Researchers create light-based quantum circuit that does math

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]

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 17th 2007 11:32AM]

but can it play q-bert?

[Timothy @ Dec 17th 2007 11:58AM]

Probably. But can it play every conceivable game of Doom simultaneously?

[Flashpoint @ Dec 17th 2007 12:02PM]

None of this is practical to me unless I can use it to play Crysis in VERY HIGH mode on a 63 inch HDTV.

[Derbeste @ Dec 17th 2007 11:33AM]

Am I the only one that giggles and thinks of "Team America" when I see "DARPA"?

Ah DARPA DARPA! Muhammed Jihad!

[melloncollie @ Dec 17th 2007 11:59AM]

Yes, you are.

[Patuxentbball @ Dec 17th 2007 12:18PM]

I don't think they're saying DARPA, I think its Durkha or something like that.

[Reader @ Dec 17th 2007 12:44PM]

No, but the word jihad makes me really want to read dune 1-6 again.

[Sam Winter @ Mar 6th 2008 5:33AM]

hahha... but it's "durka durka"

[Shawn @ Dec 17th 2007 11:45AM]

So when can I buy my quantum computing calculator???

[Joe @ Dec 17th 2007 11:55AM]

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.

[Motoma @ Dec 17th 2007 12:08PM]

I am pretty sure the image above is only one qubit.

[DarkLightConnection @ Dec 17th 2007 6:10PM]

Yep, one qbit with 3 states

[emailtabs @ Dec 17th 2007 12:01PM]

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.

[Paul Kitchen @ Dec 18th 2007 3:26AM]

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 ;)

[emailtabs @ Dec 18th 2007 5:28AM]

Geek!

[Loban @ Dec 17th 2007 12:17PM]

I'm uncertain about this whole quantum circuit stuff.

[Mark Richardson @ Dec 17th 2007 12:40PM]

Was that supposed to be a pun referring to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle? If so... Good one!

[Loban @ Dec 17th 2007 2:12PM]

Yes. :)

[Leadhyena @ Dec 17th 2007 12:45PM]

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.

[JuggleNuts @ Dec 17th 2007 2:30PM]

My guess is that DARPA probably is not behind the times. :) In fact, it would be quite ironic if you think about the acronym.

[electroglyph @ Dec 18th 2007 3:46AM]

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.

[m16 @ Dec 17th 2007 12:53PM]

so.....Cats CAN do math when they are placed in a box while being bombarded by radiation?

[puxpux @ Dec 17th 2007 1:25PM]

Good kitty!

[IndiaTech @ Dec 17th 2007 3:42PM]

That is not a picture of a qubit. That is how a nerd visualizes a boobie...
Round, Blue and three nippies...

[Nick Sears @ Dec 19th 2007 1:20AM]

...my bro's already doing that up at Yale...