Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 27th Sep 2007 21:48 UTC, submitted by SReilly
For the first time the components that underlie quantum computing's great potential - qubits - have been linked on chips like those in conventional computers. Two US research teams used superconducting circuits to make two of the quantum components linked by a quantum information cable or bus. The bits that work together on calculations in a normal computer can exist in two states - either 0 or 1. But qubits can inhabit both at once, allowing them to process many calculations simultaneously when they get together.
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Member since:
2005-07-06
Having worked on quantum computation for my PhD thesis, I can tell a few things:
- Quantum computation is not looking super promising. They are great for some special applications (factoring for instance) but it's not like they will have an impact on mainstream computation anytime soon.
- Quantum communication/encryption on the other hand already has extraordinary results and future potential and there're commercial devices that work.