Quantum Computing: What it is and why you should care

There is a real buzz in the media about quantum computing and a pressure in today’s computer industry to make computing more efficient. You may have heard of it in talks about many of today’s problems caused by big data, the large amount of information that needs to be stored and perhaps the breakthrough that will enable machines to “think” with the nuance and interpretative skill of humans. 

With new announcements from Satya Nadella at Ignite 2017, we are closer than ever to achieving scalable, general purpose quantum computing. Quantum computing has the potential to enable (explainer video) researchers to simulate and develop new catalysts and materials, improve medicine, invent new industrial processes, accelerate the development of AI and answer fundamental questions about the origins of our universe.

I’ll go more in-depth about how they’ve reached these revelatory conclusions below. But first… 

What is Quantum Computing?

Quantum computing is essentially harnessing and exploiting the amazing laws of quantum mechanics to process information. A quantum computer can process a vast number of calculations simultaneously, thanks to physical phenomenon like superposition and entanglement, which is the future of communications technology. It’s a long process to build a quantum computer because of its complex manufacturing and high costs but industry experts and scientists are already working on improving this. 

Classic digital computers calculate using bits, or binary digits, which can have only one of two values, either 1 or 0. Quantum computers, however, calculate using quantum bits, known as qubits. Qubits can be both 1 and 0 simultaneously—meaning they can perform two calculations at once.

This is only possible on the smallest scales, where the laws of quantum physics hold sway, and make for massively faster computing, compared to digital computers. In the simplest of terms, a quantum internet would be one that uses quantum signals instead of radio waves to send information. Let’s explain that a bit further: 

The internet as we know it uses radio frequencies to connect various computers through a global web in which electronic signals are sent back and forth. In a quantum internet, signals would be sent through a quantum network using entangled quantum particles. More details can be found here. 

Quantum computing for Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) 

In a study published in the Physical Review Letters, Vedran Dunjko and co-authors have added to this research, showing that quantum effects can likely offer significant benefits to machine learning. 

"The progress in machine learning critically relies on processing power," Dunjko, a physicist at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, told Phys.org. "Moreover, the type of underlying information processing that many aspects of machine learning rely upon is particularly amenable to quantum enhancements. 

As quantum technologies emerge, quantum machine learning will play an instrumental role in our society—including deepening our understanding of climate change and assisting in the development of new medicine and therapies, as well as in settings relying on learning through interaction, which is vital in automated cars and smart factories." 

By 2040, we will no longer have the capability to power all of the machines around the world, as per Semiconductor Industry Analysis report. That is why the computer industry is continuously working to come up with new methods and solutions that will soon improve artificial intelligence, help with energy efficiency and outperform the classical computers.  

Top tech companies are already working on new algorithms and applications to produce quantum computers that are going to improve financial trading, machine learning as well as help solve traffic problems. When all those self-driving cars hit the roads, quantum computers can help ensure they all take the most efficient routes. 

The future of quantum computing

One of the issues with quantum computer prototypes is that they require qubits in proximity, which is within ten to twenty nanometres, to remain coupled. However, there is a solution that has been recently discovered by Australian researchers from the University of New South Wales. They have figured out that a new design for qubits on silicon, called ‘Flip-flop qubits’ can allow implementation of qubits in the same way traditional computers are built. 

“Crucially, this new qubit can be controlled using electric signals, instead of magnetic ones. Electric signals are significantly easier to distribute and localize within an electronic chip,” explains the project leader Andrea Mello.

This makes it easier to fabricate than atomic-scale devices, still being able to place a million qubits on a square millimetre. This new design allows qubits to be placed hundreds of nanometres apart and still remain coupled.

Not to mention, the same team of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia and Purdue University in the US now have a blueprint for a new kind of qubit and therefore a new kind of quantum computing system. This system could potentially be important as a scalable, space-saving qubit that stays quantum. 

Silicon quantum processors with robust long-distance qubit couplings are large-scale, donor-based silicon quantum processors based upon electric dipole interactions. It is a large-scale quantum processor with atomic-sized spin qubits that are integrated with silicon nano-electronic devices on a platform that does not require atomic-scale precision in the qubit placement. This processor could be fabricated using existing technology since it does not require precise donor placement and is only one of the many ideas that researchers have for qubits. 

Now, back to the exciting announcement at Ignite 2017… Microsoft topologist Michael Freedman has put Microsoft on the path to building the first topological qubit. Microsoft is currently working with experts in physics, mathematics, cryogenics, programming and computer science to develop this robust type of quantum bit to create this scalable quantum computer system. At Ignite, the progress of the programming language was showcased, exhibiting deep integration with Visual Studio and designed to work on both a quantum simulator and quantum computer. This creation will prove to lead us towards quantum computing at new, inexplicable rates.  

Quantum computing across specific industries: 

Manufacturing: Supply chain and purchasing: Supply chain optimization problems come in many different forms, such as procurement, production and distribution. As quantum computing improves, it will evolve from being able to solve one-time scenarios like plan-o-grams or truck loads, to large system-wide scenarios like store floor, regional distributions and eventually global supply chains. 

Financial Services: Portfolio risk optimization and fraud detection: Quantum computing shows promise in helping to determine attractive portfolios given thousands of assets with interconnecting dependencies. Additionally, quantum computing techniques could be used to more effectively identify key fraud indicators. More information can be found in the studies conducted by Accenture. 

Quantum technologies today:

Quantum technologies already exist in today’s world but only a handful of organizations are using it so far. Quantum computing systems, like D-Wave, cost more than $15m and companies like Microsoft, Google, Lockheed Martin, and Nasa believe that it is the future of computing.

“I think we have the opportunity to create one of the most valuable technology companies in history. I know that sounds really grand, but based on the capability we’ve built, we’re at the stage to be the dominant player in quantum computing for decades to come,” says Vern Brownell, the CEO of D-Wave Systems Inc. 

When we look back a decade ago and think about how much our everyday lives have changed with access to smartphones, there is no way we can clearly predict what the future will bring with quantum computing. It will certainly come with more revolutionized experiences and many new possibilities we can’t even imagine in today’s world. 

I look forward to your comments and feedback.You can find more blogs on Machine Learning (ML) trends, Sales Enablement, Marketing Technology and related topics on my LinkedIn profile and Twitter.