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Quantum Computing Using Traditional Transistors

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the reusing-old-hardware dept.

Ocean Consulting writes "UCLA is reporting progress on the quantum computing front by announcing success in controlling the spin of a single electron using an ordinary transistor." It's been a long road for the researchers involved, and even the project lead, Hong Wen Jiang admits, "...our initial theoretical calculations were very favorable, and gave us confidence to persevere."

5 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. Secure communications? by agm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Quantum computing, which holds the promise of nearly unlimited processing power, secure communications and the ability to decode encrypted conversations by terrorists and others, is a significant step closer to becoming a reality today with new research published by a team of UCLA scientists in the journal Nature.

    So which is it, secure communications or communications that can be spied on? It can't be both.

    1. Re:Secure communications? by cephyn · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Here's what i never understood, maybe you or someone can help me out...

      if eavesdropping on the encrypted transmission destroys it, couldnt the eavesdropper do so on purpose everytime, effectively jamming all transmission? Little point in having a secure way to communicate if no message can ever get through.

      --
      Moo.
  2. Hrmm... by Arcanix · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought about reading the article but will it change if I look at it?

  3. Kind of misleading... by 7Ghent · · Score: 5, Informative

    They're actually using pulsed microwave bursts to manipulate the electron's spin, not the transistor itself, really.

  4. I had a Quantum hard drive before by gphinch · · Score: 5, Funny

    "With 100 transistors, each containing one of these electrons, you could have the implicit information storage that corresponds to all of the hard disks made in the world this year, multiplied by the number of years the universe has been around," Yablonovitch said. "And why stop with 100 transistors?"

    I hope this drive lasts longer than the Quantumm Fireball I had.

    --
    in bed.