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Qutrits Bring Quantum Computers Closer

Posted by kdawson on from the shortcut-through-higher-dimensions dept.

KentuckyFC writes "To do anything useful with quantum logic gates, you need dozens to hundreds of them, all joined together. And because of various errors and problems that creep in, that's more or less impossible with today's technology. Now an Australian group has built and tested logic gates that convert qubits into qutrits (three-level quantum states) before processing and then convert them back again. That makes them far more powerful. The group says that a quantum computer that might require 50 conventional quantum logic gates can now be built with just 9 of the new gates. What's more, the gates process photons using nothing more than standard linear optical components (abstract on the physics arxiv)."

5 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Wow by peragrin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh it's simple. The cat could be not only alive or dead, but also could be on life support.

    Or maybe the cat will be spinning because someone stapled a piece of bread with jam onto the cat's back.

    --
    i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  2. convert qubits into qutrits...far more powerful by pushing-robot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Naturally, I read that as "qutits" the first time.

    --
    How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    1. Re:convert qubits into qutrits...far more powerful by AaxelB · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just as the hard-wiring of binary mathematics spun the entire twentieth century about a simple yes-no axis, the invention of the three-state switch promised to revolutionize twenty-fifth century computing. After all, with three states (negative, positive, and null charges) on nanoswitches, computers could now think in terms of yes, no, and maybe, greatly humanizing their internal logic.

      This would have brought many, many more female engineers into the field of computer science (hence accelerating the pace at which computers could do useful things besides transmit, compress, and enhance pornography), except that the same abbreviational logic that turned "binary digit" into "bit" turned "trinary digit" into "tit." This nomenclatural error set computing back nearly three hundred years, and two entire generations of promising computer scientists were lost trying to keep abreast of bad puns. Courtesy of the genius at Schlock
  3. Re:Wow by scubamage · · Score: 3, Funny

    No fair, you changed the state of the cat by measuring it!

  4. Re:Linux??? by hansraj · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes and No.