IBM researchers have finally proved through an experiment in the real world that quantum computers are superior to classical devices – on a miniature scale.
Two circuits with limited space were built, a quantum circuit and a classical circuit, with only one bit or qubit available for calculation and storing results.
Programmed into the circuits, the task was to find the majority of three input bits, with zero returned for more than half of the bits and one returned for more than half of the bits.
Scientists said these limitations allowed for a fair comparison between the power of classical and quantum space in performing a calculation.
The research aims to answer the question: “How does the computational power differ when a computer has access to classical scratch space versus quantum scratch space?”
Equipped with a single bit for calculation and storage, the classical system is unable to run the algorithm.
Even if one boosts the computing capabilities of the system by adding so-called random Boolean gates, the classical computer is only successful in 87.5% of cases.
Meanwhile, quantum devices performed better: a perfect, silent quantum computer could be successful 100% of the time, according to scientists.
This is because qubits, unlike classic bits that can represent either a 1 or a 0, can simultaneously assume a combination of different states, which means that they have access to a larger value space.
From improving supply chains in automotive production to optimizing the routes of merchant ships around the world’s oceans, there is no shortage of ideas for exploring how quantum computing technology could create value.
But, for the most part, scientists are now discovering that quantum technologies are comparable to classical systems for minor problems, with only the theory that quantum computers will ultimately bring benefits in their development.
For more information, read the original story in ZDNet.