Quantum computers ‘like magic’, say Oxford university researchers

The development of quantum computers will make everything “happen better”, a researcher at a top university has said.

A team from Oxford University’s department of physics are among researchers from across the world racing to develop quantum computers, which are more advanced than current computers.

Dr Christopher Ballance, from the department, said the new technology had the potential to improve many aspects of our lives, from weather apps to drug development.

“The best advance tech is indistinguishable from magic, and that’s how quantum computing is going to be,” he said.

Quantum physics is, according to the university’s professor of quantum technologies Simon Benjamin, the “weird, interesting bit of physics”.

“It’s the bit where things get spooky and really strange stuff happens that defies every day intuition,” he said.

Prof Benjamin said quantum computers could be used to solve equations that are “too hard” for current technology.

“We hope for a golden age of discovery once these machines are online,” he added.

Quantum computers make use of the weird qualities of sub-atomic particles.

So-called quantum particles can be in two places at the same time and also strangely connected even though they are millions of miles apart.

The computers found in most of our homes and workplaces process data in bits, which have a binary value of either zero or one.

Quantum computers instead use a two-state unit for data processing called a qubit.

Source: BBC

Developing quantum computers is not without its difficulties, according to Natalia Ares, associate professor in engineering science.

“We are facing some challenges in how to build these computer,” she said.

“Now, you’ll have to control this entire circuit with many, many gates and many configurations that are possible.

“How you do that is a very difficult engineering problem.”

But, despite the difficulties, Prof Benjamin is optimistic.

“We are getting there,” he said.

“There’s a whole series of milestones and every few months, someone in the world achieves another one.”