The Holy Grail of computing is still considered to be quantum computing today. A revolution that is still ongoing today will result from the adoption of this concept, exceeding even the introduction of Intel's 4004 and 8008 CPUs as one of the most significant times in human history.
However, even if organizations like IBM, Google, and Microsoft are working to develop this form of computing, it's still crucial to start planning your applications now. Despite the fact that there are still faults in current quantum computers, the market is preparing with the advantages of quantum processing in mind, which is why Red Hat included a panel on this subject at its second edition of the Red Hat Summit.
Some main concepts of quantum computing
One of the most perplexing subjects is probably quantum computing. After all, the foundation of its application rests on quantum physics, a field that is only now being thoroughly researched but has a number of well-known examples. The panelists spent some time outlining some fundamental ideas so that viewers may comprehend the technology and its difficulties.
For starters, the smallest unit in quantum computing is referred to as a qubit, exactly like in classical computing (the type of computing we currently use), where the smallest unit is a bit. They are referred to as qubits in English, which is an acronym for the quantum bit. The principles of quantum physics distinguish one from the other.
“A qubit can exist in multiple states, and that is what allows a piece of quantum hardware to have more states than just 0 and 1,” explains E.G. Nadhan, chief architect, strategist, and IBM Quantum Ambassador at Red Hat. A qubit can be either a 1, 0, or both, unlike a bit which can only be either 1 or 0. The fact that quantum computing can exist in numerous states gives it tremendous potential.
According to Nadhan, the classical computer model has surpassed its processing saturation. Even though Moore's Law is still in effect and there are billions of transistors in use today, more processing power is required every day. This mostly serves to speed up requests from sectors including financial services, chemicals, and health.
The dream of quantum supremacy
In the future, scientists anticipate that the idea of "quantum volume" will take the role of Moore's Law, which is primarily related to the number of transistors. When using quantum computing, the number of qubits in a system does not always correspond to its processing capacity, unlike the classical computing model where processing power can be quantified in terms of the number of transistors.
"Quantum volume has emerged as a new metric specific to quantum systems that can, relatively speaking, describe the performance of that system and is another way of looking at the separate performance of a simple number of qubits," explained Matt Mariani, senior manager of Strategic Alliances at Red Hat. In quantum systems, factors like 'quantum noise' or the system's temperature are equally crucial to success as the number of qubits.
Nevertheless, even with these more complex systems, the potential for data processing in quantum systems will usher in a new era. In a conventional computer system, 160 qubits are represented by as many bits as there are atoms on Earth. We will attain a state known as "quantum supremacy" when humanity is able to control qubits.
In the words of Mariani, "Quantum supremacy is the idea that we will eventually arrive at a time where quantum computers will be able to run jobs basically quicker or will have supremacy over conventional computers. and the methods we use today."
The vision of Red Hat and IBM for quantum computing
The idea of quantum computing may seem like something out of science fiction, but despite the immense difficulties in making it a reality, businesses like Red Hat and its parent firm IBM are starting to suggest uses for it. Parul Singh, a senior software engineer, who is standing in for them, claims that cloud computing would be crucial in the near future even though quantum computing is still a long way from being accessible to consumers.
“To democratize quantum computing, we have come up with this coprocessor model, based on the fact that the cloud is the best place to host quantum services,” Singh explained. Red Hat will transition difficult tasks to quantum computing after testing this hybrid quantum model in conventional mode with Nvidia GPUs.
To put it simply, data centers and cloud processing will be the key places where quantum computing will be used in the near future. Accordingly, cloud service providers can provide access to quantum processors based on the requirements of each customer. The new computers won't take the place of older ones; instead, they'll operate simultaneously to provide the best of both worlds.
Technology in the area of quantum computing is developing slowly but steadily. Beyond the difficulties of science and technology, the democratization of this technology will be a key element in achieving new heights.
Comments