Quantum computer explainer
"You can also think of superposition like a coin flipping in the air. Before it lands, it is neither heads nor tails, but in a superposition state of both.
"Similarly, the qubit can represent information as some probability of both one and zero.
"Researchers make physical qubits from different materials —for Google, Amazon, and IBM, each qubit is a small superconducting circuit; notable startups are using ions, atoms, and photons as qubits.
"At this point, it’s not clear what material is best.
"All qubits obey the mathematics of quantum mechanics. So do molecules. That’s why experts predict that an early useful application of quantum computers could be performing accurate and fast chemistry simulations, for discovering new materials for
- Better batteries,
- More climate-friendly fertilizers, and
- New medical drugs.
"Currently, to simulate these reactions, scientists rely on supercomputers, which are inexact and slow.
"A quantum speedup could upend other industries, as well. Banks are investigating quantum optimization algorithms for improving financial forecasts.
"Quantum algorithms could make AI algorithms more energy-efficient.
"They should also be able to break existing encryption methods; the prediction has spurred research into more robust forms of cryptography."
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