What is quantum computing and why do we need it?

Quantum computing is a new technology that promises to make current computer technologies obsolete with faster processing speeds and more powerful encrypted algorithms. It’s not the first time that computer scientists were in awe by quantum computing, but it is the first time they could actually get their hands on one. In 2013, Google brought their quantum computers online to surpass human capabilities in cryptography and arithmetic algorithms. In 2016, it was reported that a major cryptographer at Facebook made use of a quantum computer for encryption purposes. Just like the invention of the computer itself, quantum computing is a huge milestone in the history of technology. It will most likely change the way we live and lead us into a new technological revolution. The first quantum computer was created in 1997 by a Canadian researcher who already had previous experience in quantum physics and studied both computers and biology [1]. However it wasn’t until 1998 that IBM created the first quantum computer with up to 5 qubits [2], which is an amount of qubits viewers can experimentally test themselves through an open source software called CQC-5.
What is a Quantum Computer?

How does quantum computing work, and what are its benefits over traditional computing methods?

Quantum computing’s power comes from the fact that information can be encoded in multiple states, not just one like today’s computers do. This theory has been manipulated since the 1980s, but it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that researchers looked into technology that would allow QBs to exist for longer periods of time. As time went on, researchers made big steps towards creating a quantum computer that could efficiently store and manipulate quantum bits, or “qubits,” based on the interaction between particles of light (photons).
Quantum computing is still in its early stages. It’s way too soon to discuss specific uses for quantum computers. Scientists are only just beginning to successfully build them, and we’re still a long way from creating a universal model that can execute more than one task at once. Still, this technology has endless potential. It could be used to solve problems in fields like chemistry and physics, where massive amounts of data need to be processed, or even in industries like pharmaceuticals and agriculture, where there’s a need for artificial intelligence systems that can quickly analyze reams of data.

What industries are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of quantum computing services inc.?

Quantum computers will probably have a wide range of applications as time goes on. The best is that they are useful for several different industries, such as encryption, medicine, and computational chemistry. Eventually, it’s possible that quantum computing might lead to better tools in the developing world. If a farmer has a good idea on how to improve his or her crops but isn’t sure if the extra income gained would be worth the investment, a QB can check on its own whether it’s profitable or not. If a QB is that powerful, it’ll revolutionize the economy.
This idea was put forward in a TEDx talk by Professor Jim Al-Khalili. He’s a physics professor specializing in quantum physics at the University of Surrey, an ADC fellow, and a global leader in education. His talk urged the audience to think about how the economy could be better if we harnessed the power of quantum computers.
“Quantum computers will probably have a wide range of applications as time goes on.”
Here’s more details on how they can help countries such as India and African countries. He mentioned how an African country’s idea for a rainwater recovery system, using QBs to estimate the amount of rain needed for crops, actually wound up being more cost-effective than the traditional one.
“Can you imagine if that technology is brought to India?” Al-Khalili said. “That is something that we should be thinking about today because it could help many people. I find that a really exciting area to be thinking about.”

What challenges must quantum computer services inc. overcome before they can become a mainstream provider of quantum computing services?

The greatest challenge right now is not making the QCs themselves, but rather the task of creating and sustaining them. The way QBs are being built is that researchers must first have a material that can convert photons into qubits. Since photons can be in multiple states, it’s easier to encode multiple bits in one photon, unlike today’s computers which use single bits for their information. The latest breakthroughs in QBs require researchers to use superconductors that are already being used for other purposes. Once the QBs are created, researchers must make sure that the processors sustain their states for a long period of time without losing them due to heat, moisture, and other external forces. Companies like D-Wave are already beginning to make QBs that are meant for commercial use, which means that the technology is growing fast enough for them to do so.
Despite these challenges, the future is bright for quantum computing and should be profitable in the near future. Quantum computers will be able to solve problems and model scenarios that classical computers of today cannot. Eventually, QCs will take over classical computers because they can run much more powerful algorithms than a normal computer. A quantum processor won’t ever be as fast as a mainframe computer, but it will be much faster than a classical computer. The main question remaining is not how it will change our lives in the future, but what’s going to happen once the QCs are put into production?
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How can you get started using quantum computing services today?

Quantum computing isn’t going to have a huge impact on our lives outside of cryptography and computational chemistry within the next decade. However, today you can get started using QCs with several services offered by companies such as Alibaba, Microsoft, and Google. Google in particular offers a cloud service that allows you to speed up your machine learning processes. So far, the company’s QC services have only been used for science applications and not for everyday work.
Through a collaboration with Microsoft Research, Google developed the Qubole distributed computing platform that can be used to run QC jobs. The service consists of a number of servers for processing and executing queries posed by users. For instance, the user has to choose between several complex mathematical problems and then set up these problems in the Qubole cloud. The user connects his or her device with the cloud to create a distributed computer network.
This article will introduce how you can get started using quantum computing services today and this list is not exhaustive. You can also check out the blog post that Google wrote and Microsoft’s guide to distributed quantum computing.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Google Cloud Platform makes it easy to begin with distributed quantum computing. The company provides a number of services including GCP BigQuery, GCP Compute Engine, and GCP Machine Learning Engine. While these services are not specifically for QC, they do provide very useful capabilities for creating an application that can benefit from distributed brain power.
To get started with this service, you have to create a new project. You will instantly be able to run the python scripts that come with GCP. On top of that, you can use the program kvazaar to automatically set up the infrastructure required for distributed computing tasks.
Alibaba Cloud