Quantum computing is the next frontier in technology—harnessing the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems too complex for classical computers—and a startup named Atom Computing has made a bold claim: that they are testing of a 1,180 qubit quantum computer that could be available next year, outpacing giants like IBM and Google. This is a significant leap from their previous system, which operated with only 100 qubits.
Atom Computing has opted to use neutral atoms as their go-to qubits, a move that promises both stability and the ability to scale up. Using lasers, they’ve designed a grid where these atoms can be precisely placed and manipulated. They also store the quantum data in the atom’s nuclear spin, which is less affected by environmental distractions. This allows for a longer, uninterrupted performance. They’ve expanded their grid from a 10×10 setup to an impressive 35×35, offering even more potential for quantum advancements.
However, the error rate for individual qubit operations is very high. Atom Computing expects to have solved this issue in the near future, saying it is “on path to fault-tolerant quantum computing this decade” in an official press release. They have a workaround to tackle this issue, which is to use all their qubits to parallelize the computation.
If Atom Computing’s efforts are successful, we may have a future with scalable—and reliable—quantum computers when researchers shift their focus to giving neutral atoms a little love. IBM is also working toward a 100,000-qubit quantum computer. While Atom Computing’s announcement undoubtedly represents a leap forward, it’s essential to temper expectations.
Atom Computing is making a bold claim that they are testing a 1,180 qubit quantum computer that could be available next year, outpacing giants like IBM and Google. They are using neutral atoms as their qubits and have designed a grid where these atoms can be precisely placed and manipulated. However, the error rate for individual qubit operations is very high. If Atom Computing’s efforts are successful, we may have a future with scalable—and reliable—quantum computers. #QuantumComputing #NeutralAtoms #AtomComputing #Qubits
You can read more about this topic here: Decrypt: The World’s Beefiest Quantum Computer Comes With a Catch
