Four ways quantum technology is changing the world
American computer giant IBM recently announced the development of a quantum computer "Eagle" that can run 127 qubits, which is the world's largest to date. superconducting quantum computer. The University of Science and Technology of China has previously launched a 62-qubit programmable superconducting quantum computer prototype. Governments and organizations around the world are continuously increasing their investment in quantum research and development.
The most basic information unit of quantum computers is qubits. Unlike the basic information unit bits of electronic computers, which can only be 0 or 1, qubits can be 0 and 1 at the same time, so the performance of quantum computers is more powerful, and increasing the number of qubits can improve its performance exponentially, which is why quantum computers One of the important reasons for "bringing countless heroes to their knees".
The famous Spanish physicist Juan Ignacio Sirac pointed out that progress in the field of quantum computers provides a blue ocean full of possibilities for innovation in finance, medicine and other fields. The American biweekly website Forbes lists 4 ways in which quantum computers can change the world.
Facilitate the development of new drugs and materials
With their extremely high processing power, quantum computers will be able to study multiple molecules, proteins and chemicals simultaneously through quantum simulations - standard computers currently There is no way this can be done, allowing scientists to develop new drugs faster and more efficiently than they can now.
For example, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche hopes to use quantum simulation to speed up the development of drugs and vaccines to deal with diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, cancer, and even potentially cure Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, quantum simulations could replace laboratory experiments, reduce research costs, and even minimize the need for human and animal testing.
In addition, in early 2021, the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim announced a cooperation with Google Quantum Artificial Intelligence to jointly research and implement the application of quantum computing in drug research and development, especially in molecular dynamics simulations aspect.
According to a report on the Spanish "El Mundo" website on November 16, Ignacio Sirak said that quantum computers can be used to develop compounds that seem impossible today, such as more energy-intensive compounds. Low fertilizer etc. Companies such as IBM are using quantum computers to shape new molecules to "simulate nature's ability to convert nitrogen in the soil into nitrate-rich fertilizers, thereby reducing the environmental impact of chemical fertilizers"; while Google is working with Volkswagen Group's Information Cooperate with technology departments to use quantum computers to help the latter develop new materials, especially high-performance batteries for electric vehicles.
"Showing its mettle" in the financial field
Quantum computers can bring huge potential benefits to the financial industry - from deeper analysis to faster transactions and more. In fact, many major financial institutions are looking for ways to use quantum computing to facilitate trade, transactions and data transfer speeds.
For example, banks such as IBM and JPMorgan Chase have been experimenting with quantum technology, hoping to optimize trading strategies, investment portfolios, better asset pricing and risk analysis. In addition, last year, Multiverse Computing, a Spanish financial quantum computing technology developer, announced a partnership with IonQ, an American quantum computing startup, which will enable financial services institutions to use the IonQ quantum cloud platform to conduct risk valuations more accurately and faster than before. Portfolio optimization, asset management, fraud detection simulations, and more.
Another potential application of quantum computers in the financial field is financial modeling. For financial institutions around the world, better financial modeling means lower processing costs and faster processing times. Transaction speed, it’s a win-win.
A "helping hand" to combat climate change
More and more experts are turning their attention to using quantum computers to solve one of the biggest challenges of our time: climate change.
First of all, the overall energy consumption of quantum computers will be lower than that of traditional computers. For example, D-Wave's 2000Q quantum computer uses four orders of magnitude less energy than IBM's Summit supercomputer, one of the most powerful computing systems in the world. Similarly, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States calculated that quantum computers have the potential to reduce energy use by more than 1 million kilowatt-hours.
In addition, experts predict that quantum simulation will also help countries achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
For example, quantum computers can accelerate the discovery of new carbon dioxide catalysts, ensure that carbon dioxide is recycled more efficiently, and at the same time produce useful hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other gases. Quantum simulations could also help lead to more efficient batteries, better materials for solar cells or wind turbines, and even more absorbent catalysts for carbon capture technology. In agriculture, quantum simulations can significantly reduce the amount of electricity used to make fertilizers, which account for up to 2% of global energy consumption.
Quantum security should be taken seriously
The "Forbes" magazine website pointed out in the report that although quantum computers will bring huge benefits to mankind, they may also bring risks.
For example, in the field of information security, quantum computers will have the ability to break through the public key encryption that people currently rely on to protect information. This means that no matter how secure the data is now, it may be vulnerable to quantum computers in the future. . This is a disaster for any organization that needs to protect sensitive information.
While governments and businesses have invested heavily in quantum computers, there has been little investment in quantum security, which is critical as we move into the quantum era. Fortunately, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is currently standardizing post-quantum cryptography. According to NIST, the new standards will be announced by the end of this year.
Although quantum computers paint a bright blueprint for our future, Ignacio Sirak made it clear that the idea that quantum computers will be put into practical use is just around the corner must be abandoned. He said: "We have indeed developed the first batch of prototypes, but they are still very small and not powerful. They are just the first step."