In the world of finance, the craze for artificial intelligence is undeniable, with players like NVIDIA seeing their market capitalization explode. However, while the year 2023 will remain marked by fascination with AI, 2024 could mark the beginning of the era of quantum computing thanks to IBM’s latest innovation.
IBM continues to advance on the quantum computer
Traditional computing relies on the use of bits to represent transistors, which can take the value 1 or 0. In contrast, quantum computing exploits the strange phenomena of quantum mechanics, where a qubit – which can be a molecule, an ion, an atom or even subatomic particles such as electrons – can exist simultaneously in several energy states thanks to superposition. Measuring the precise state of a qubit destroys its superposition, but this gives a probability curve for all possible energy states. Quantum computers use this probability curve to perform calculations much faster than their classical counterparts. However, these computers are prone to noise and error. This is where IBM’s recent innovation comes in.
In November 2021, IBM presented its Eagle quantum processorwith 127 qubits. Today, IBM announced a new breakthrough, in partnership with UC Berkeley. This approach aims to effectively attenuate noise in IBM’s Eagle quantum computer, paving the way for real-world applications.
The research team discovered that it could amplify the noise in a quantum configuration using a technique called ” pulse stretching” where the time required to perform operations on a qubit is extended in order to amplify the overall noise. Once the noise has been amplified, the team developed a precise model representing the reaction of the quantum system to various stimuli.
This model then enabled the team to neutralize the level of specific noise in the system using a method called ZNE or Zero Noise Extrapolation, thus obtaining accurate and useful information from the quantum computer.
A crucial step towards quantum supremacy
It is important to emphasize that this breakthrough a crucial step towards quantum supremacy, the long-awaited point at which quantum computers clearly surpass their classical counterparts. Although we’re not there yet, this latest innovation from IBM brings us considerably closer to realizing this dream.
It’s also worth noting that IBM has already established partnerships with companies such as NVIDIA and Samsung to improve the performance of conventional silicon technology. However, quantum supremacy opens up a whole new chapter in computing power, with unprecedented gains in speed and efficiency.