Microsoft’s final step in quantum computing
Last week’s blog post found here, discussed the first two steps in the process of making a quantum computer laid out by Microsoft. The next and final step is to engineer a scaled, programmable quantum computer. This computer should be able to house at least one million qubits with a maximum of one error per trillion operations in order to get the desired results. Microsoft made this possible with their last innovation, the Majorana one, which was built for scalability and stability. With this innovation, Microsoft states that “We believe this breakthrough will allow us to create a truly meaningful quantum computer not in decades, as some have predicted, but in years” (Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella). This could lead to new technological achievements, and the ability to further our society at a faster pace than ever before, allowing for advancements in healthcare, scientific research, technology, economical improvements, energy, cybersecurity, AI, finances, aerospace, and even defense.
Measuring a Quantum computer
The measurement of a quantum computer is in rQOPS which is a metric that “counts operations that remain reliable for the duration of a practical quantum algorithm so that there is an assurance that it will run correctly”. In simpler terms it “measures how many reliable operations can be executed in a second” which allows the entire systems performance to be measured, instead of just physical qubits (Microsoft). At the level of 1,000,000 rQQPS a supercomputer could simulate simple models that would allow for the creation of new technology. At the level of 1,000,000,000 with a lower error rate at 1 per quintillion operations, the supercomputer would be able to solve the most complicated science related problems.
The potential uses for quantum computing:
Healthcare:
One of the most promising innovations with quantum computing is in healthcare. Working together with AI, and doctors, these supercomputers can cure diseases, come up with new medicines and treatment methods, and has the potential to save countless lives.
Science:
Quantum can be extremely useful in many fields in science including but not limited to: chemistry, biochemistry, physics, materials science, climate/environmental research, Astronomy and Space Science, Fundamental mathematics as well as theoretical science. For example, in chemistry it can be useful for simulating complex chemical reactions at the quantum level allowing for improvements in catalyst design, drug development and more. Furthermore, quantum simulations can be used for accurate atomic and sub atomical interactions, allowing for testing before a theory is put into place, saving time and money. The use of quantum computing can also allow for predicting new materials with unique properties such as room-temperature superconductors or extremely efficient batteries. This new computing power can also do a lot of the heavy lifting on big projects especially on the mathematics portions, solving hard computational problems such as differential equations, and prime factorization.
Cybersecurity:
Cybersecurity is an important component in technology, as it allows for the security of personal information and data as well as the exchange of information between parties. Some of the ways quantum computing can help security is through creating secure communication networks, this allows for important confidential intelligence to be shared without the possibility of a leak. Furthermore, quantum computing can help with encrypting data for undisclosed purposes, keeping companies and individuals’ data secure. Ethical hacking and cyber defense are extremely important in keeping our countries running smoothly and keeping those citizens safe. For example, ethical hacking can be used to find the location of missing children, find if other potential threats have access to certain weapons as well as their location, and protect against cyberthreats from those hazardous persons.
Overall quantum computing is the next big thing in terms of technology and its potential results speak for themselves as we can get decades worth of results in a compact amount of time, saving time, money, and lives in the process.