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from the what-if-we're-in-the-wrong-parallel-universe? dept.
Quantum computing may be leaping out of the lab soon:
Quantum computing has long seemed like one of those technologies that are 20 years away, and always will be. But 2017 could be the year that the field sheds its research-only image. Computing giants Google and Microsoft recently hired a host of leading lights, and have set challenging goals for this year. Their ambition reflects a broader transition taking place at start-ups and academic research labs alike: to move from pure science towards engineering. "People are really building things," says Christopher Monroe, a physicist at the University of Maryland in College Park who co-founded the start-up IonQ in 2015. "I've never seen anything like that. It's no longer just research."
Google started working on a form of quantum computing that harnesses superconductivity in 2014. It hopes this year, or shortly after, to perform a computation that is beyond even the most powerful 'classical' supercomputers — an elusive milestone known as quantum supremacy. Its rival, Microsoft, is betting on an intriguing but unproven concept, topological quantum computing, and hopes to perform a first demonstration of the technology.
Separate article about IonQ.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Monday January 09 2017, @11:10PM
TFA:
> This rapidity should allow quantum computers to perform certain tasks, such as searching large databases or factoring large numbers,
> which would be unfeasible for slower, classical computers. The machines could also be transformational as a research tool, performing
> quantum simulations that would enable chemists to understand reactions in unprecedented detail, or physicists to design materials
> that superconduct at room temperature.
Ok... or
> The results of the calculation will not have any uses, but they will demonstrate that there are tasks at which quantum computers are
> unbeatable — an important psychological threshold that will attract the attention of potential customers,
So... I've got real-life money. Can anyone actually point out yet where my company or myself will see significant higher throughput from a quantum machine, justifying the ROI? I haven't even specified what the company does, I'm open to any suggestions of real-life algorithms proven to show the advertised benefits...
No, I don't need uncrackable encryption, my 2048-bit keys should still be good for a little while.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 10 2017, @03:12AM
justifying the ROI?
These machines are semi-experimental and semi-imaginary. The only return you'll receive will be measured in frustration and disappointment.
(Score: 3, Informative) by WalksOnDirt on Tuesday January 10 2017, @08:08AM
The most popular public key encryption methods depends on quantum computing not working. There are potential replacements, but it's still unclear if they are safe. Cracking other people's communications can be very profitable even though it's illegal.