Researchers create light-based quantum circuit that does math
By Donald Melanson 
posted Dec 17th 2007 11:21AM
posted Dec 17th 2007 11:21AM
It looks like quantum computing could now be one step closer to some form of practicality, as a team of researchers from the University of Queensland have announced that they've created a light-based quantum circuit that's capable of performing basic calculations. According to ZDNET Australia, that was done by using a laser to send "entangled" photons through a linear optical circuit, which allowed them to create a circuit consisting of four "qubits," (or quantum bits, pictured at right), which in turn allowed them to calculate the prime roots of fifteen, three and five. Somewhat interestingly, the university's research is funded in part by none other than DARPA, which the researchers themselves admit may be due to the technology's potential for cracking otherwise uncrackable codes.[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]
but can it play q-bert?
Probably. But can it play every conceivable game of Doom simultaneously?
None of this is practical to me unless I can use it to play Crysis in VERY HIGH mode on a 63 inch HDTV.
Am I the only one that giggles and thinks of "Team America" when I see "DARPA"?
Ah DARPA DARPA! Muhammed Jihad!
Yes, you are.
I don't think they're saying DARPA, I think its Durkha or something like that.
No, but the word jihad makes me really want to read dune 1-6 again.
hahha... but it's "durka durka"
So when can I buy my quantum computing calculator???
I only see three qubits in that picture. However, I have no idea what I'm looking at.
And I used to think I was good at math, too.
I am pretty sure the image above is only one qubit.
Yep, one qbit with 3 states
Want one!
This is stonking work guys..
For those of you not versed in the world of quantum you will have no idea how hard (and mentally taxing) this stuff is.
I tried to get my head around the fundamentals and nearly melted my brain.
I am stupidly impressed! i raise my glass and doff my cap to you clever clever guys.
If they can build a machine, using this technology, that can beat a 9 dan pro at a game of Go, then we should fall humbly subservient to a new age of AI....
Bloody impressive stuff ;)
Geek!
I'm uncertain about this whole quantum circuit stuff.
Was that supposed to be a pun referring to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle? If so... Good one!
Yes. :)
Ummmm... IBM did this almost 6 years ago...
http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/pr.nsf/pages/news.20011219_quantum.html
They also at that time built a 7-qubit computer, and they also used Shor's algorithm. Either this is just a repeated experiment to verify the results and old news, or these people at DARPA are behind the times.
My guess is that DARPA probably is not behind the times. :) In fact, it would be quite ironic if you think about the acronym.
The first thing I thought when reading this article was "Isn't this ancient news?", but it's not.
IBM did not use photons. Photon entangling tech. has only been around for a year.
so.....Cats CAN do math when they are placed in a box while being bombarded by radiation?
Good kitty!
That is not a picture of a qubit. That is how a nerd visualizes a boobie...
Round, Blue and three nippies...
...my bro's already doing that up at Yale...