Quantum calculations that have a moment. But the technology is futuristic

Microsoft’s Majorana 1 Quantum Computing Company

Microsoft

He doesn’t quite have artificial intelligence, but Quantum Computing has his own moment.

Some of the most powerful institutions in the world, including Google. Microsoft. Amazon. IBM And the US government pursues a lot of millions in the race to develop and create the first practical quantum computer.

Startups were focused on quantum technology last year raised about $ 2 billion, reports A Report McKinsey & Co.As investors are going to an industry that can earn almost $ 100 billion over the decade.

However, there is not much business today. A total of quantum computing companies received up to $ 750 million in 2024, the report said.

But more and more we hear about the big breakthrough.

Last year Microsoft disclosed Its first quantum chip, Google executives – Note Technology can only be five years old, Amazon demonstrated its adjustments to Quantum Processor and IBM distinguished Its plan to build a meaningful quantum computer by 2029.

By joining them, it is dozens of smaller companies and universities working on basic mathematics, software or potential business models. Some companies are even publicly traded and can see their shares flying or falling off based on the kernel news.

In January, Nvidia CEO Jensen Juan Sent quantum computing reserves that are redone When he said he had been “on the early side”, considering how much time it would be before quantum calculations would be useful. At the time, he said that 20 years was a term that “a whole pile of believing us.”

Two months later he Walked back Comments, but also made surprise that they moved markets or that there are even markets that would move.

“How can a public company of quantum computer campaign?” said Juan in March.

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Now there is nothing useful that quantum computers can do. They are pure for research.

But the promise is clear. If the technology works, it can throw some types of numbers and make some tasks that are currently impossible on the traditional computer, or it will take so much time to end the universe before completion.

To imagine a quantum computer, you have to fundamentally change how you consider what it means to calculate.

The traditional computer works because there are billions of transistors on each chip. These transistors can be those or zeros – turned on and off. In large numbers of transistors can represent virtually every number, refer to parts of the system and make arithmetic. That’s how every computer in the world works.

In the quantum computer, the system uses cubes instead of transistors. It is much more difficult than in zeros. Whether the cubes are determined or excluded, the quantum mechanics are determined, and all the cubes are “confused”, which means that the change in one will affect the likelihood of the rest.

Creating cubes may require significant infrastructure. For example, some quantum computers should work at very cold temperatures, almost absolute zero.

So far, there are many quantum applications for chemistry and physics modeling.

“Quantum Computers will not be a computing for each application, and this is normal,” said Crysta Svar, Vice President Microsoft on Expanded Quantum Development. “Even if we just use quantum computers for material science and chemistry, 96% of the world’s products are calculated on chemistry and material science.”

Encryption

Today, there is one well -understood use for quantum calculations: encryption. That is why the US government and others are closely monitoring the development of technology. This matters for national defense.

“Fear is that quantum computers will be able to crack our digital secrets,” said John Young, the operating head of the quantum emotions in America.

Currently, most passwords, WhatsApp texts, financial transactions and other important messages are encrypted, which means that they are overdue and cannot be read when the data is stolen or observed. But Quantum Computers will be able to quickly consider the numbers, which can allow hackers or other attackers to find the codes necessary to decipher important secrets.

Safety Researchers are worried about what they call Q-dayEither the day when an effective quantum computer is created. They predict chaos when passwords and encryption begin mysteriously.

“Along with its potential benefits, Quantum Computing also causes considerable risks to the US economic and national security,” Biden’s White House said in Indus in 2022 Memo of national security. Cryptographically relevant quantum computer “may jeopardize civil and military communication, undermine control and control over critical infrastructure and defeat security protocols for most financial transactions based on the Internet,” the statement said.

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There is no practical application and algorithm that can be launched on a quantum computer that today cannot be reached on a regular silicon -based computer.

However, several groups say they have proved a “quantum rule”, which indicates that they have arisen a problem on a quantum computer that would take much more time with a traditional computer. The actions were abstract.

Google was the first to announce quantum rule in 2019, describing the achievements of a quantum computer as “”arrest.

Google says researchers have provided computer random instructions to make the problem as sophisticated in quantum mechanics. Then his researchers were able to show that the quantum computer faster deciphering the quantum problem. Last year Google said his new, faster quantum computer Sycamore expanded the space in execution.

In terms of future real -world applications, most quantum computers are in the field of research, chemistry and materials.

Google indicates drug detection or searching for molecules that can be useful. It also states that quantum computers will be able to make the science required to commercialize the merger energy.

When Microsoft announced its first quantum chip in February, the company emphasized problems with chemistry and materials, such as why some materials are separated or as compost plastic.

There is also some optimism that Quantum Computers will be well suited to obtain AI learning data, especially for situations or problems with a lot of potential solutions.

Total look at the Pentagon in Washington, Colombia District, March 21, 2025.

Kent Nishimura | Reuters

Google Researcher Supports the web page What catalogs are many of the most famous quantum algorithms.

Most famous Shora’s algorithmWhich has shown that the quantum computer will be able to find the main factors of a large number faster than it is currently possible on a digital computer.

When an algorithm was discovered in 1994, he fired a certain concern to militants around the world. Many of them use the encryption method called RSA, which requires a lot of accounting process to be complicated to keep data secret.

Take care about China

The fear is that the quantum computer would allow the enemy, like China, quickly decipher US military messages or consumer banks operations.

“Without an effective softening of the effects said in 2021.

Microsoft recognized the national security factor and even established quantum security as a race against China.

“Although the majority believes that the US still holds a leading position, we cannot allow strategic surprise or that China may already be in parity with the United States,” – Microsoft Brad Smith Smith Smith President Brad Smith wrote In a blog message in April.

The government has led the effort to move the encryption to the so -called methods after the quantum that could not be disturbed by the quantum computer. Companies like Apple Already began to integrate the encryption after quantum into one’s services such as IMessage.

But past communications can still contain secrets. Spentice agencies and other hackers often collect encrypted data, expecting you to decipher.

So far, most of the job in quanta is still quite academic.

Most advanced hardware companies today are working on “errors correction” or various methods designed to reduce the number of errors and make them less harmful when they happen.

In modern quantum computers, the cubes do not receive, as often the 1000 times used, Microsoft researchers report. Microsoft – Note Last week, when he managed to reduce the error level 1000 times thanks to the new approach.

In the last year, several improvements to error correction has been announced, and this is one of the reasons that researchers and engineers are increasingly sure that they would be able to build a quantum computer.

The next number for the solution is the scaling of computers.

The new Google Willow chip has 105 cubes. There are eight in the Microsoft Microsoft chip. Starling IBM plans to have 200 cubes. The Ocelot Amazon chip has 14 cubes. In the coming years, these numbers should go up. Google and Microsoft say a truly useful quantum computer will need 1 million cubes.

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