Science Weekly Does Google’s ‘mindboggling’ new chip bring quantum computers any closer?
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Dec 12, 2024 Winfried Hensinger, a leading expert on quantum technologies at the University of Sussex, dives into Google's new Willow quantum chip. This chip can complete tasks in five minutes that would take traditional computers 10 septillion years. Hensinger discusses the implications of this leap for industries like pharmaceuticals and medical imaging. He also explores the fundamental principles of quantum physics, the potential applications of this technology, and the competitive race to achieve breakthroughs in quantum computing.
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Quantum Bits
- Classical computers process data as bits, represented as zeros and ones.
- Quantum computers utilize qubits, which can be both zero and one simultaneously due to quantum superposition.
Quantum Entanglement
- Quantum entanglement is a correlation where actions on one object instantly affect another, even at vast distances.
- This 'spooky' connection, verified by experiments, is key to quantum computing's potential.
Memory Stick Analogy
- A two-bit classical memory stick can hold one combination (e.g., 01), while a two-qubit quantum stick can hold four (00, 01, 10, 11).
- This simultaneous information encoding allows quantum computers to perform calculations in parallel, increasing speed.