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Quantum Computer Possible From Silicon Fab

Posted by timothy on from the quintiddlydidillion dept.

Cash Mitchell writes: "This article from the EE Times says 'Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison claim to have created the world's first successful simulation of a quantum-computer architecture that uses existing silicon fabrication techniques.... With existing fabrication techniques, the team estimates that a million-quantum-dot computer (1,024 x 1,024 array) could be built today and operated in the megahertz range.'"

11 of 236 comments (clear)

  1. The simulation works perfectly.... by pollock · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...unless of course you try to look at the results.

  2. Schrodinger must die! by NewtonsLaw · · Score: 5, Funny

    How many cats will be sacrificed to test a 1024x1024 quantum array I wonder?

    1. Re:Schrodinger must die! by Myco · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, it was going to be zero, but you just had to ASK, didn't you?

      --
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  3. So, what can a million qubits calculate? by awfar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What are practical, everyday use? (besides breaking incredibly big and long keys to steal identities) These things operate at room temperature and are small and cheap enough for everyone to have.

    A personal weather forecaster, fluid dynamic calculating, realtime, 3d cellphone with a cute ring tone? Or a wash machine that can predict el nino's?

    Help me here...

    1. Re:So, what can a million qubits calculate? by Misanthropic+Lycanth · · Score: 4, Informative
      Quantum computer science is still in its infancy. There are some algorithms out there which operate much quicker than their classical counterparts (e.g. factoring, searching). There are others that are impossible. For instance, it is impossible to copy a qubit.

      This book is pretty good. It's used at my university to teach an intro course in quantum computing.

      --

      Physics: Making the universe open source.
    2. Re:So, what can a million qubits calculate? by huntz0r · · Score: 5, Funny

      For instance, it is impossible to copy a qubit.

      I can already hear the RIAA running like hell to back this technology.

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      Karma: Chameleon (mostly affected when you come and go, you come and go)
    3. Re:So, what can a million qubits calculate? by dillon_rinker · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Computer...find me the drivers."
      (GooglePersonal does some context checking for the generic term "driver" and comes up blank...)
      "Do you want driver software for hardware attached to this computer, or are you looking for people who drive cars, or are you looking or something else?"
      "No, no...the printer drivers."
      (GooglePersonal polls the OS for a list of installed printers)
      "Do you want drivers for the Fax/Scanner/Printer or for the color laser printer?"
      "The color laser."
      (GooglePersonal queries the printer for its manufacturer and model ID)
      "Do you want to search only the manufacturer's web site?"
      "Yes."
      (GooglePersonal does the relevant search and returns 1 hit, a link that says "Click here to download and install the most up-to-date drivers for your printer.)
      "Only one hit? I wonder if it's the right one...and what am I supposed to do with it? DEAR! WHAT'S OUR SON'S PHONE NUMBER?"

  4. Re:Yes, but ... by tunah · · Score: 5, Funny

    There's no problem factoring big primes. I can do it in constant time. Big composites is a problem.

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  5. For the physics-savvy by carambola5 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I truly take pride in this discovery... mostly because I attend UW. But I suppose a love of physics helps in that area, too.

    Anyways, here's a somewhat technical article regarding the research (PDF).


    Oh, and "On Wisconsin!"

    --
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    People, in general, disappoint me. Politicians even more so.
  6. Re:Several thousand qubits is enough... by Uller-RM · · Score: 5, Informative

    It needs 2n + 1 qubits; you start with a superposition, raise it to a power, then measure the result, collapsing the first superposition into a subset of logarithms. The discrete log step is the clincher: once you know the number has a log, you can just perform a Fourier transform on the superposition of logs, and the rest is all number theory.

    And yes, you realistically need a LOT of extra qubits for error-correcting codes.

    (Just for completeness, the University of Portland used this text for a 400-level semester course on QC. It's not too bad, although it expects you to be quite fluent in number theory and linear algebra.)

  7. Windows == Quantum Computing! by Myriad · · Score: 5, Funny

    Doesn't Windows make your computer a quantum computer?

    You never know its stability state until you attempt an operation. Upon doing so you can't tell what it will do next.

    (With apologies to Mr. Schrodinger and Mr. Heisenberg)

    --
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