Scientists at the California Institute of Technology theorize that a functional quantum computer may require far fewer qubits than previously thought, making the first quantum computer feasible by the end of the decade.
Caltech researchers working with Caltech-affiliated startup Oratomic found that by limiting the errors that “trouble today’s entry-level quantum computers,” a functional quantum computer could be built with just 10,000 to 20,000 qubits.
It was previously thought that millions of qubits were needed for a quantum computer to function properly, Caltech said. A qubit is the basic unit of a quantum computer and the equivalent of a bit in a classical computer for encoding information in a binary format.
“The need for fewer qubits means quantum computers could theoretically be operational by the end of the decade,” Caltech he said.
Transferring atoms with optical tweezers
The theoretical innovation is a proposed error correction architecture that uses “neutral atom systems” in which atoms can be physically moved and connected over long distances using lasers called “optical tweezers”.
“We are developing new architectures for neutral atom quantum processors that dramatically reduce resource estimates for fault-tolerant quantum computing,” he said Caltech theoretical physicist John Preskill added on Tuesday:
“This progress makes me optimistic that widely useful quantum computing will soon become a reality.”
Related: Quantum computers need fewer qubits to crack cryptocurrencies than thought: Google
Manuel Endres, a physics professor at Caltech who recently created the largest array of qubits ever built, said:
“Unlike other quantum computing platforms, qubits of neutral atoms can be directly connected over long distances. Optical tweezers can move one atom to the other end of the system and directly entangle it with another atom.”
The fresh technology makes it possible to encode each logical qubit with just five physical qubits instead of the roughly 1,000 required with conventional methods, Caltech says.
“It’s really surprising how well it works. We call it ultra-efficient error correction,” Endres said.
Quantum boundaries are closer than they seem
Oratomic said it will work closely with Caltech’s Advanced Quantum Computing Mission to pursue ongoing quantum information processing research and aim to build the world’s first utility-scale fault-tolerant quantum computer.
The study came just a day after Google published a paper stating that quantum computers could potentially crack Bitcoin’s cryptography in nine minutes, using much less computing power than initially thought.
Meanwhile, Google in this week’s article urged cryptocurrency developers to switch to blockchain technology for post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, rather than waiting for real threats to emerge.
Last week, the internet giant set its PQC migration timeline for 2029, warning that the “quantum frontiers” may be closer than it seems.
Warehouse: No one knows if quantum-secure cryptography will even work
