Quantum Supremacy

China recently demonstrated a quantum computer that can complete a calculation – which allegedly would have taken a supercomputer an estimated 200 billion years to complete – in a matter of minutes. Called Jiuzhang, the quantum computer circuits were created using photons that carry data through optical paths manipulated by mirrors. Unlike superconducting loops (ala Google’s Sycamore processor), which require temperatures just a few degrees above absolute zero, photons as qubits can operate at room temperature, giving them a huge advantage.

To be fair, Jiuzhang was created specifically to do the calculation that it was tested with – known as the “boson-sampling problem.” At this point, it can’t be programmed for any other uses, so it has no real practical or commercial application. However, someday quantum computers could revolutionize industry worldwide, and this work represents a big step in that direction.