China claims quantum supremacy with computer 10 billion times faster than Google prototype



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Chinese scientists say they have built a quantum computer capable of performing certain calculations nearly 100 trillion times faster than the world’s most advanced supercomputer, which is the first major step in the country’s efforts to develop the technology.

Researchers have built a prototype quantum computer capable of detecting up to 76 photons using Gaussian boson sampling, a standard simulation algorithm, the state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing research published in Science magazine. . It’s exponentially faster than existing supercomputers.

The breakthrough represents a quantum computing advantage, also known as quantum supremacy, in which no traditional computer can perform the same task in a reasonable amount of time and it is unlikely to be negated by algorithmic improvements or material, according to research.

Although still in its infancy, quantum computing is seen as the key to radically improving the processing speed and power of computers, enabling them to simulate large systems and advance the advancements of computers. physics, chemistry and other fields. Chinese researchers are competing with big American companies, from Alphabet’s Google to Amazon and Microsoft for a lead in technology, which has become another front in the US-China technology race.

Google said last year it had built a computer capable of performing a computation in 200 seconds that would take around 10,000 years for the fastest supercomputers, reaching quantum supremacy. Chinese researchers say their new prototype is capable of processing 10 billion times faster than Google’s prototype, according to the Xinhua report.

Xi Jinping’s government is building a $ 10 billion (about Rs 73,700 crore) national laboratory for quantum information science as part of a big effort in this area. In the United States, the Trump administration provided $ 1 billion (roughly Rs.7,400 crore) for artificial intelligence and quantum information research earlier this year and sought to take credit for the breakthrough. from Google in 2019.

© 2020 Bloomberg LP


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