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Scientists in China have made a significant stride in the field of quantum computing, as they announce that their device, Jiuzhang, can perform tasks commonly utilized in artificial intelligence a staggering 180 million times faster than the worlds most powerful supercomputer.

The applications of their quantum computers problem-solving capabilities span various domains, including data mining, biological information, network analysis, and chemical modeling research, according to the researchers.

Led by Pan Jianwei, a physicist at the University of Science and Technology of China, often referred to as the countrys father of quantum, the team published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Physical Review Letters last month.

During the experiment, the team employed Jiuzhang to tackle a complex problem that poses challenges for classical computers. The quantum computer utilized over 200,000 samples to solve the problem.

Remarkably, the researchers successfully implemented and accelerated two algorithms commonly employed in AI, namely random search and simulated annealing, marking the first time a quantum computer has achieved such a feat.

To put the speed into perspective, the fastest classical supercomputer in the world would require 700 seconds for each sample, which equates to nearly five years to process the same number of samples. However, Jiuzhang accomplished this task in less than a second.

An article published by Physics, a magazine from the American Physical Society reporting on papers from the Physical Review journals, highlighted the significance of the teams achievement. The editor noted that the result extends the list of tasks for which todays noisy quantum computers offer an advantage over classical computers.

In the realm of traditional computing, a bit represents either zero or one as its fundamental unit of information. Quantum computing takes it a step further with qubits, which can represent zero, one, or both simultaneously, showcasing the peculiar nature of quantum mechanics.

Due to their ability to simultaneously represent all possibilities, quantum computers hold immense theoretical power and speed compared to the regular computers we rely on in our daily lives.

However, the subatomic particles at the core of this technology are delicate, short-lived, and vulnerable to errors caused by even the slightest disturbance from the surroundings. To mitigate disruption, most quantum computers operate in extremely cold and isolated environments.

Named after a 2,000-year-old Chinese mathematics text, Jiuzhang employs light as its physical medium for computation. Unlike other quantum computers, Jiuzhang does not necessitate operation in extremely low temperatures, providing greater stability and longer operating times.

As the research progresses, the quantum processors advantage over classical algorithms optimized for solving graph problems remains an open question, according to the Physics article. Nonetheless, this breakthrough paves the way for further exploration of real-world applications using existing noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers.

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Chinese Scientists Achieve Breakthrough in Quantum Computing ... - CityLife