The new iteration of China’s Jiuzhang photonic quantum computer prototypes solved the Boson sampling problem much more quickly than the world’s most powerful computer. The computer represents a major leap and opens the doors for further advancement in photonic quantum computing.
Key Takeaways:
USTC launched Jiuzhang 4.0, manipulating 3,050 photons to reach 92% source efficiency in quantum computing.Lu says Jiuzhang 4.0 processes data in 25 microseconds, disrupting the industry’s classic supercomputers. Bitcoin developers must address this rising quantum threat, weighing fixes like BIP-360 to secure data.China has cemented its leadership in the quantum computing world with Jiuzhang 4.0, the latest iteration of the nation’s take on quantum computing that leverages photons to make advanced calculations.
While the development of photonic quantum computers has been hampered by photon loss, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) developed a special optical light source and an interferometer that allowed the system to increase its source efficiency to 92% and its overall efficiency to 51%.
Lu Chaoyang, a professor at the USTC, stated that “the most complex data sample generated by ‘Jiuzhang 4.0’ takes only 25 microseconds to produce – shorter than the blink of an eye.” This shows a remarkable improvement compared to the most powerful computer in the world, which would take “more than 10 to the 42nd years to calculate the same result,” said Lu.
Lu highlighted that this manufacturing breakthrough opens the possibility to further advance photonic quantum computing development, enabling the construction of “trillion-qubit-mode three-dimensional cluster states.”
