The Future Of Quantum Computing And Paving The Pathway For 'Quantum Practicality'

Quantum computers have been decades in the making. Hailed as the next big thing with the potential to address many of today¡¯s unsolvable problems, the quantum computing market is expected to reach US$1.76 billion by 2026, fueled by investments from the public sector for research and development.

Over the past few years, Indian businesses have talked about the application of quantum computing in data security and advanced encryptions. Real-world applications of quantum computers also include the development of new medicines and lifesaving drugs, providing better and more accurate data models and simulations.

Last year, NASSCOM reported that quantum technologies can add a value of $310 billion to the Indian economy by 2030. The Indian Government has in fact expressed interest in developing a quantum computer in collaboration with Finland. The government, during Union Budget 2020 announced the allocation of INR 8,000 crore over the next 5 years in the National Mission on Quantum technology and its applications.

iStock

Acknowledging the sector¡¯s potential, leading educational institutions in India have introduced courses focusing on advanced quantum computing. Moreover, in December 2021, the Indian Army established a quantum computing laboratory and an AI centre at a military engineering institute in Madhya Pradesh, backed by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

However, to harness its true potential, we must first understand how it differs from classical computers.

Supercomputers and quantum computing ¨C what¡¯s the difference?

Most laypersons think about computational power in terms of how fast a computer can perform. For commercial workloads that handle massive computations and databases such as weather forecasting and molecular modelling, even the best consumer desktops are unsuitable. This is where supercomputers come in. Supercomputers, like all classical computers, operate based on the computation of binary data: one or zero. Yes or no. On or off.

iStock

In comparison, quantum computers operate based on the principles of quantum physics and therefore rely on quantum bits, or qubits. A simple way to understand a qubit is to think of it as a coin, where it could either be in a head or tail state. Now, imagine that the coin is spinning, and as it is doing so, it is in a sense, in both head and tail states at the same time. This state is known as a ¡°superposition¡± of the two states. With two of these spinning, entangled coins, we will have four states at the same time. A quantum computer¡¯s power, therefore, grows exponentially with the number of qubits.

Also read: Explained: India-EU Agreement On High-Performance Computing, Quantum Tech

Unlike supercomputers, quantum computers treat data in a non-binary manner and perform calculations based on probabilities. The practical uses of a quantum computer are still largely in discovery, but experts have theorised their applications in fields like, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, financial modelling and weather forecasting and climate change. The application of quantum computing will make it possible to perform extremely complex calculations with a lot more efficiency and accuracy than a regular computer.

unsplash

The long road towards quantum practicality

In reality, we need more than a million high-quality qubits in order to commercialise quantum computing¨Calso known as reaching ¡°quantum practicality.¡± This is when a quantum computer has achieved commercial viability and can solve relevant, real-world problems. The challenge lies in the fact that qubits are very fragile. They have very short lifetimes (microseconds), and the tiniest ¡°noise¡± such as external interference from magnetic fields and variation in temperature can cause a loss of information.

Here are three key areas that we must address in order to advance the scalability of viable quantum computing systems:

Managing qubits in higher temperatures with spin qubits

The fragile nature of qubits requires them to operate at extremely cold temperature (20 millikelvin, or about -273 degrees Celsius), which creates challenges for the material design of the chips themselves and the control electronics necessary to make them work. However, there have been recent advances in the development of a silicon spin qubit technology process. The spin qubits drastically reduce the complexity of the system required to operate the chips by allowing the integration of control electronics much closer to the processor.

Simplifying system design to accelerate setup time and improve qubit performance

A key challenge in today¡¯s quantum systems is the use of room-temperature electronics and the many coaxial cables that are routed to the qubit chip inside a dilution refrigerator. This approach does not scale to a large number of qubits due to form factor, cost, power consumption, and thermal load to the fridge. It is crucial to address this challenge and radically simplify the need for multiple racks of equipment and thousands of wires running into and out of the refrigerator in order to operate a quantum machine.

Intel

A full-stack scalable approach to quantum computing

Since quantum computing is an entirely new type of compute, it has an entirely different way of running programmes and require new hardware, software, and applications developed specifically for these systems. This means that quantum computers need all new components on all levels of the stack, from the qubit control processor and control electronics to the qubit chip device and more.

Also read: World's Most Powerful Quantum Computer Just Made Its Debut

Clearly, quantum computers are not meant to replace classical compute infrastructure. They are meant to augment them. Their continued development aims to eventually solve some of the world¡¯s most intractable challenges that have stumped today¡¯s classical computers. But the road to building a viable system that works on a practical, commercial level will require persistence, patience, and partnerships.

For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

Disclaimer: Santhosh Viswanathan is the Managing Director at Intel India. All views and opinions expressed above are of the author and do not represent Indiatimes.