Scientists have unveiled the world’s first universal programmable quantum computer, capable of processing two quantum bits or qubits which store more data than the simple “on” or “off” bits of conventional computing.
But, the test programme has revealed significant hurdles which the scientists claim must be overcome before it is ready for real work, the ‘New Scientist’ reported.
A team, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado, has developed the experimental device which uses beryllium ions to store qubits in the way they spin while the laser-pulse quantum gates perform the simple logic operations on the qubits.
According to the scientists, the trick to making a quantum logic gate is in designing a series of laser pulses that manipulate the beryllium ions in a way which processes information. Another laser then reads off the results of the calculations.
