Quantum computing is a term that is gaining popularity over the recent years, but is currently used by a couple of large organizations due to the complexity of the quantum computing systems. Compared to regular computers that use bits to encode information, quantum computers use qubits. These qubits can make many calculations and can do multiple calculations simultaneously, which means that the quantum computer can perform better and faster than a regular computer. It is expected that technological improvements and commercialization of quantum computing will further enhance the capability of quantum versus classical computing.
However, these quantum computers are extremely sensitive. For example, overheating can cause a qubit to lose its quantum properties, which causes the system to crash. This means that a large infrastructure needs to be built around the quantum computer to keep it cool. This drives up the price and size of quantum computers, making it not suitable for the mass market.
New technologies are developing around improving the infrastructure of quantum computers, which enables the computer to be more practical and thus suitable for the mass market. Orca Computing is a leading manufacturer of these smaller quantum computers, which uses photonics (application of light particles) to cool down the system. This makes the computer more scalable, opening up possibilities for the mass market.
This will enable whole industries to transform and in the end can improve the lives of many people. Think for example of the pharmaceutical industry which currently relies on making approximations in chemistry models. Quantum computing can help deliver accurate simulations of molecules, which leads to a more precise model, which in turn leads to a faster and better development of medicine.
Organizations are getting more aware of the potential of quantum computing and technologies are being developed to improve the scalability of these computers, which can lead to breakthroughs in several industries. It is therefore a positive development to commercialize quantum computing.
Sources:
https://www.newscientist.com/question/what-is-a-quantum-computer/
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58738571
https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/quantumstrategy
Nice article! One of the things I have read about with quantum computing is the “danger” it poses to our common security standards. This such as (simpler) password can be cracked with relative ease with the huge computation power of quantum computers. Do you know of any other dangers that quantum computing poses or things that can be more easily exploited by quantum computing?