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U of Michigan creates first Quantum Microchip
zigziggityzoo writes "According to this article, The University of Michigan has created the first Quantum Microchip, which could eventually lead to the first instance of Quantum Computing ever." The bad news? We won't be seeing any notebooks or handhelds with quantum chips in the near future.
It is not a first post until someone reads it as a first post
I'm gonna need a spec.
I must say I'm intruiged by the potential of this new technology. I hope it moves quickly out into the public, (primarily because I don't like the sound of "128bit Archetecture")
Shots: A Populist Parable
Mox
Imagine a beowulf cluster of these bady boys!
(Had to, sorry.)
The bad news? We won't be seeing any notebooks or handhelds with quantum chips in the near future.
Yeah, right. Let me introduce myself, my name is Richard and I am Vice Peon, Assistant to the High Junior Acolyte In Charge of Dustbins of the Holy Order of 8th Day Advanced Micro Devicers. Once we were few in numbers, our faith challenged at every turn by the Church of Intel. Scoffed at, most cruelly as rank copyists without an innovation to our name. After years of wandering the wilderness between iterations our faith was rewarded most gloriously! Speak not of Quantum Notbooks and Handhelds being a thing of dreams, for we know the mighty AMD will deliver.
You'll see, you just watch! Ya betcha! Wrist devices, wearable quantum rings. Any second now. Yeah...
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
A commodore 64 the size of a grain of rice! ;-)
Unfortunately plugging in the joystics becomes harder.
...that Slashdot already has this chip. When the great troll thread was "observed" by an editor, every post in the whole thread collapsed to a single state from a quantum superposition of many states.
That's one small chip for man, one Quantum leap for mankind.
Proof by very large bribes. QED.
as you might be able to know where the computer is but not what it is doing or what it is doing but not where it is at the same time...
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
University of Michigan scientists have created the first quantum microchip, which could be a giant stride in the race to produce a new generation of brawny, super-fast computers.
Working with individual ions is key to building powerful computing machines that will exploit quantum physics -- instead of transistors -- and trump the power of today's most powerful supercomputers.
So, on a semiconductor chip roughly the size of a postage stamp, the Michigan scientists designed and built a device known as an ion trap, which allowed them to isolate individual charged atoms and manipulate their quantum states.
An ion expresses a positive or negative charge, depending on whether its parent atom has a missing or an extra electron. And ions are the preferred building blocks for a quantum system.
"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.
To isolate an ion, scientists confine it in the ion trap while applying electric fields. Laser light manipulates the spin of the ion's free electron to flip it between quantum states.
The spin of the electron dictates the value of the quantum bit, or "qubit." For example, an up-spin can represent a one, or a down-spin can represent a zero -- or the qubit can occupy both states simultaneously.
This enigmatic feature of quantum mechanics is what gives the qubit a powerful advantage over the binary digit of classical computing. Known as quantum superposition, the ability of the qubit to occupy two quantum states at once means that it can execute computations at an exponentially faster rate. Each time a qubit is added to a quantum system, its computing power doubles.
The new chip, which is made of gallium arsenide, should be easily scaled and mass-produced, because it's made using microlithography -- the same process that makes microchips.
Scientists can grow the chip using multiple one-atom-thick layers in a process called molecular beam epitaxy.
The finished chip has an empty space in its center that is engineered to extremely precise dimensions. Cantilevered electrodes surround the space, which is open to allow laser beam access and observation of the trapped ion.
Laser pulses fired into vaporized cadmium prepare ions for the trap. Once an ion is trapped, it floats in electric fields supplied by the chip's electrodes, according to Christopher Monroe, a physics professor at the University of Michigan who led the project.
A valuable feature of the quantum chip is that its size can be scaled to accommodate the objectives of a particular project. "Our target is to eventually develop a chip that can entrap 10 ions at a time," said Monroe. "But the primary goal is to prove that it works."
Will your notebook or desktop PC someday sport quantum innards? It's unlikely, at least in the immediate future. Researchers believe quantum systems will be much more efficient at rock-solid cryptography and mass database searches than running the latest version of Doom.
Expect this story to be dupped again. This time, it will be the fault of their new CPU, not Slashdot.
Finally, a dupe excuse for Slashdot!
Life is not for the lazy.
The first quantum chip is really light.
So, they still have a ways to go if they haven't achieved a 2-qubit entanglement yet, but it is at least a manfacturing advance.
In oher news, Bill Gates anounces xbox quantum for next summer.
GO BLUE!
1: As a proof of concept, it's a good start. I was always rather unsure how practical all this QC stuff actually was, as although the benefits look great, the technology seems to be incredibly complex.
2: It's a nice slap in the face for the various people who still doubt the validity of quantum theory itself. The fact that this is possible shows it's definately on the right lines.
the dupe could be the first story!
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
It would be a long way in the future, but I imagine that a quantum internet, where entanglement is used to transmit data instantly around the world, may one day be possible. Finally, no more lag! Even weirder, we could have computers, even single processors, consisting of multiple different parts around the world.
From TFA:
Researchers believe quantum systems will be much more efficient at rock-solid cryptography and mass database searches than running the latest version of Doom.
Any particular reason why? I mean, bits are bits, are they not? Or is this saying a game architechture couldn't take advantage of a qubit?
The Power of Quantum Computers is a good insight into just why this is a good system for factorization, and thus, breaking the stuffing out of encryption systems.
...in an effort to capitalize on stressing the inexpensive substrate, and finding naming the chip Gallium too redundant, selected Arsenium instead, which coincidentally also provided a necessary disclaimer--that the processor is currently only capable of presenting slightly funny comedy video.
The chip would, additionally, have little difficulty rendering this post.
The spin of the electron dictates the value of the quantum bit, or "qubit." For example, an up-spin can represent a one, or a down-spin can represent a zero -- or the qubit can occupy both states simultaneously.
Talking about storage, does that mean my HD has my MP3's but is blank at the same time?
Will your notebook or desktop PC someday sport quantum innards? It's unlikely, at least in the immediate future. Researchers believe quantum systems will be much more efficient at rock-solid cryptography and mass database searches than running the latest version of Doom.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm crushed!
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
What they didn't tell you is that every time they tried to measure the speed, the chip would break.
If this signature is witty enough, maybe somebody will like me.
"For example, an up-spin can represent a one, or a down-spin can represent a zero -- or the qubit can occupy both states simultaneously"
This way windows can be working and not working at the same time.
oh, wait.....
the one that was two wires crisscrossing in a ring magnet. anyone else remember those?
"He's a real midnight golfer"
I'm GLAD it won't happen soon! Imagine someone tapping into your SSL sessions with his quantum chip!
Besides, i'm much more interested in optical or spin-based chips with nearly zero-power-consumption than a quantum entanglement chip.
that means when they know what speed it's running, they won't know where it is?
(Yeah, bit rubbish, sorry)
They have no idea what this will lead to. Remember research 50 years ago? Huge, vacuum tubes, hundreds of calculations a second (maybe). They thought the world would have maybe 5-10 computers. Who envisioned Doom, or the Internet?
Same way with quantum computing. Right now we have very primitive experimental technology and think a few researchers might eventually benefit. I'd like to see what we're doing in 50-100 years.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
When (if) a quantum computer can eventually be made, it'll probably have more then enough power to crack many of the currently used encryption schemes. Such a big jump in computing ability (from that little I've read about quantum computing and my roommates ranting, it's that powerful) will definately present a problem for security schemes. Things may get interesting then......
In undeveloped countries, the consumer controls the market. In capitalist America, the market controls you.
Damn Americans... electrons have a negative charge and losing an electron creates a cation (positively charged ion) not an anion (negatively charged ion). Electricity flows with electrons (negative), they are not positive just because it looks nicer. Now if we want to change the definition of charge for protons, antiprotons, and positrons as well and create that as the generally accepted standard through legitimate means then that's okay but American 'behavior' (see or, our) is rather ego-centric.
I haven't done physics since first year university, so I could well be speaking from ignorance, but can someone explain to me how an atom that loses an electron becomes negatively charged?
More like... nerdular nerdence!
quantum computing leads to uncrackable DRM?
Each time a qubit is added to a quantum system, its computing power doubles.
Wouldn't a regular binary 2-postion bit (0 or 1) double the "power"? Similarly, wouldn't a qubit, 3-position bit (0 or 1 or both) triple the "power"?
Umm... since electrons are by definition negatively charged, wouldn't losing one make the it a POSITIVELY charged Ion? Or am I missing something?
"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, ..." said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department...
So losing an electron gives you NEGATIVE charge? woooow, this quantum stuff is REALLY new and innovative...
I'm sure they're doing some great work... but my chemistry tells me something a little funny about this quote:
"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.
Excuse me ? Generally when atoms LOSE electrons, they become POSITIVE. Quantum wierdness indeed.
And the U of M Dean wonders if each new leap will be the leap home.
No fair! You've changed the outcome by measuring it!
Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
Ah... ahh.... ahhh choooo!
Hey, were did my CPU upgrade go?
Work like no one is watching. Dance like you've never been hurt. Make love like you don't need the money.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Why is stuff like this left to university departments anyway? Where's the startup companies doing research to make a quantum chip and be the next Intel/Motorolla/AMD? Speaking of the current giants, why aint they doing this research in an effort to stay ahead of their competitors? It's just fat cat compacancy and it makes my stomach churn to see no-one putting their hand up to knock them off their perch.
How we know is more important than what we know.
From TFA, emphasis added:
"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but basic high school chemistry says that an atom that loses an electron has an overall positive charge, which makes it a positively charged ion or a cation...
I'm not sure I want this guy designing my computer. =)
"Bother," said Pooh, as lightning knocked out hi%#&(F*@NO CARRIER
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers".
Attributed to one Mr. Watson, president of International Business Machines corporation, in 1943.
Insert the word "quantum", shake, repeat (history).
I can assure you, the best way to get rid of dragons is to have one of your own.
If it runs Windows does that mean it can be both in a crashed state and an uncrashed state?
Uncertainty principle: You either know what speed your computer runs at, or where it is, but never both at the same time.
Work like no one is watching. Dance like you've never been hurt. Make love like you don't need the money.
So what are the state names, "tea", "no tea", and "intelligent"...?
Will there be a Moore's Law for the quantum components (ie. the ions)?
Suppose we start off with 8 qubits, then how long will it take us before we get to 16, and then 32, etc?
How many qubits would you have to get upto, in order for a quantum microchip to catch on for mainstream business and consumer applications?
for the next Duke Nukem Forever.
a computer small enough to smallow!
prepare to recompile your binaries yet again. steve jobs - 2010
QC = the end of encryption as we know it, not the start of amazingly uncrackable codes.
Probably what will happen is that only the spooks can have a QC (like with Cray computers, which must be destroyed when decomissioned, to prevent falling into the "wrong" hands). Unless a way can be found to build a viable QC in the back yard...
“Our opponent is an alien starship packed with nuclear bombs. We have a protractor.” — Neal Stepnenso
...and I wanted to benchmark nuts.wad on it!
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
I personally can't wait until Fox or CNN reports this, launching into a very dumbed-down, 20 second summary of the past 80 years of physics. Cover your eyes, Jimmy...
What is enigmatic about adding two vectors in a vector space? I can't stand the way popular science press insist on making bizarre statements about the most trivial mathematics and science in an attempt to make it more interesting. States in a quantum computer are elements of a vector space. You learn what vector spaces are in the first year of an undergraduate course in mathematics. This is baby stuff. It's hard to realise physically but the underlying ideas are easy. This endless mystification is getting very annoying. Among other things it generates endless verbiage on
-- SIGFPE
At the end of every (?) episode of Quantum Leap, Sam (Scott Bakula) (and that holographic dude, once or twice) would say "Oh, boy" once he jumped into a new body and realized his new predicament.
:-(
Can't believe the mods missed it.
Assume I was drunk when I posted this.
"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.
I know why he's a doctoral student--because I deserve a doctorate more than he does! There's a reason the notation for electrons is e-, not e+. Because when the atom loses an electron, it loses some negative charge... balancing it to the positive.
check it out.... the future is now.
http://atomchip.com/
lol.....
actually, QC could potentially make provably perfect DRM. it is a physical impossibility to clone quantum data, so it truely is 'read once'. this is (in a simplified way) how quantum cryptography works, if anyone intercepts the message, there is no way for them to also pass on the unchanged message.
of course, unless you are appreciating the finer fuzzies of the quantum characteristics of your copy of the matrix, "did you see how entangled those photons in that scene were! that was awesome!" then practically, this isn't all that useful for the sort of DRM the MPAA wants.
How can you take that magazine seriously when they make statements like these?
"Working with individual ions is key to building powerful computing machines that will exploit quantum physics -- instead of transistors
Transistors exploit quantum physics! Transistors work because of the laws of QM - they were designed after the QM describing solid state objects was formlated. The classical analog is vacuum tubes.
The uncertainty principle states that the more accurately you know a particle's position, the less accurately you can know its velocity, and vice versa.
So, if you know wherethe particle is, you can't know how fast or in which direction it is spinning. Conversely, if you know which direction ond how fast it is going, you cannot know its position.
This is going to be hell for data storage.
Actually, I'd say that in 1946 (yes, 60 years ago) Murray Leinster essentially predicted the internet. Although he didn't predict how it worked, he certainly predicted computers in the home searching centralized data repositories. Here's an excerpt from "A Logic Named Joe."
Not too far off the mark for 1946.
Support SETI@home
Windows Quantum Edition? wonder what minimum requirement for that will be...
portfolio
Ah I'm happy UM my Alma Mater. It's definetly a top notch research school.
Here's the peer-reviewed paper: http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0601052
Could it be that the head coach of the football team is going to be replaced by a quantum computer because the team can't finish in the Top 25, let alone beat Ohio State?
I seem to recall that an article was posted on /. a few months ago about this as found here: http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/ 07/1241216
And here is the company's webpage: http://atomchip.com/_wsn/page5.html
See! Proof that Quantum-Optical computing has already been done!
Ok, so maybe this would be the first non-vaporware quantum chip...
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." - Tennyson
I blogged this a solid month ago after posting it on metafilter.
including such tidbits as this one.
"This is very interesting and I don't want to diminish what this group has accomplished, but there is still a long way to go before we have a scaleable quantum computer.
The biggest problem, as I understand it, is not in our ability to mass produce quantum computing systems. It is creating multi-qubit entangled systems. In quantum computing, 2 8-qubit registers is not the equivalent to 1 16-cubit register, which is much harder to produce.
There was a recent FPP which linked to a number of articles, including one by a physicist who predicted that the largest qubit system allowed by the laws of nature was around 400 qubits. I don't agree with him, but we are certainly a long way from producing "usefully complex" quantum computers."
by justkevin
Thanks for the clarification, your definition sounds more accurate. TFA linked the word qubit to this definition:
Unlike binary a qubit is capable of representing a 0, 1, or both 0 and 1 bit.
Either way, 3 states or many many many states, it still doesn't seem accurate to claim each additional qubit will "double" the computing power.
So the first people with a QC will be able to break everyone using encryption without one?
No sure I want to relax just yet...[where is my tin foil hat?]
Actually, the quantum computer version of DOOM will be at Best Buy within a couple on months.
Unfortunatley, there will be at least an hour of cut scenes taken straight from the movie. And The Rock insisted that no one be allowed to bypass them.
These are the three best known quantum algorithms.
-- SIGFPE
Cheap power supply?
Synergy is your friend
"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion" ^from the article. I think that if it loses an electron it becomes a _positive_ ion. Eh?
Help! I'm being repressed!
http://iontrap.physics.lsa.umich.edu/publications/ archive/naturephys_2005_stick_GaAs.pdf
With faster searching of databases, that means larger and larger databases of instructions for A.I. could be created while at the same time making choice selection exponentially faster.
This will be interesting
I thought by now, technology, and the power of computing would double in size, and run only half as fast?
So that Doctor was lying?
"Don't Forget to Salt the Fries"
Steve Jobs derides Intel, announces new processor switch.
By far the easiest description of Qubits I've read to date. You sir, deserve mod points.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
Last I checked, when an atom loses an electron it becomes a positively charged atom. Physics certainly has progressed since I was in college.
In a related story, after being told that U Mich now has quantum microchips working, Steve Jobs was heard saying, "Crap! FUCK! We just finished switching to Intel chips, and now THIS happens?! Now we're going to have to, I mean this will make us, I mean... DAMMIT! DAMN. IT. Stupid fucking processors -- we should've just stayed with m68k. I mean, what's the point?"
Think of Quantum UT2k10! OMFGLOLOLOZZ!!!!ONWOOnEnz
My quantum twitch is faster than your quantum twitch!
Har har, now -that's- clever!
One colorful scientist told us "We can't make top nor bottom of this strange little device, but still, it has it's charm"
Will electromagnetic pulses affect quantum computers?
Neutiquam erro
quantum systems will be much more efficient at rock-solid cryptography and mass database searches than running the latest version of Doom.
Not even quantum computing is fast enough for Doom 3, eh?
We won't be seeing any notebooks or handhelds with quantum chips in the near future.
Odd... I looked in my old laptop, and on my Quantum HDD is a chip marked "Quantum"
Woohoo! I've got leading edge technology.... and I didn't even realize it...Place nail here >+
Yea, what happened with them? They were supposedly at that technology expo in Las Vegas...I wonder what happened. Anyone know?
What's the big deal? Q*berts have been sround since 1982!
The perfect way to boost your karma: *takes a deep breath, ready to duck and run at the same time (pardon the pun)* How does that affect linux?
I looked for the booth at CES but it appeared to be a nonexistant number... beyond the numbering of anything else in the convention center. However, Gizmodo claimed to have found it and that the product was real. Looks like a CompactFlash card with some pins glued onto it, but hey, that's just me.
linky
filmcritic.com - Movie reviews on Internet time
How many trees do these quantum chips require?
Thank Felix Bloch.
Cambridge University has created the first Quantum microchip.
m g18925344.900
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/fundamentals/
But, hey!...I suppose it isn't a glorious patriotic genocidal good ole' USA chip......
My kid has a Quantum LeapPad.
It sits on her lap just fine!
If you disagree with me on social issues, then it's pretty clear that you are a narrow-minded bigot.
"if wikipedia is correct"
that's a big if
Party knows where you are AND where you are going..
If you disagree with me on social issues, then it's pretty clear that you are a narrow-minded bigot.
from the wired atricle: "The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field,"
The atom lost an electron and becomes a negatively charged ion? shouldn't it be a positive one?
Sooner or later, someone had to have posted this:n tumleap.mp3
http://www.tvclassic.net/programs/quantumleap/qua
The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.
Go recycling. This news is like 3 weeks old!
because if you can see them, you won't know if they are actually working.
I can throw myself at the ground, and miss.
From TFA:
Researchers believe quantum systems will be much more efficient at rock-solid cryptography and mass database searches than running the latest version of Doom.
With Quantum Chip, those monsters can come out to kick your ass yet you couldn't beat 'em... it is when you are doomed.
Hmmm
Quote: "The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion"
Does anyone else notice the fact that it must be a positivley charged ion after losing an electron?
-D
From the article:
The spin of the electron dictates the value of the quantum bit, or "qubit." For example, an up-spin can represent a one, or a down-spin can represent a zero -- or the qubit can occupy both states simultaneously.
So we have a start of technology not just for quantum computers, but even for trinary quantum computers?
This Quantum laptop will let me see every porn pic on the net simultaneously, right?
Adventure City Tours
Is it just me or should it say "the cadmium atom loses an electron, becoming a POSITIVE ion"?
Debit and credit double-entry bookkeeping are so second millennium, that on the St Lawrence topic I commented that Google aren't so much interested in AI itself, rather, the concept of "Quantum Bookkeeping" will become the competitive driving force between Google and Microsoft and may well be the reason behind the rumor that Bill Clinton will replace the chair thrower. I think I know how such a chip, as designed here, could be placed around the world and 'seeded' with the tensors of the quantum bookkeepers, to produce orgone for some people or real non-delusional hydrogen fuel, a la the Joe Cell, for others -- nanotechnology, etc.
Argumentum ad Probabilitum
come on people, 200+ comments on slashdot and nobody complains about this trivial mistake?
______________________________________________
sigamajig...
Now all they need is a micro beer to go with the micro chip. I wonder if they are working on a micro pretzel?
"16 Exabytes should be enough for anybody"
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
Will your notebook or desktop PC someday sport quantum innards? It's unlikely, at least in the immediate future. Researchers believe quantum systems will be much more efficient at rock-solid cryptography and mass database searches than running the latest version of Doom.
Yeah, because nobody has any use for rock solid cryptography on a notebook or desktop PC... Oh, wait.
"'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
- JRR Tolkien.
yeah -- after posting I remembered the quantum entaglement thing and it's applications for cryptology. To implement a DRM solution arround it, would require all DRM devices to be entangled with the master's electrons?!? Not practical for a mass distributed document. In fact, is it even possible for that application?
“Our opponent is an alien starship packed with nuclear bombs. We have a protractor.” — Neal Stepnenso