London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

UK-based quantum computing firm Quantinuum claims sub-atomic matter breakthrough

UK-based quantum computing firm Quantinuum claims sub-atomic matter breakthrough

So far the field of quantum computing has been dominated by Google, IBM and the Zuchongzhi quantum computer in China - and experts believe Quantinuum's breakthrough could put them in the same league.

A UK-based quantum computing firm claims to have harnessed an exotic form of sub-atomic matter for the first time, a feat they claim could revolutionise efforts to build machines infinitely more powerful than conventional computers.

Scientists with UK and US-based Quantinuum, along with collaborators at Caltech and Harvard, say they have not just produced but manipulated a strange new form of matter, non-Abelian anyons in order to perform a quantum calculation.

"We have discovered something that's critical to allow people now to take heart and believe that this quantum computing paradigm is for real," said Ilyas Khan, founder and chief product officer at Quantinuum.

The claimed breakthrough, which has yet to be formally reviewed by independent researchers, could offer an important new alternative approach to ways to build a "fault-tolerant" quantum computer.

Ilyas Khan, founder and chief product officer at Quantinuum


So far the field of quantum computing has been dominated by Google, IBM and the Zuchongzhi quantum computer in China.

Their approaches use superconducting materials where information is encoded in the quantum positions of individual particles called "qubits".

But progress towards quantum computers that rival conventional ones has been held back by the fact quantum particles can change state randomly and without warning - requiring huge amounts of error correction to be built into computer designs.

Non-Abelian anyons offer an entirely different approach - one that could theoretically reduce the need for error correction.

Like most things in the strange sub-atomic quantum world, non-Anbelian anyons are difficult to get your head around.

They are described as "quasi-particles" because they defy the rules by which conventional matter like protons, electrons and photons behave.

They only exist in two-dimensional space but, theorists have long predicted, can be produced under certain conditions like in the powerful electromagnetic fields or ultra-cold circuits of experimental quantum computers.

The new approach dispenses with qubits being associated with an individual particle, instead, they are distributed throughout a cloud of quasi-particles.

Similar, explains Khan, to the difference between an individual bird flying through the sky, and a flock of birds moving in a coordinated way.

Calculations can be carried out - at least in theory - by manipulating the movement of the cloud of quasi-particles.

This is something Quantiuum says it has now demonstrated using its H2 quantum processor, using an approach it has been developing in "stealth mode" for the last seven years.

Will this allow Quantiuum to leap ahead of the competition?

"I wouldn't go out on a limb and say this is the approach that definitely wins," said Prof Steven Simon, a physicist at the University of Oxford.

"But it puts them in the same league."

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Taking Shape: No Invitations Issued to Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo
Iranian Man Charged in Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump
£3 Billion of British Taxpayer Money Spent by UK Government on Hotel Costs for Migrants
Unlike the shock and profound sadness at 10 Downing Street, British citizens assembled for an impressive rally backing the elected President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Elon Musk Predicts Justin Trudeau's Electoral Defeat
Here's why: Scott Presley convinced swing voters in Pennsylvania with a clear and direct question.
Royal Estates Earning Millions from Public Services and Charities
Siemens Acquires Altair Engineering in $10.6 Billion Deal
The man who got hit by a bus and immediately went back to the pub is strong! Beer is very important.
Donald Trump files $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, accusing them of 'deceptively doctoring' Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview
Formal Address for Meghan Markle at Invictus Games
Understanding the US Electoral College System
Apple Launches AI Features on Select iPhones
JP Morgan Sued Customers Over Viral Cheque Fraud Scheme
King Charles to Continue Global Tours Despite Cancer Diagnosis
Venice Extends Tourist Entry Fee Program to 2025
Tommy Robinson Charged Under Terrorism Act for Phone Offence
Plans to Increase Employers' National Insurance Announced
Washington Post Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan has RESIGNED after owner Jeff Bezos BARRED the endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Massive Theft of Artisan Cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy
US Man Charged with Murder of Co-Worker over Breaks
Carbon Monoxide Incident Claims Lives at UK Care Home
Birmingham Airport Evacuated Due to Suspicious Vehicle
Former US President Barack Obama raps the lyrics to Eminem's ‘Lose Yourself’ after the rapper introduces him at a Kamala Harris rally in Detroit
KYIV URGES NORTH KOREAN TROOPS IN UKRAINE TO SURRENDER
Ofcom Identifies Link Between Social Media Posts and UK Unrest
Russian Boxer Receives Lifetime Ban for Illegal Move in Boxing Debut
Biden Labels Trump a Threat to Democracy
McDonald's Linked to E. coli Outbreak Leading to One Death
Teacher Enoch Burke arrested at Wilson’s Hospital School in Ireland after refusing to endorse and affirm transgender ideology.
FBI Investigates Leak of US Intelligence on Israeli Strike Plans
Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah's Financial Resources
China’s Baidu is revolutionizing transportation with its robotaxi service
Angela Rayner Secures Permanent Seat on UK National Security Council
Russian Ambassador Claims UK's Proxy War in Ukraine
Doctor Advocates for Assisted Dying Law Reform
Ruth Davis Appointed as UK’s First Nature Envoy
Pressure Mounts on Starmer to Discuss Reparations at Commonwealth Summit
James Cleverly’s Costly In-Flight Catering for Government Trips
AI Regulation Takes Center Stage in 2024 US Presidential Campaign
NASA Study Explores Potential Microbial Life Beneath Mars' Ice
Cats: The Liquid-Like Pets
Netanyahu Condemns Alleged Hezbollah Assassination Attempt
Liam Payne's Tragic Death: Tributes Pour In
Cuba's Power Struggles: Nationwide Blackout Strikes Again
Xi Jinping Urges Troops to Prepare for Conflict Amid Taiwan Drills
Farage Supported by US PR Team Linked to Steve Bannon
Controversy Over MP's Comments on Female Candidate's Family Responsibilities
Highlights from the Conservative Leadership Contest TV Debate
Childminder Jailed for Inciting Racial Hatred After Southport Attack
×