Faster computing
By Wendy Barnaby
In five years, the search engine on your mobile phone will be much faster than it is now. Your phone could contain all sorts of sensors and communications back to your home telling you what the temperature is or how much gas or electricity you're using. You might have sensors monitoring your heart rate or blood pressure. All this will add up to vast amounts of data.
New research will make it possible to cope with these amounts of data much more quickly than scientists have anticipated, said Professor Jeremy O'Brien at the British Science Festival today.
New approach
O'Brien and Dr Jonathan Matthews, both from the Centre for Quantum Photonics at Bristol University, have published a new approach to quantum computing, which they believe could make it a reality much sooner than the 25 years commonly accepted. Quantum computing will be able to perform calculations that are too complicated for conventional computers.
The scientists have built a device which enables them to send two particles of light (photons) through a network of circuits in a silicon chip, on a random walk. The result is a system necessary for the development of quantum algorithms, which quantum computers will use for data processing.
Two photons
The scientists are the first to guide two photons, rather than one, through the system. The result is a doubling in the complexity of the system.
"Using a two-photon system, we can perform calculations that are exponentially more complex than before," said O'Brien.
"We believe, using our new technique, a quantum computer could, in less than ten years, be performing calculations that are outside the capabilities of conventional computers," he said.
New materials
"Our technique could improve our understanding of such important processes as photosynthesis and help, for example, in the development of more efficient solar cells," he added. Other applications include the development of ultra-fast and efficient search engines, designing high-tech materials and new pharmaceuticals.
O'Brien and Matthews have co-authored a paper which appears in Science today.
Their research group, which includes researchers from Tohoku University, Japan, the Weizmann Institute in Israel and the University of Twente in the Netherlands, now plans to use the chip to perform quantum mechanical simulations. The researchers are also planning to increase the complexity of their experiment not only by adding more photons but also by using larger circuits.
Nokia is one of the companies supporting the work.
In five years, the search engine on your mobile phone will be much faster than it is now. Your phone could contain all sorts of sensors and communications back to your home telling you what the temperature is or how much gas or electricity you're using. You might have sensors monitoring your heart rate or blood pressure. All this will add up to vast amounts of data.
New research will make it possible to cope with these amounts of data much more quickly than scientists have anticipated, said Professor Jeremy O'Brien at the British Science Festival today.
New approach
O'Brien and Dr Jonathan Matthews, both from the Centre for Quantum Photonics at Bristol University, have published a new approach to quantum computing, which they believe could make it a reality much sooner than the 25 years commonly accepted. Quantum computing will be able to perform calculations that are too complicated for conventional computers.
The scientists have built a device which enables them to send two particles of light (photons) through a network of circuits in a silicon chip, on a random walk. The result is a system necessary for the development of quantum algorithms, which quantum computers will use for data processing.
Two photons
The scientists are the first to guide two photons, rather than one, through the system. The result is a doubling in the complexity of the system.
"Using a two-photon system, we can perform calculations that are exponentially more complex than before," said O'Brien.
"We believe, using our new technique, a quantum computer could, in less than ten years, be performing calculations that are outside the capabilities of conventional computers," he said.
New materials
"Our technique could improve our understanding of such important processes as photosynthesis and help, for example, in the development of more efficient solar cells," he added. Other applications include the development of ultra-fast and efficient search engines, designing high-tech materials and new pharmaceuticals.
O'Brien and Matthews have co-authored a paper which appears in Science today.
Their research group, which includes researchers from Tohoku University, Japan, the Weizmann Institute in Israel and the University of Twente in the Netherlands, now plans to use the chip to perform quantum mechanical simulations. The researchers are also planning to increase the complexity of their experiment not only by adding more photons but also by using larger circuits.
Nokia is one of the companies supporting the work.
search this section
