Microsoft has unveiled a new quantum computer chip that could “accurately model the laws of nature”.
The breakthrough in quantum technology promises to push the boundaries of what computers can achieve, offering the potential to solve complex problems in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and materials science.
So how much work goes into making one and when could we see these computers come to life?
On Wednesday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we sat down with Professor David Reilly, a quantum physicist from the University of Sydney, who previously worked with Microsoft’s research team.
Reilly explained that the new chip is built on topological qubits, a significant advance that could make quantum computers both scalable and resilient to errors.
He said that quantum computing has the potential to solve problems that classical computers can’t, such as simulating molecules for drug discovery or improving material design.
“It allows us to have our cake and eat it too. We want to be able to compute using waves, compute using quantum mechanics, but we want to be able to either suppress noise, detect noise, or reject noise in order to build robust systems that ultimately scale,” Reilly said.
The technology behind this quantum chip builds on decades of research in quantum mechanics, which uses qubits that can exist in multiple states at once.
This ability allows quantum computers to process information exponentially faster than traditional computers, opening doors to previously unimaginable capabilities.
However, the advancement also raises concerns about the potential risks.
While quantum computers could lead to breakthroughs in many areas, they also have the power to crack encryption, posing significant security threats.
“There are aspects related to security and cryptography. That’s certainly a very important driver for a lot of the work in the field. But equally, materials are underpinning pretty much all of our technologies, both in defence obviously, but in dual-use areas as well,” he said.
With Microsoft’s new quantum chip, the dream of practical quantum computing is closer than ever before.
“Australia has for many years invested in quantum technologies, almost for 30 years. And we were ahead of the game.”
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