Quantum Supremacy: Chapter 1
January 6, 2025
Summary
Quantum computers, if implemented, will revolutionize the world. They will allow us to solve problems that are currently impossible in fields such as finace, medicine, engineering, physics, energy, etc.
Quick Notes
- Quantum computers will be able to crack AES encryption by 2029
- Moore's Law (computers will double in power every 8 months) was named after Gordon Moore, Intel Founder.
- Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in computers.
- Thinnest layer of transistor is about 20 atoms across.
- When they reach 5 atoms, the location of the electron becomes uncertain and begin to short circuit or overheat.
- Richard Feynman looked at the digital computer and imagined a quantum one
- An atom is like a spinning top. It can spin up and down but can spin and infinite combination of ups and downs (for example, 30% up and 70% down). This is called a qubit.
- Superposition: Objects can exist in multiple states.
- Entanglement: Qubits can interact with each other.
- Each time you add a qubit it interacts with the others and you double the number of interactions. For example, a quantum computer with 100 qubits is 2^100 more powerful than a single qubit computer.
- Coherence: when atom shave to be arranged precisely so they vibrate in unison. This is the constraint of quantum computers.
- Trillion dollar question: can we control decoherence?
- We currently store our computers at near zero to control the shaking of atoms. But the inconsistency is how Mother Nature is able to maintain coherence without freezing temperatures.
- Quantum computers have a lot of applications including modeling chemical reactions that will help create the most efficient battery (this will unblock the Solar Age of renewable energy since it will reduce cost) and medical modeling to help identify causes of mutations such as cancer or disesase like Alzheimer's.