Quantum Computing does work...

[ionbasa]

^Graphical representation of the experiment.

 

(Phys.org) —A team of researchers working in South Africa has reported that they've successfully run Simon's algorithm on a quantum computer for the first time. In their paper published in Physical Review Letters, the team describes how they ran the algorithm, the results they found and what doing so means for the future of quantum computing.

http://phys.org/news/2014-11-simon-algorithm-quantum-timefaster-standard.html
and:

Regular readers of quantum-computing stories will know that D Wave has made controversial claims that it can solve some algorithms faster than classical computers using quantum annealing, but that those claims have become the subject of academic to-and-fro about their validity.
 
The new claim isn't anywhere near as startling: what the researchers from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban say is that they've demonstrated that a six-qubit quantum computer solves what's called Simon's algorithm in fewer iterations than a classical computer would require.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/17/simons_says_quantum_computing_iwilli_work/
 
Simon's theory is essentially an algorithm, that is theorized to be solved faster on a quantum computer, than a normal binary computer. In this case, the quantum computer finished the algorithm in two iterations, one less than a normal computer. The theory was only tested on 6 qbits by an south african team, but it is hypothesized that adding more qubits can reduce the compute time and required iterations. Of note is that due to the fact that quantum computers operate at a much slower 'frequency' than normal binary chips, that a normal CPU could probably reduce the required iterations or time to completion by throwing a higher clock speed at the problem, but once more qubits can be used to calculate Simon's theory, this may show that quantum computers are faster in some cases.
 
Currently, Simon's problem can be used to determine if quantum computers are indeed faster than classical computers, but expect a lot of controversy in the academic world. In my opinion this will most likely add fuel to the fire in the arguments and speculation regarding D-Wave's quantum computers.
 
The article can be read here for free: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1410.3859v1.pdf
It also explains the setup portrayed in the graphical representation above.

 

For those of you too  lazy to open the PDF, here is a description:

FIG. 1: Experimental setup. (a): Two photonic crystal fibres produce photon pairs which are fused using a polarizing beamsplitter (PBS) to generate the five-qubit entangled cluster state plus additional qubit 6 shown in (B). The cluster state consists of three polarization qubits, 1, 3 and 5 (s1, i2 and s2). The paths of photons s1 and s2 represent qubits 2 and 4 respectively. The algorithm is executed by measuring the path qubits in the Z or Y bases depending on the oracle’s black box using a Sagnac configuration (dashed regions). The output of the algorithm resides on qubits 1 and 5, and is obtained via polarization measurements. The setup is based on one recently used to generate a quantum error correction graph code [22], the main differences here being the use of an additional photon (qubit 6) and the waveplate configuration used to generate the different entangled resource.

I wish I could explain this in simpler terms, but some of this even escapes me. I'm not a theoretical physicist, but rather a mechanical engineer undergrad student. If anyone would like to chime in on this, please do, and I'll add you explaination to this OP.

[brownninja97]

not gonna pretend that i understand this becuase i dont.

[Sidiox]

 

All jokes aside this is really cool, although I don't quite understand it (at all)

[PixelPips]

not gonna pretend that i understand this becuase i dont.

[coen113]

U wot m8?

[Keudn]

Oh yeah makes perfect sense.....

[ionbasa]

Oh yeah makes perfect sense.....

Its just a math problem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon's_problem

It finishes faster on quantum computers than normal computer. I'm not saying its easy, but knowing the idea behind how Turing machines and boolean math works, definitely helps.

[Jade]

Fixed for @PixelPips;

[Semper]

I am both incredibly excited, and incredibly terrified of this technology.

I'm incredibly excited for the whole world of potential that quantum computing will bring to the world.. yet i'm incredibly terrified of it, because I know that the day that this becomes consumer (or enterprise standard), is the day that i'm out of a job. I simply don't understand math well enough to remain relevant in the job field this will bring about.

There was a time that I thought I wouldn't see it in my lifetime, but it's progressing much quicker than I thought it ever would.

[Extingquish]

I understood everything but the diagram

[Lord Pantaloons]

Why the fuck are you posting this complicated shit? You trying to make me feel dumb?

[ZetZet]

I understood everything but the diagram

Same, diagram needs explaining.

[Extingquish]

Same, diagram needs explaining.

Found an explanation: http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.200501 The explanation is there if you open the images

[MEC-777]

Clear as mud.

 

Very cool/interesting, none the less.

[Pugs501]

[Altecice]

I thought D-Wave computers were already proven not to be true Qbit quantum computers?  This is great news though! as it proves it can be done in half the time so proving they are quicker (I never really had a doubt tbh)

[ionbasa]

Found an explanation: http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.200501 The explanation is there if you open the images

Got it, added the explanation to the OP.

 

I thought D-Wave computers were already proven not to be true Qbit quantum computers?  This is great news though! as it proves it can be done in half the time so proving they are quicker (I never really had a doubt tbh)

I don't believe they were using a D-wave computer, the study doesn't explicitly call out D-Wave, but the same Simon's Problem can be ran on the D-Wave to see if it does exhibit quantum speedup.

[bob345]

the diagram looks like a schematic for some kind of laser light test or something. Thats about as far as my understanding of this goes lol.

[ionbasa]

the diagram looks like a schematic for some kind of laser light test or something. Thats about as far as my understanding of this goes lol.

And it is. They are using optical quantum computing with photons.

[werto165]

Someone should seriously do a quantum computer documentary(they probably already have). Explaining the principles behind it. All I know is that it is 1 0 or a 01 so it has 3 states. Also does anyone know if it's only possible with light, is it possible with other em waves and such?  

[Extingquish]

Someone should seriously do a quantum computer documentary(they probably already have). Explaining the principles behind it. All I know is that it is 1 0 or a 01 so it has 3 states. Also does anyone know if it's only possible with light, is it possible with other em waves and such?  

It's possible with electrons AFAIK

 

Veritasium has a playlist about quantum computing here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkahZjV5wKe_dajngssVLffaCh2gbq55_

[smjpl]

 

I don't believe they were using a D-wave computer, the study doesn't explicitly call out D-Wave, but the same Simon's Problem can be ran on the D-Wave to see if it does exhibit quantum speedup.

 

This is what I am wondering. D-Wave isn't a full quantum computer but instead uses quantum elements to improve performance (remember this from documentary). Making a traditional computer with quantum components instead of building a fully quantum computer.

 

So I don't think we have reached to holy grail of computing just yet although this is still advancing current technology.

[Trik'Stari]

 

Yeah...I don't do well with equations. Looks like Romulan to me.

[BallGum]

The thing that had been on my mind is that it took us a long time to continually refine classical computer architecture to get to where we are with it.

Quantum computing right now is in its infancy, and, as far as I know, has potential to be a lot faster than classical architecture in certain regards. When it eventually does become mainstream, I'm worried what it will mean for software developers and computer languages.

[BallGum]

Also. Can't stop laughing at the annotations: "BS" and "PBS" (bullshit and pseudo bullshit, respectively).