i3 - May/June 2020 - 13

By Murray Slovick

Tech

A T EC H TO WATC H

Quantum Computing

ccasionally, a technology promises advances on an
extraordinary level. Referring to a golf analogy, one
might say quantum computing is on the green and
rolling in a straight, true line for the hole.

IBM is on the front
lines of quantum
computing.

Researchers claim quantum computers
could spur breakthroughs in machine
learning and artificial intelligence (AI),
better simulate what drugs could do in
the human body, discover new structures and materials, improve financial
risk analysis strategies and create tamper-proof cybersecurity measures. These
advances, often impossible with classical
computing, are within reach because
computing time is reduced from years
to minutes and seconds.

Courtesy of IBM

What you Need to Know

Quantum mechanics is the science dealing with the behavior of matter and light
on an atomic and subatomic scale. In
quantum computing, a qubit is a unit of
information, a parallel to the conventional bit as the smallest unit of data. It
can be set to one of two states - 0 or 1
- but unlike a bit or a semiconductor
gate it's not as simple as being on or off.
Three quantum mechanical properties
- superposition, entanglement and
interference - can manipulate the state
of a qubit.
C TA . t e c h / i 3

i3_0520_Tech_ATechToWatch.indd 13

Superposition allows a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same
time. A qubit can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously, until the time it is observed or
measured. Unfortunately, once a superposition state meets with a measuring
system it loses its in-between state in
what's known as decoherence and
becomes a classical bit reverting to
either 1 or 0. Thus, building a quantum
computer requires holding an object in a
superposition state long enough to carry
out various processes.
Superposition allows quantum computers to consider many variables instantaneously. Interference enables a quantum
computer to combine its multiple calculations and probabilities into one answer.

Spooky Action

An important use of quantum entanglement is teleportation. Here, the state of
one qubit is destroyed in one place and
resurrected in another. Entanglement
behaves like there is communication
between the qubits over a distance. It's
not quite "two qubits to beam me up,

Scotty" but even Einstein couldn't fully
come to grips with how the measurement of one particle will instantly influence another particle, regardless of how
far apart they are. Einstein described
quantum entanglement as "spooky
action at a distance."
Big tech companies like Google, IBM,
Intel and Microsoft are working on quantum computers. At CES 2020, IBM
hosted a Quantum Tech SuperSession
with Daimler AG and ExxonMobil executives discussing how it will radically
change the world. IBM's Q Network now
tops 100 organizations working toward
business and science applications.
Quantum computing may help solve
some of the world's most complex challenges via systems that exceed our most
powerful supercomputers. Some problems that IBM is working on include:
● Polymers that could replace steelbased components.
● Antibiotics to counter multidrugresistant bacteria.
● Electrolytes for lithium-air batteries
for electric airplanes.
IBM's device is a 20-qubit quantum computer enclosed in an airtight glass case,
where qubits are stable enough to perform
continuous commercial quantum computations. Potential applications include:
● Disease control. The coronavirus
outbreak could not have been curbed
yet. But quantum computing will help
scientists confront future health crises.
● Cloud computing. Google plans to
offer commercial cloud computing on its
quantum computer to process complicated problems and provide results to
individual users.
● Cryptography. Microsoft Research
is exploring quantum cryptography to
potentially change data security.
However, it will be decades before
consumers can purchase their own
quantum computer. That said, the quantum computing market is projected to
grow solidly through the next decade.
According to Tractica's global market
forecast, total enterprise quantum computing market revenue will reach $9.1
billion annually by 2030.
MAY/JUNE 2020

5/7/20 1:58 PM

http://CTA.tech/i3

i3 - May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - May/June 2020