DATUM Mar. 2014 | Page 28

Datum 2014 QUANTUM COMPUTERS A quantum computer QC (also known as a quantum supercomputer) is a computation device that makes direct use of quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform operations on data. Quantum computers are different from digital computers based on transistors. Whereas uses the language of computers called binary. Binary is a digital computers require data to be encoded into bi- base 2 mathematical language because it only consists nary digits (bits), quantum computation uses quantum of two digits. properties to represent data and perform operations on these data. Quantum computing: A dynamic new fasci- These are 1s and 0s. This is the fundamental unit of in- nating field that is being pioneered as you read these formation or building block called the bit. A bit, in clas- words. Forget bits, binary and logic gates. Welcome to sical computers, is either a 1 or 0. In quantum computing the world of Qubits, Quantum Gates and Quantum cir- the fundamental unit of information is a qubit (quantum cuits & algorithms. bit). Qubits form the basis of quantum computing. QUBIT CONTROL DEVICES: Qubits are made up of quantum particles which are: photons, atoms, electrons and ions. These particles need to be controlled in order to create a qubit which cages these particles. Control devices trap these particles and then switch their state. There are four control devices that can be used to create qubits : ION TRAPS: Ion traps use magnetic fields to trap ions. At this moment in time, researchers have managed to THE NEED FOR QC: The power of computers today entangle as many as six ions in a single ion trap. As ion depends upon the number of transistors on a chip. More trap technology becomes more established, the number transistors, generally the more powerful the computers. of ions trapped will grow. MOOR’S LAW STATES:'The number of transistors on a microprocessor continues to double every 18 months.' QUANTUM DOTS: Quantum dots are bits of semi- This means that by the year 2015 we will find that tran- Quantum dots are loaded with electrons, and they can sistors on a chip will become so small that they will be integrated into electronic devices. The most advanced be measured on an atomic scale. Quantum computers prototypes today work only at extremely low tempera- will be able to perform millions of calculations at the tures. conductor material that contain one or a few electrons. same time, whereas today's conventional computers only perform one. SEMICONDUCTOR IMPURITIES: It is difficult to make a pure computer chip. Some atoms embedded THE BASIS OF QC: The classical computer (non- in these chips are commonly found as impurities (or quantum), like the PC or laptop that sits in front of you, flaws).Qubits include 'unwanted' electrons of atoms intentionally into the semiconductor materials. The state 24