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Innovative Ion Trap on a Semiconductor
Denix writes "MIT's TechnologyReview has an interesting article on a silicon-based "ion trap" in order to host a "qubit." The Ion Trap technology 'uses electric and magnetic fields to isolate a charged particle from its environment -- a prerequisite for exploiting the temperamental quantum properties of electrons."
Now we have to hope that quantum computing comes out in time for Windows Vista.
I wonder what sort of programming language would be needed to manipulate such esoteric devices.
Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
Read up on Ion traps at: http://www.ionsource.com/links/iontrap.htm
Also, Wikipedia has quite a bit of useful information, especially regarding Paul traps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_trap
SIG: TAKE OFF EVERY 'CAPTAIN'!!
Well you're correct: working with databases WILL be one of the strong points of quantum computers. However as for the 8-bit 16-bit argument.. 16-bit is an upgrade to 8-bit technology that still can address content in bytes, you still run linear commands and get predictable results out of it.
Quantum computers are not evolution from computer technology, they're an entirely new beast. It's not even like PowerPC vs Intel or anything. You can't just "port" programs to it that are made for regular PC-s.
They are also not better in data throughput or speed as a technology on their own. They use aspects of quantum mechanics (which scientists still can't explain why they happen in first place) to run very specialised set of tasks through it and obtain results that'd take years of loops on a normal PC to compute.
I still don't see it in my mobile phone or PC, was my point.
For the obligatory 'but will it run Linux?' question, here's an answer I heard:
Being a Quantum computer, it can both run Linux, and NOT run Linux at the same time.
Serving time in Aristotelean prison for violating laws of physics
Indeed my point.
.. different thing.
BTW this is why I always thought calling them "computers" is misleading. When you say computer you expect the full thing, being able to handle any PC tasks you throw at it.
I'd rather call it Quantum Processing Unit (QPU), and just like FPU before it it'll play together with the core CPU, not replace it, since you still need a "normal" CPU to display the interface, code editor, to compile code and to show the results of the quantum computations of the QPU.
You can't just grab a QPU and adapt it to do all tasks a moden CPU can. They're just
Why hasn't quantum computing gone further? Well, first you need to know that it requires your qubit to be tied to nearby qubits. When done with electrons, this is difficult because decoherence sets in very quickly.
In the end, they can "compute" with this string of qubits by bathing it in a certain frequency wavelength. What comes back are the multiple waves with the frequencies of all the prime factorizations of the initial frequency. The initial frequency cannot be greater than 2^(# of qubits).
The information I am relaying to you is from George Johnson's book, A Shortcut Through Time. Which is quite good.
I would also like to point out that the United States Government Lab in Los Alamos has done considerable research regarding this.
As a citizen of the U.S., you are funding this project so you have paid for and are entitled to read about their discoveries and I encourage you to do so if you have the time.
The reason for all this research? ~ From the Wiki Talk on Shor's Algorithm
My work here is dung.
I was wondering how people could work anti-MS comments into an article about ion traps.. but I'm new here and I should have known it could be done easily. Just add the word innovative and we're done.