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Physicists Made An Unprecedented 53 Qubit Quantum Simulator (vice.com)

Two teams of researchers have published papers [1, 2] in the journal Nature detailing how they were able to create unprecedented quantum simulators consisting of over 50 qubits. The University of Maryland team and National Institute of Standards and Technology team -- the two teams behind one of the two new papers -- were able to create a quantum simulator with 53 qubits. Motherboard reports: Quantum simulators are a special type of quantum computer that uses qubits to simulate complex interactions between particles. Qubits are the informational medium of quantum computers, analogous to a bit in an ordinary computer. Yet rather than existing as a 1 or 0, as is the case in a conventional bit, a qubit can exist in some superposition of both of these states at the same time. For the Maryland experiment, each of the qubits was a laser cooled ytterbium ion. Each ion had the same electrical charge, so they repelled one another when placed in close proximity. The system created by Monroe and his colleagues used an electric field to force the repelled ions into neat rows. At this point, lasers are used to manipulate all the ytterbium qubits into the same initial state. Then another set of lasers is used to manipulate the qubits so that they act like atomic magnets, where each ion has a north and south pole. The qubits either orient themselves with their neighboring ions to form a ferromagnet, where their magnetic fields are aligned, or at random. By changing the strength of the laser beams that are manipulating the qubits, the researchers are able to program them to a desired state (in terms of magnetic alignment).

According to Zhexuan Gong, a physicist at the University of Maryland, the 53 qubits can be used to simulate over a quadrillion different magnetic configurations of the qubits, a number that doubles with each additional qubit added to the array. As these types of quantum simulators keep adding more qubits into the mix, they will be able to simulate ever more complex atomic interactions that are far beyond the capabilities of conventional supercomputers and usher in a new era of physics research. Another team from Harvard and Maryland also released a paper today in which it demonstrated a quantum simulator using 51 qubits.

35 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Does this impacts any KeyEx by sinij · · Score: 2

    For uninitiated, does it mean some of our KeyEx methods that rely on factorization are about to get broken?

    1. Re:Does this impacts any KeyEx by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

      Seriously? That's *EXACTLY* what this'll be used for -- just give it some time..

      the NSA and FBI feel entitled to decrypt everything to you know, keep us safe.

      They'll probably issue a gag order to the research teams to prevent them from going public with their findings, and a press release like this one will be the last we ever hear about the technology.

  2. Scott Aaronson's take by JoshuaZ · · Score: 4, Informative

    Scott Aaronson, a prominent quantum computing expert made comments about some very similar work that is relevant https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=3512. The short summary is that we should expect people to continue to push up how many qubits can be practically simulatable. But that sort of improvement through clever tricks and the like doesn't really do much to address the more interesting issue of quantum supremacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_supremacy, whether there are problems that a quantum computer can solve that a classical computer practically cannot. Note that the "practically" in the previous sentence is really important. Everything a quantum computer can do a classical computer can do with exponential slow down; standard conjectures essentially amount to saying that a classical computer cannot do any better than that.

    1. Re:Scott Aaronson's take by Nemyst · · Score: 1

      While that's true, I think having realistically usable quantum computers with stable enough qubits to perform interesting calculations is an important step towards determining whether quantum computers are any better than classical computers. In doing so, you increase the interest in quantum computers, since they can do more than novelty calculations or toy programs, which in turn increases research on further applications for them. The more eyes there are on the problem, the more likely it is that we'll figure out the answer.

  3. RSA by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    How much qubits do they need to break RSA?

    1. Re:RSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They're gonna need about tree fiddy.

    2. Re:RSA by z3alot · · Score: 2

      After some googling, one source says about 4000 qubits to break 2048-bit RSA keys. Another says 10000 for the same job

    3. Re:RSA by Onthax · · Score: 1

      How many to break Bitcoin?

    4. Re:RSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      The sources that claim 4k or 10k for a 2048k key are misinformed themselves or don't know how quantum computing (theory) works.

      You're more than welcome to point out the specific thing they get wrong, as there are plenty of detailed accounts of how many qubits are needed for Shor's algorithm, e.g. here's a paper discussing the trade-off of space vs. speed scaling. Much like classical digital circuitry, you need some scratch space to store intermediate values, and more space lets you use fewer operations for quicker results, or less space requires more operations.

      Even the naive implementation of Shor's algorithm for n bit number requires 2n qubits, and takes special efforts to make that work with a minimum n+1 qubits by reusing a qubit n times (greatly increasing the time the whole system needs to hold together).

    5. Re:RSA by alexgieg · · Score: 1

      Don't hold your breath.

      If there's one rule of thumb for how technology develops, it's that it follows S curves. Slow in the beginning, then absurdly fast in the main development phase, then slow again once most of it has been developed. That's how it went with industry, then computing, now biotechnology (we're beginning to enter the exponential part of the curve), and how it's going to be with Quantum computing once the threshold of industrial production of qubits is achieved.

      So, if Quantum computing is currently at its "vacuum tube" stage, sure, it seems like things will still take a while. Once it gets into its Moore's law stage though, well...

      And the thing is, we don't actually know whether we're close or not to that turning point. It might happen that next year someone will announce they have found a method to get as many qubits as needed to any application on a logarithmic scale of cost-per-qubits. Or it might take 40 more years of research before we get anywhere close to that. Who knows? One way or another, once it does enter the exponential stage, and begins being used for biotech research (protein folding is a Quantum system, so I imagine Quantum computers would be particularly good at it), my, things will change! And fast!

      --
      Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
  4. Re:That's all fine and dandy... by freeze128 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, it *CAN* and it *CAN'T*...

  5. Thats enough qubits. by fleabay · · Score: 5, Funny

    53 qubits ought to be enough for anybody.

  6. Super Impressive:magnetizing coherent light. by Neuronwelder · · Score: 1

    And lining them like a group of balls on a billiard table. But even if this idea comes true, to being a real regular computer that works on your desktop. Will the Net Neutrality put all this tremendous work in vain?? It's like putting a Tesla that will go 0 to 60 in three seconds. On a road that only goes 10 miles an hour.

  7. Shortcut by Neuronwelder · · Score: 1

    I wonder if you can use this same technology to employ line of sight. House to house transmission of data? That would be cool! Game with your neighbors!

  8. Only 247 more qubits by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    That would give them a decent start on building an arq.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:Only 247 more qubits by Miles_O'Toole · · Score: 1

      I'm here 'til Sunday. Try the fish.

      --
      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
  9. Re:Qubits by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Now THAT is a classic I have not seen in some time.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  10. Yes they can! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    They can bubble sort faster than 'classical' computers. Only sometime the results won't be sorted properly, and often it will be slower than qsort.

    Quick take my money, I'm gullible!

  11. Re:Quantum Synergy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    How did this get modded up? Quantum computers are not supposed to give results instantly. Even general purpose quantum computer algorithms are expected to not return the best optimization every time, which is why they are proposed as good for problems that are easy to verify but hard to search. E.g. Shor's algorithm for factorization includes the possibility of re-running the algorithm when verification of the result on classical computer fails.

  12. Re:That's all fine and dandy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I peeked inside. It can't now. :(

  13. Excited! by dreamygeek · · Score: 1

    Now that's something to be really excited about!

  14. Re: How many nanoseconds did the qubits last? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    How is it circular? This is no different than saying, "A hydraulic computer is not modeling water flow without water, but is an analog computer using water to model other things."

    GGP said this uses no actual quantum states. GP says that is flat out wrong: This computer uses qubits, but is not a general purpose quantum computer. It is the same difference as between a general purpose cpu and a fixed logic circuit that does one thing, but still uses bits.

    If that seems circular, then it is because your reading comprehension has been impaired by your preoccupied with where people stick their genitalia.

  15. Re:Can it crack 53-bit encryption in one cycle? by HuguesT · · Score: 1

    Others have pointed out that it should be able to break a 21-bit key (half the number of qbits).

  16. Not only size matters, but also resilience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    According to John Martinis' (from Google) invited talk to this year's Crypto 2017, building a quantum computer with as many qubits as possible might be good for getting into the headlines, but for being otherwise useful, the qubits' error rate and how long they stay stable is as important. For current sizes 1% error rate might be OK, but as quantum computer become bigger they have to drop below 0.1% for being able to use error correction.

    Thanks to error correction there is an important distinction to make between physical (before error correction) and logical (after error correction) qubits. They guys and gals building quantum computer offer physical qubits, but the theorists use logical qubits. If you can factor with few thousand logical qubits, you need a quantum computer with 100,000s to 100 millions physical qubits (how many depend on the error rate).

  17. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  18. Technobabble by skovnymfe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Quantum simulators are a special type of quantum computer that uses qubits to simulate complex interactions between particles. Qubits are the informational medium of quantum computers, analogous to a bit in an ordinary computer. Yet rather than existing as a 1 or 0, as is the case in a conventional bit, a qubit can exist in some superposition of both of these states at the same time.

    I love how quantum people love writing stuff like this, because if you don't already know exactly what it means, it won't do diddly dick to help you clarify what a quantum computer is anyway.

  19. Qubits, alignment, charge, bla bla bla by coofercat · · Score: 1

    All I really want to know is when can they laser-cool my beer?

    1. Re:Qubits, alignment, charge, bla bla bla by Miles_O'Toole · · Score: 1

      The answer to your question is, "Not soon enough!

      --
      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
  20. Re:53 bits - why? by xanadu113 · · Score: 1

    According to this, 53 qubits can simulate 1 gram of DNA: https://www.quora.com/Quantum-...

    --
    -Myke
  21. Re:Quantum cumputer explanation fail by sexconker · · Score: 1

    quantum teleporation

    Stop. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.

    Teleportation violates causality. Stop using that fucking word for things that are absolutely not teleportation.

  22. American units by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1
    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  23. Re:Can it crack 53-bit encryption in one cycle? by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

    Is there any way to use a 53 qubit quantum computer to crack a longer key faster than a classical computer but slower than a quantum computer with more bits? I.e split Shor's algorithm up into multiple stages?

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  24. Re:Quantum cumputer explanation fail by z3alot · · Score: 1

    Well im not happy with the word the physicists have chosen either, but this is actually established terminology. It refers to the ability to transfer a qubit by actually transfering 2 classical bits, provided the two parties have preshared an EPR entangled pair of qubits.

  25. Re:Quantum cumputer explanation fail by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Teleportation is instantaneous spatial transference.
    Anything else (such as encoding, destroying and rebuilding) is not teleportation.
    Teleportation is impossible without violating causality. And that's why it's important to keep the definition clear, just as Tachyons are not merely "really fast particles".

  26. Re:Quantum cumputer explanation fail by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Besides, if violating causality is impossibly, why reserve and lock away a word to only be used to describe an impossible process, when a slightly broader use is actually applicable to something that exists?

    Precisely because there's a hard, definitive line between what's possible and what isn't (as far as we know).
    It's the same reason Tachyons have a name that isn't bastardized and used for other random fast particles.