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Cross-section of IBM's "Eagle" chip
Photo: IBM
IBM has presented a new quantum processor that is said to be significantly more powerful than previous systems.
The technology company announced on Tuesday in Armonk, New York State, that the chip called the "Eagle" was so complex that it could not be imitated by traditional supercomputers.
For a simulation by conventional high-performance computers, according to the US corporation, “more classic bits would be necessary than there are atoms in all human beings on the planet”.
With this, the IT group underlines the fundamental difference between conventional computers and quantum computers. Traditional computers work with bits that can only have one of two states: "One" or "Zero" or "On" and "Off". Quantum computers, on the other hand, use so-called qubits ("quantum bits"), which can not only represent the two different states, but theoretically an infinite number of different states - and that at the same time. Each additional qubit that a quantum computer can use doubles the number of states that can be represented at the same time. Therefore, the number of qubits is currently considered a performance feature for the new type of computer. However, the performance of a quantum computer is also determined by a number of other factors.
Business and science hope that quantum computers will make enormous progress, for example in the development of new drugs.
In addition, it could on the one hand enable tap-proof data transmissions, on the other hand it could be used to crack complex encryptions.
Quantum computers are still primarily objects of research, and commercial use has hardly been possible so far.
So far only one research topic
With the new chip, IBM has taken another step on its roadmap for developing real-world quantum computers.
The company emphasizes that with "Eagle" it has exceeded the threshold of 100 qubits for the first time; the new chip has 127 qubits.
IBM has continuously increased the number of qubits in its quantum processors in recent years.
This enables users to explore problems on a new level of complexity in experiments and applications, emphasized IBM.
This includes optimizing machine learning and modeling new molecules and materials for use in areas ranging from the energy industry to drug development.
"The introduction of the 'Eagle' processor is an important step on the way to the day on which quantum computers can significantly outperform classic computers," said IBM research director Darío Gil and enthused: "Quantum computers have the potential to cover almost every sector to change and to help us tackle the greatest problems of our time. "
Experts such as the German physicist Andreas Dewes emphasize again and again that the development of functioning quantum computers could take more than ten years.
The "Canary" quantum chips from IBM from 2017 had five qubits.
In February 2020, IBM presented the "Falcon" series with 27 qubits.
In September 2020, the group increased the brand with the "Hummingbird" processor to 65 qubits.
In 2023, the group wants to have a chip with more than 1000 qubits ready for operation.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft operates the first quantum computer in Germany together with IBM in a data center belonging to the group in Ehningen near Stuttgart.
On the "Q System One" - also from IBM - the technology itself, its application scenarios and algorithms are to be researched.
This system uses 27 qubits.
mak / dpa