- Large technological companies invest massively in the research and development of quantum IT.
- Quantum computers are not yet tolerant to breakdowns, but technology giants say they are approaching a breakthrough.
- Defenders say that quantum computers could revolutionize many industries if they made their potential.
You are not alone if you heard the buzz on quantum computers and you wonder what it means or why it matters.
The rapidly evolving field remains deeply technical, expensive to move forward, and not yet particularly useful for anyone other than researchers. While small -scale quantum computers exist, large technological companies – including IBM, Amazon, Microsoft and Google – run to develop them to commercial relevance.
Their investments are intended to inaugurate a new generation of ultra-powerful computers capable of performing impossible advanced calculations for conventional computers. While some researchers argue that sufficient progress in the field could one day inaugurate science fiction results such as time tripThere is a broader consensus according to which, as soon as possible, quantum computer science will lead to major progress in medicine, in materials science and in other areas that would have a deep impact on society.
\Michael Biercuk, CEO of the Australian company of quantum infrastructure software Q-CTRL, told Business Insider some of the first applications for quantum computer science is “simply not very sexy, but they are economically, extremely high”.
BI has spoken with more than a dozen people in the field of quantum computer science, including researchers from IBM and Amazon Web Services, managers behind startups, including Q-Ctrl and Quamcore, and researchers carrying out some of the country’s best quantum laboratories.
Here is what they say to be the most promising means that quantum IT could change the world.
Logistics improvement
“A major opportunity for a real quantum advantage is logistical optimization and management of the supply chain,” said Bieruck. “These are very difficult problems, and we know that they are a bottleneck in terms of calculation.”
The optimization of supply chains and the improvement of logistics operations can make major organizations as the military and global shipping industry more efficient, helping businesses ensure coherent quality and a reliable offer. This could also lower the cost of consumer goods, reduce waste and prevent the deterioration of perishable articles, which can potentially tackle greater social problems such as global hunger.
New building materials
Lighter and more durable materials used to create roads and bridges, houses and other everyday items could make construction faster and more affordable and reduce the need for repairs.
“Some of the first applications that we will be able to tackle that are relevant and provide not only usefulness, but also an advantage with a quantum computer on any classic computer is in the field of science and material development,” Oskar Painter said at the end of February, after the announcement of the company on its company. Chip in Ocelot.
Even more promising is the potential discovery of self -healing materials – imagine the buildings created of metals which are repaired themselves or the asphalt which fills its own cracks – could also be possible via Quantum Computing, Microsoft teasing in its press release from February announcing its Chip Majorana 1.
More efficient batteries
Optimizing molecular battery materials can also cause more efficient and powerful batteries, improving the range of electric vehicles and increasing the stability of the electricity network.
“There could be opportunities where energy density could increase just because you have a better matrix other than carbon to store lithium ions, as we do conventionally in current Lipo batteries,” said Painter. “These are things that, I would say, are not so glamorous when you talk about it, but they can have a major impact of the real world.”
Discovery of drugs
Rob Schoelkopf, chief scientist and quantum Circuits co -founder, told Business Insider that quantum IT could help us accelerate the discovery of new drugs by identifying new compounds with higher efficiency and fewer side effects.
“With a large-scale quantum computer, times of discovery of drugs will drop from 15 to five years, perhaps at three years to two years, depending on the nature of the problem that must be solved,” said Schoelkopf.
Rupture encryption
Perhaps more worrying, quantum IT also shows that security researchers in a way we know will lead “definitively” to our current Strengthest encryption methodsKarl Holmqvist, CEO of Lastwall, a supplier of cybersecurity of quantum resilient technology used by the United States Ministry of Defense, told Business Insider.
“Everything connected to the Internet will probably have problems,” said Holmqvist. “Most of the time, we hope that the links between the systems are secure and that the data that has them are secure, and that there is no way to enter those that they are encrypted. If you remove this default hypothesis, it allows so many new entry points in the systems that it becomes completely worrying.”
Arthur Herman, director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative of Hudson Institute, added that sufficient progress in quantum computer science could undermine the security of all encrypted data, financial transactions stored on the blockchain to national security secrets.
“What we are talking about is the possibility of piracy, not only in individual cryptocurrencies, but our greatest financial markets,” said Herman.
… but we are not there yet
“We believe that we are about to demonstrate the quantum advantage,” said Scott Crowder, vice-president of IBM’s quantum and commercial adoption, Scott Crowder, referring to the time a quantum computer surpasses conventional machines. “But the industry is still a few years old from a quantum computer entirely tolerant of the breakdowns.”
For the moment, he added, large technological companies must be cautious about increasing public expectations when Promote breakthrough in their research To avoid creating disillusionment with the field.
“Sur-hype” on industry, said Crowder, could lead people to reduce quantum technology before its promise can be made.
However, when the industry finally solves its problems of error correction and scalability – that Crowder said that it thought it was imminent – it will be “as science fiction will come to life”.