Quantum computing has huge potential but it is very complex. While fanatics claim it will Cancer treatment And Save the planetCritics warn that their promises are far from fulfilled.
One of their main challenges lies at the heart of the field: quantum bits, or “qubits.” These units of information are the quantum analogue of the binary bits in classical computers. To make quantum computers useful, large-scale qubits must be reliably controlled and manufactured.
It’s a requirement that still puzzles the world’s leading computer scientists. The likes of IBM and Google have made impressive strides by building qubits into their quantum chips, which must obey the laws of quantum physics at temperatures near absolute zero.
One problem with this approach is that it requires multi-million dollar refrigerators. Another is that just a file Having a single atom in the wrong place on the chip can cause computational errors.
Oxford Ionicsa start Based in the UK, it applies a different technology. The company uses a proprietary technology called Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) to control the qubits. This system applies different voltages and currents to a conventional chipwhich create magnetic fields in the surrounding space.
Quantum bits in this system are made up of individual atoms. In their natural state, these atoms tend not to remain stationary long enough to perform a calculation. To stabilize it, one of its electrons is removed to form an ion. These ions have an electric charge that enables the electromagnetic field to “trap” them to less than Width of a hair above a wafer.
“We have perfect qubits.
Dr Chris Palance, who co-founded Oxford Ionics in 2019, compares the effect to Games that use magnets To suspend things in the air.
“This gives us the best of both worlds: We have a chip that can be made just like a regular computer processor and that can run at room temperature, and we have perfect qubits made of single ions hovering over the chip,” Balance tells TNW. “Not building qubits means we can’t build them wrong. Nature ensures that every individual atom is completely identical to every other atom.”
Unlike other “trapped ion” advocates, Oxford Ionix does not rely on lasers to control qubits. According to Balance, laser-controlled devices are effective for small systems, but are extremely difficult to manufacture and integrate on a chip scale. It also becomes error prone as the processor size and bit count increase.
In tests, the Oxford Ionics system showed apparently superior results. Technology currently holds a Domain from records For quantum computing performance, speed, and error rates, Ballance’s research was also cited scientific release that accompanied this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.
These achievements attracted the attention of investors. Last week, Oxford Ionics announced that it had lifted £30m in Series A financingwhich will be used to grow the team and bring in Technique to the market.
We are entering the discovery phase.
Equilibrium is now looking to solve real-world problems.
“Over the next few years, we are entering a discovery phase Quantitative statistics: Until now, we didn’t have quantum computers that solved problems we couldn’t solve any other way – and now we do! “
Balance is not expected Integration of Quantum Ionics technology into general-purpose chips. Instead, he envisions the company’s quantum chips working in parallel with classical semiconductors.
“Think of GPUs in conjunction with CPUs,” he says.
Killer apps will likely take years to emergebut Oxford Ionics It could push quantum computing closer to the mainstream.