium of quantum computers, analogous to a bit in an ordinary computer. Yet rather than existing as a 1 or 0, as is the case in a conventional bit, a qubit can exist in some superposition of both of these states at the same time.
I love how quantum people love writing stuff like this, because if you don't already know exactly what it means, it won't do diddly dick to help you clarify what a quantum computer is anyway.
Qubits, alignment, charge, bla bla bla (Score:2)
All I really want to know is when can they laser-cool my beer?
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The answer to your question is, "Not soon enough!
American units (Score:1)
FYI 53 cubits is 0.120454 furlongs [google.com]