Quantum computers are likely to revolutionize the world of IT due to their previously unimaginable computing power.
Even Bitcoin will no longer be secure in the future, says physicist Markus Pflitsch.
Munich - In mid-June, Europe's first commercially used quantum computer was installed in Ehingen, Germany.
The computer from the American company IBM is considered a revolution in information technology.
At the same time, science and industry want to create a research center in Munich to develop their own projects.
But what can the high-performance computers actually do?
In an interview, the expert for quantum cryptography Markus Pflitsch speaks about the application possibilities of the new technology.
Mr. Pflitsch, can you simply summarize what makes a quantum computer?
Very simplified: a quantum computer is based on the mechanisms of quantum physics and is therefore many times more powerful than normal computers.
How much more powerful?
A so-called universal quantum computer will be able to solve problems in seconds for which today's supercomputers would need billions of years.
We speak of a universal quantum computer from around 10,000 qubits.
This is the unit that indicates the performance of the machines.
The increase in performance occurs exponentially, based on the quantum physical phenomena of superposition and the entanglement of the qubits.
We will have to wait about ten to 15 years for the first, fully powerful, universal quantum computer.
However, we can already develop very relevant applications with far fewer qubits.
The IBM computer has 27 qubits. What can you do with it?
In my opinion, this project is primarily about optimizing the system itself and less about its application.
"Real" qubits are built into the IBM computer, which are still very unstable and therefore not fully efficient.
My company works with 40 so-called logical qubits, which we simulate with a classic high-performance computer.
This is currently even more effective than real, unstable qubits, and we are already beating conventional computers with it.
As early as 2014, the American intelligence service NSA announced that it would conduct research on quantum computers with the aim of cracking any encryption. Is that possible with your machine?
Not yet, but it won't be long.
For example, we have succeeded in cracking the AES protocol, one of the most secure encryptions in the world, at least mathematically.
Now we just need a little more computing power to do that.
I think that in three to five years the industry will be technically so far that we can decipher any conventional encryption algorithm, from then on secrets are no longer secure.
This also includes the blockchain protocols on which cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are based.
That means you could uncover the transaction history of all users and access the digital wallets.
This is possible because quantum computers work faster than the security mechanisms of the blockchain.
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Markus Pflitsch, physicist and CEO of Terra Quantum
© Terra Quantum
That would be the de facto end for cryptocurrencies. Is it even possible to protect data and logs in the future?
That's exactly what we do.
Quantum encryption algorithms can also be used to protect data and protocols from quantum computers.
We basically only need a transmitter and a receiver module and an optical fiber optic cable in between.
So we don't have to wait for a quantum Internet, but can use the infrastructure that is available today.
So far we have had a range of 40,000 kilometers with our quantum protocol.
But can't this encryption simply be bypassed with even more qubits?
No.
A real quantum cipher cannot even be cracked by a universal quantum computer because it is protected by the second law of thermodynamics, a fundamental law of nature.
As long as the physics does not change, the system remains secure.
Quantum computers can process unimaginable amounts of data - how can that be used?
For example, extremely complex chemical and physical processes can be simulated.
This can help in pharmaceutical research and in material development.
But also in the financial sector, where complex simulations are involved.
We had our computer optimized for a portfolio worth 400 billion euros.
This saved 120 million euros per year.
Or do you think of autonomous driving, especially in Munich: The data from the cameras has to be analyzed in fractions of a second, especially at high speeds.
Quantum computers are much better suited for this than conventional ones.
What are the dangers?
Like any other technology, it can also be misused, for example for very effective surveillance through facial recognition or powerful hacker attacks.
The Quantum Valley Munich is to be built in Munich. You want to be part of it with your company, Terra Quantum AG. What are you hoping for?
The project was announced in January and, in my opinion, is developing very quickly. At the moment, plans are being made to be able to call up funding this year. In total, the federal government for quantum technology promises over two billion euros and in Bavaria another 300 million will be added. Our hope is that a quantum technology campus will be built in Munich in the long term. We have great institutes, two universities of excellence and dynamic start-ups here. Quantum Valley can then be an interface to large companies and thus to capital and jobs. And the interest is there, only in mid-June did BMW, Siemens, Infineon and Munich Re join forces with six other parties to form the Qutac consortium in order to make quantum technology usable for themselves.With Quantum Valley and such very positive initiatives, we can become leaders in this technology and offer European alternatives, for example to the IBM computer.