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| IBM's online quantum machine gets faster | IBM's online quantum machine gets faster |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| IBM has made its quantum computing system commercially available to businesses and beefed up an existing system used by the research community. | IBM has made its quantum computing system commercially available to businesses and beefed up an existing system used by the research community. |
| The firm is hoping to boost the numbers of people able to use such computers. | The firm is hoping to boost the numbers of people able to use such computers. |
| The machine, based in New York, has been available via the internet since May last year. | The machine, based in New York, has been available via the internet since May last year. |
| Future applications include the discovery of new materials and medicines as well as making artificial intelligence much more powerful. | Future applications include the discovery of new materials and medicines as well as making artificial intelligence much more powerful. |
| Tricky problem | Tricky problem |
| Since the system went online last year, more than 40,000 users have run over 275,000 experiments on it. | Since the system went online last year, more than 40,000 users have run over 275,000 experiments on it. |
| While the system it has made publicly available is currently only as powerful as a standard laptop, it is an important first step, said IBM scientist Dr Jerry Chow. | While the system it has made publicly available is currently only as powerful as a standard laptop, it is an important first step, said IBM scientist Dr Jerry Chow. |
| "It is about growing an eco-system of users, developing a community that can grow and define the software that will run it," he explained. | "It is about growing an eco-system of users, developing a community that can grow and define the software that will run it," he explained. |
| He added that the system now includes an interface which allows programmers to launch instructions for the machine using traditional programming languages. | He added that the system now includes an interface which allows programmers to launch instructions for the machine using traditional programming languages. |
| Traditional computers process all their information using bits - information stored in tiny transistors that can either be on or off - interpreted as values of one and zero. | Traditional computers process all their information using bits - information stored in tiny transistors that can either be on or off - interpreted as values of one and zero. |
| Quantum computing instead takes advantage of a mechanism called super-positioning that allows quantum bits - or "qubits" - to have values of one, zero, or both at the same time. | Quantum computing instead takes advantage of a mechanism called super-positioning that allows quantum bits - or "qubits" - to have values of one, zero, or both at the same time. |
| But the real power of quantum computing lies in a concept known as entanglement - whereby bits can interfere and interact with each other, creating many states. | But the real power of quantum computing lies in a concept known as entanglement - whereby bits can interfere and interact with each other, creating many states. |
| Qubits are, by their nature, massively unstable and maintaining even one is tricky. | Qubits are, by their nature, massively unstable and maintaining even one is tricky. |
| Most agree that when quantum computing hits 50 qubits - more powerful than the most powerful supercomputers currently available - that will be something of a magic number. | Most agree that when quantum computing hits 50 qubits - more powerful than the most powerful supercomputers currently available - that will be something of a magic number. |
| IBM's quantum computer will now offer simulation of 20 qubits, up from its original five. | IBM's quantum computer will now offer simulation of 20 qubits, up from its original five. |
| "Classical computers are extraordinarily powerful and will continue to advance and underpin everything we do in business and society," said Tom Rosamilia, senior vice president of IBM Systems. | |
| "But there are many problems that will never be penetrated by a classical computer. To create knowledge from much greater depths of complexity, we need a quantum computer." | |
| One computing expert who has used IBM's technology said it showed promise. | |
| "Whilst it is still relatively limited, it is allowing many of us to gain practical experience of running quantum algorithms," said Prof Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey. | |
| "The recent improvements are a natural consequence of the community of users expanding and resulting demand for such improvements. | |
| "It is important to note that quantum computers have the potential for extraordinary speed increases but only in certain types of algorithms. | |
| "The correct time to commercialise such a facility is still open to debate, but there is a market developing with other companies such as DWave already selling their form of quantum computer. So, it's not surprising for IBM to want to capitalise on its progress." |