The Future of Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing
The Future Of

© 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
A Chinese team of researchers has recently unveiled the world’s most powerful
quantum computer – capable of manipulating 66 qubits of data. At the same time, a
team at Cambridge University in the UK has created a quantum computing desktop
operating system – which could be as significant a step at bringing quantum
capabilities into the mainstream as Microsoft’s development of MS-DOS and
Windows was for classical desktop computing.
With this in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at the current
state of play with quantum computing – a technological leap that’s expected to
bring us computers capable of operating many thousands of times more quickly
than the fastest classical processors available today. What is quantum computing,
why are so many people excited about it, and how is it expected to affect our lives?
Read on to find out!

First – what is quantum computing? Well, explaining it in simple terms is quite
difficult because it's quite a complicated concept! “Quantum” means “sub-
atomic” and, in computing as in physics, is used to describe properties
demonstrated by matter when we study it at a sub-atomic level. Often these
properties don’t seem to fit with the basic rules of physics that are observable
when studying matter of atom-sized or larger. At a sub-atomic level, properties
such as entanglement (a connection between particles that means they share
the same state, no matter how far apart they are) and superposition (where
particles can behave as if they simultaneously exist in two different states) can
be observed.
Quantum Leap

One concept that is worth getting your head around is the difference between
bits and qubits (pronounced "Q-bits"). Regular computers (referred to as
"classical" computers, in the context of quantum computing) store and read
data in the form of binary "bits" that can either have a state of one (1) or zero
(0). Quantum computers use qubits, which take advantage of quantum
phenomena like superposition and entanglement, meaning they can be used to
perform certain complex forms of calculation far more quickly than could ever
be possible using classical computation algorithms (or in some cases, could
never be done at all without quantum algorithms … see quantum supremacy.)
Quantum Leap

Thankfully It isn't necessary to fully understand the mechanics of quantum
computers in order to use them or to understand how they are likely to affect
our lives in the future! From a procedural point of view, though, it involves
cooling super-conductive material 99% of the way to absolute zero (-273
degrees C/ 459 degrees F). Electrons are then passed through this material,
which are targeted by photons (electromagnetic particles with no mass). This
interaction means the quantum effects acting occurring in the particles can be
controlled and measured– becoming the qubits that can be used to store or
process information.
Quantum Leap

Quantum computing is a huge area of experimental research and development right now, but
practical applications are emerging. The big cloud computing providers (Amazon, Google, and
Microsoft) have all made quantum computing services available on their platforms, and the
Alliance for Quantum Technologies, founded by AT&T and the California Institute of
Technology, has been established to help progress quantum computing from the realm of the
theoretical into practical applications.
Primarily, quantum computing is used to solve computational problems that would take far too
long using classical methods. One example is analyzing and interpreting data collected by the
Large Hadron Collider. The underground supercollider that accelerates subatomic particles
through 27 kilometers of tunnels, reaching speeds of up to 99.9% of the speed of light,
generates a petabyte of data per second. CERN, which operates the collider, is currently
investigating implementing quantum computing to process this data. Before quantum was a
possibility, much of it was discarded because there simply weren’t enough classical computers
in the world for it to ever be analyzed!
What is quantum computing used for today?

Quantum computing is also useful for creating super-powerful encryption – enabling data
to be locked away far more securely than it could otherwise be. In 2017, the world’s first
quantum-secured intercontinental video call took place between scientists in Austria and
China. Of course, once quantum computing is accessible to everyone, it won’t be long
before we have to worry about quantum-powered hacking, too – with some experts
predicting that most of the classical methods of encryption used to secure data on the
internet today will be vulnerable to quantum-based attacks.
It’s also used to solve the extremely complex calculations needed to model biological
organisms, such as protein behavior in molecular simulations. Researchers at Canadian
biotech firm ProteinQure have partnered with Microsoft to use quantum computing to
research genomic-based treatments for illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

And carmakers including Volkswagen and Daimler are using quantum computing
methods to design longer-lasting and more efficient batteries for electric cars. Here, it’s
useful because the patterns of chemical decay that occur as batteries lose their charge are
hugely complex, and predicting their behavior isn’t reliable with classical computer
technology. Working with quantum pioneers D-Wave, Volkswagen has also created
models that can accurately simulate and predict traffic conditions on Beijing’s massively
congested road networks.
What is the future of quantum computing?
In the near future – perhaps within 5 to 10 years, but who knows, maybe a lot sooner –
quantum computing will be at a stage where it can be used to solve problems that
improve our lives, on an everyday basis – Intel’s head of quantum research, Jim Clarke,
calls this “quantum practicality."

Quantum won’t entirely replace classical computing – not in the foreseeable future,
anyway – for many computational tasks it won’t offer any real advantage. For the
types of complex calculations that it does excel at, though, we can expect to see
computers that operate hundreds of millions of times more quickly.
The development of a standardized desktop operating system – mentioned at the
start of this post – could be an important step towards quantum practicality.
Classical computers, such as the mainframes created by IBM in the mid 20th century,
did not start to become practical for everyday uses until universal operating systems
and programming languages became available. Currently, the control systems for a
quantum computer fill a small room – this breakthrough shrinks it down to a single
chip.

Once this practicality is established, experts hope that quantum computers will be
used to create applications that help us to tackle climate change. One of the ways
this could be achieved is by creating new types of agricultural fertilizer. Switching to
new synthesized fertilisers could cut the world’s natural gas consumption by three
to five percent. This will be done by creating new catalyzing molecules that are more
efficient at creating the necessary chemicals.
Quantum computers also have huge implications for artificial intelligence and
machine learning. These cognitive computing processes – involving programs that
are capable of learning and becoming better at their jobs – operate using vast
neural networks, which require a great deal of computer power. Quantum-powered
AI will give us machines that are able to think and learn more quickly than ever.

This will enable more sophisticated systems to be simulated and modeled. Simulation depends
on us understanding reality, in order to replicate its rules within our models. This means
understanding the behavior of matter and a quantum level. Richard Feynman, the Nobel Prize-
winning physicist who helped define much of what we know about quantum, argued that only
quantum computers would be powerful enough to accurately simulate quantum activity.
Once this is possible (and it will require quantum computers many times more powerful than
those we have today, in the region of thousands of qubits), we should be able to build
accurately simulated models of systems far too complex to be modeled today – such as
electromagnetic radiation, gravity and perhaps even biological brains.
Whatever emerges, it’s clear that quantum computing is a hugely exciting area of technological
progress, and we can expect to see it increasingly impacting our lives overcoming years –
perhaps in as significant a way as the arrival of computers in the last century, and the growth of
the internet in this century.

Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2020 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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The Future of Quantum Computing

The Future of Quantum Computing

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