Australian Researchers Design a New Type of Supercomputer
Researchers at the University of Western Australia have achieved a breakthrough in the design of ‘quantum supercomputers’. Note that as of now, there is no such thing as a quantum computer. They are still in developmental stage. That is why the finding is important.
The researchers have managed to simulate a ‘quantum walk’, which will allow easy manipulation of the information in any prototype of a quantum computer. Using the quantum leap, information can travel in different ways at the same instant.
Quantum computers use single protons and electrons. Traditional computers are based on transistors embedded on silicon chips. In traditional computers, information is stored in either of two states- 0s or 1s. Quantum computers can use both the states simultaneously, giving them larger capabilities.
There is no doubt that when quantum computers become a reality, they will have to use custom power systems. Currently, no catalog power systems can match the requirement of such a computer.
The researchers, some of whom were embedded engineers, have also developed a software that can test ‘quantum walks’ and parse complex algorithms. The experiment gave evidence that even a prototype of a quantum computer will be much more capable than a traditional computer.
This is the first time these quantum codes were being tested and many more are expected to follow this initial test. Building a quantum computer is going to be a major engineering challenge. That is why this experiment is so significant; it has brought us one step closer to realizing a quantum computer.
