An international team , led by a scientist from the University |
completely impossible to construct an actual quantum |
of Sussex , has unveiled the first practical blueprint for how |
computer . With our work we have not only shown that it |
to build a quantum computer , the most powerful computer |
can be done but now we are delivering a nuts and bolts |
on Earth . |
construction plan to build an actual large-scale machine ." |
It has long been known that such a computer would |
Lead author Bjoern Lekitsch , also from the University of |
revolutionize industry , science and commerce on a similar |
Sussex , explains : " It was most important to us to highlight |
scale as the invention of ordinary computers . But this new |
the substantial technical challenges as well as to provide |
work features the actual industrial blueprint to construct |
practical engineering solutions ". |
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such a large-scale machine , more powerful in solving certain problems than any computer ever constructed before .
Once built , the computer ' s capabilities mean it would have the potential to answer many questions in science ; create new , lifesaving medicines ; solve the most mind-boggling scientific problems ; unravel the yet unknown mysteries of the furthest reaches of deepest space ; and solve some problems that an ordinary computer would take billions of years to compute .
The work features a new invention permitting actual quantum bits to be transmitted between individual
quantum computing modules in order to obtain a fully modular large-scale machine capable of reaching nearly arbitrary large computational processing powers .
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As a next step , the team will construct a prototype quantum computer , based on this design , at the University .
The effort is part of the UK Government ' s plan to develop quantum technologies towards industrial exploitation and makes use of a recent invention by the Sussex team to replace billions of laser beams required for quantum computing operations within a large-scale quantum computer with the simple application of voltages to a microchip .
Prof Hensinger said : " The availability of a universal quantum computer may have a fundamental impact on society as a whole . Without doubt it is still challenging to build a large- scale machine , but now is the time to translate academic excellence into actual application building on the UK ' s strengths in this ground-breaking technology . I am very
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Previously , scientists had proposed using fibre optic |
excited to work with industry and government to make this |
connections to connect individual computer modules . The |
happen ." |
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new invention introduces connections created by electric fields that allow charged atoms ( ions ) to be transported from one module to another . This new approach allows
100,000 times faster connection speeds between individual quantum computing modules compared to current state-ofthe-art fibre link technology .
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The computer ' s possibilities for solving , explaining or developing could be endless . However , its size will be anything but small . The machine is expected to fill a large building , consisting of sophisticated vacuum apparatus featuring integrated quantum computing silicon microchips that hold individual charged atoms ( ions ) using electric |
The new blueprint is the work of an international team of |
fields . |
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scientists from the University of Sussex ( UK ), Google ( USA ),
Aarhus University ( Denmark ), RIKEN ( Japan ) and Siegen
University ( Germany ).
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The blueprint to develop such computers has been made public to ensure scientists throughout the world can collaborate and further develop this brilliant , ground- |
Prof Winfried Hensinge , head of Ion Quantum Technology |
breaking technology as well as to encourage industrial |
Group at the University of Sussex , who has been leading |
exploitation . |
this research , said : " For many years , people said that it was | |