What is Quantum Computing?

Quantum computing, though this concept has been around for a long time it is only in recent times we are starting to hear this term more often, thanks to sci-fi movies and developments in research done by tech giants like Google and IBM. It all started in the early 1980s when a physicist named “Paul Benioff” created a model of Turning Machine using quantum mechanics. Since then there has been extensive ongoing research on this particular topic as scientists believe that an ideal quantum computer can function better and faster when compared to a regular computer.

The computation process in quantum computers is different from the traditional computation. In traditional or regular computers the computation is done by encoding data into units. Each unit is called a bit and each bit can store a value that is either “one” or “zero”. A bit can only store either one or a zero but not more than that. These bits are put together in a defined order based on an algorithm and then computed to see if it produces desired results. 

In quantum computing, the data is encoded into fundamental quantum units known as qubits. These qubits can store zero, one or a combination of both. Let’s say if “one” and “zero” represent “on” and “off” respectively then qubits can store “one” and “zero” as the same piece of data that can be represented as either one or zero depending upon the required situation during compilation and computation. The qubits store data as states rather than storing it as a particular piece of information that is in a fixed physical state. All the qubits in a computer are internally connected with each other so when a program is initialized these qubits change their states according to the initialized program to give the results that are supposed to be generated when that particular program is selected. 

How quantum computing is better?

A quantum computer is far more powerful and faster than a supercomputer. However, a quantum computer cannot solve all the problems that a traditional computer solves. Any simple arithmetic calculation can easily be done using a classical computer rather than using a quantum computer. It can solve a different set of problems that cannot be computed using classical computers. Any mathematical or logical operations that are impossible or those tasks which take a lot of time( like a thousand years) for a supercomputer can easily be done by a quantum computer merely in seconds.

Real-world applications of quantum computing

i. Cybersecurity

The cybersecurity in today’s time is using encryption to tackle cyber attacks. The encryption algorithms keep changing the actual data by replacing it with other random characters. Apart from these, various types of primary keys and public keys are created and encrypted so that the integrity of the shared data stays intact. However, a quantum computer can crack any code within a matter of seconds so the security features of the current times cannot match the superior performance of quantum computing. So we will be in need of cybersecurity features and algorithms that are resistant to quantum algorithms which will decrease the chances of confidential information getting hacked.

ii. Developing life-saving drugs

The pharma industry is one of the areas that will be revolutionized by quantum computers. Discovering drugs for dangerous diseases will be easier. Drugs are created by seeing how the simulations of molecules work and react with each other. The supercomputers of today can only simulate molecules that are up to a few hundred atoms anything more than that cannot be produced and executed. By using quantum computers we can actually simulate a number of molecular models that can be tested to see their practical applications. A quantum computer can simulate all possible combinations of a molecular structure and its behavior and outcome. Quantum computers provide the flexibility and efficiency that a supercomputer lacks in developing medicine with maximum positive effects.

iii. Artificial Intelligence

Researchers say that development in quantum computing can increase machine learning capabilities extensively. The proper entanglement of qubits is the most important aspect of harnessing the machine learning ability of quantum computers. The ideal entanglement of qubits results in the reduction of speed and an increase in efficiency in problem-solving. A fully functioning quantum computer can outperform any classical supercomputer in recognition of design patterns. Moreover, quantum computing and artificial intelligence can both help in developing one other in a number of ways. As quantum computing improves AI and machine learning, AI can help us in understanding more about quantum mechanics.

Conclusion

A fully functioning and fault-tolerant quantum computer is still far from reality. While some scientists say that a fully fault-tolerant quantum computer is impossible to be created because of many practical problems that cannot be solved in any way, other researchers in google claim that they have created a functioning quantum computer that does calculations that take thousands of years for the most advanced supercomputers to compute. The reality is that quantum computers are still in development and we don’t understand it in its entirety. Quantum computers currently do not have programming and operating systems that are standard. More hardware and software for this technology should be developed to use it in the future. If quantum computing becomes a reality it surely will push the boundaries in technological advancements in a variety of areas. Until then one can only wait to see what the future has in store, in the field of quantum computing.