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4. Quantum computers – exponential developments

Despite being seen as a futurist notion, the idea of quantum computing started to gain shape in 1980, when the scientific community was increasingly confronted with the “physical limitations on computations” and the fact that models available at that time couldn’t reflect the laws of quantum physics.40 Richard Feynman advanced the idea that a computer specifically built according to the laws of quantum physics would better simulate quantum phenomena and systems, and perform at a level impossible for classical computers.41  From that moment on, the advancements in this field have taken place both on a theoretical and practical level and have increased exponentially throughout the years. 

4.1

Quantum Computing Timeline

Quantum Computing Timeline

A simplified timeline of quantum computing field development

The following is a (non-exhaustive) list of the main developments in this field:

1980s

The possibility to build a quantum model of a Turing machine is first postulated42 and the first physical realization of a quantum computer using atoms and photons is proposed.43

1990s

It is theoretically proven that a quantum computer might be able to solve a complex problem in a single step, while a classical computer would require several steps and a longer period of time.44 Peter Shor develops an algorithm45 to prove that a problem considered intractable for traditional computers can be solved by a quantum computer in polynomial time. As a result, the scientific community and various businesses become interested in building such a device and looking for further applications. The first working 3-qubit computer is built, and scientists start to develop schemes for error-correction. 

2000s

The first working 7-qubit computer is built at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Shor’s algorithm is demonstrated by IBM on a 7-qubit quantum computer. IDQ brings to market the first commercial product – the Quantis Quantum Random Number Generator – which produces high-quality random numbers, to be used in security, online gaming, and other applications.46 The University of Science and Technology of China manages to demonstrate for the first time the entanglement between five photons.47 Quantum information is successfully transferred between “quantum memories”, and initial attempts are made to prove long-distance entanglement. Development of quantum transistors begins.

2010s

China launched Micinus, a quantum communication satellite48 that enables the transmission of quantum-encrypted communication between Beijing and Vienna. Companies such as INTEL, Google, and IBM release multiple generations of quantum processors, increasing the number of qubits and their connectivity. Quantum computers can be accessed via the cloud, while businesses and the general public are given free access to some quantum devices to explore and test the technology, as well as to develop quantum algorithms and applications.

2020s

Further attempts are made to reduce quantum noise, silicon-based quantum computers emerge, the number of market players and the amount of governmental funding increases significantly, and the number of government-funded programs in the field of quantum computing is on the rise.

4.2

References

[40] Chris Ferrie, “The Quantum Hypothesis,” Medium, July 30, 2020, https://medium.com/@csferrie/introduction-to-quantum-computing-49b31b96e70f.

[41] Richard P. Feynman, “Simulating Physics with Computers,” International Journal of Theoretical Physics 21, no. 6 (June 1, 1982): 467–88, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02650179.

[42] Paul Benioff, “The Computer as a Physical System: A Microscopic Quantum Mechanical Hamiltonian Model of Computers as Represented by Turing Machines,” Journal of Statistical Physics 22, no. 5 (May 1, 1980): 563–91, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011339.

[43] “OSA | Quantum Mechanical Computers with Single Atom and Photon Fields,” accessed September 21, 2020, https://www.osapublishing.org/abstract.cfm?uri=IQEC-1988-TuI4.

[44] Ferrie, “The Quantum Hypothesis.”

[45] P.W. Shor, “Algorithms for Quantum Computation: Discrete Logarithms and Factoring,” in Proceedings 35th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science, 1994, 124–34, https://doi.org/10.1109/SFCS.1994.365700.

[46] ID Quantique, “Understanding Quantum Cryptography,” Quantum Safe Security Whitepaper (Switzerland: ID Quantique, May 2020), https://marketing.idquantique.com/acton/attachment/11868/f-020d/1/-/-/-/-/Understanding%20Quantum%20Cryptography_White%20Paper.pdf.

[47] Zhi Zhao et al., “Experimental Demonstration of Five-Photon Entanglement and Open-Destination Teleportation,” Nature 430, no. 6995 (July 1, 2004): 54–58, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02643.

[48] Anil Ananthaswamy, “The Quantum Internet Is Emerging, One Experiment at a Time,” Scientific American, accessed October 28, 2020, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-quantum-internet-is-emerging-one-experiment-at-a-time/.