MIT built a quantum computer that uses only 5 atoms.

[DocSwag]

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/05/quantum-computer-with-5-atoms/

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It's no mean feat to find the factors of a very large number -- even a supercomputer can take years to find all the multipliers. However, MIT researchers have found a way to clear this massive hurdle. They've built a quantum computer that discovers number factors using just five atoms. Four of the atoms are turned into logic gates using laser pulses that put them into superpositions (where they maintain two different energy states at once), while the fifth atom stores and delivers answers. The result is a computer that not only calculates solutions much more efficiently than existing quantum systems, but scales relatively easily. Need to get the factors for a larger number? Introduce more atoms.

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It's a one-trick pony at the moment (it can only get factors for the number 15), and a truly complex computer would require "thousands" of simultaneous laser blasts to work. However, it could have big ramifications for the security world. A sufficiently powerful machine could end the use of any encryption that depends on factoring -- a government agency or hacking team could easily crack codes that are otherwise near-impenetrable.

Well, this is cool. Only problem is it can only find the factors of 15, but more atoms = bigger numbers.

We can only imagine what this would mean for security, though.

 

On another note, we could in the (far) future have quantum Gpus that have a huge amount of cores that could have a huge amount of computing power  

[Coaxialgamer]

Hope this scales well

[Starelementpoke]

2 minutes ago, Coaxialgamer said:

Hope this scales well

Unlike SLI.

[patrickjp93]

The article may be new, but this is old, old news. Michio Kaku was talking about this machine years ago. The bigger news recently was Google releasing a paper proving D-Wave's systems are real quantum computers, silencing the critics from MIT all the way to UC Berkeley.

[FPSwithaWacomTablet]

Won't do much to graphics or regular usage... Unless you want uber mad PhysX calculations in your games..

 

I think.

[Godlygamer23]

5 minutes ago, FPSwithaWacomTablet said:

Won't do much to graphics or regular usage... Unless you want uber mad PhysX calculations in your games..

 

I think.

Quantum computing is not intended for consumers. It's intended for simulations, like weather for example.

[FPSwithaWacomTablet]

11 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Quantum computing is not intended for consumers. It's intended for simulations, like weather for example.

Inb4 everyone wants their own weather station... RIP weather news

 

Also reminds me of the Tree Diagram on A Certain Scientific Railgun

[RexinOridle]

But will it play Crysis?

[Doobeedoo]

As far as security encryption it could potentially obliterate it?

[LordHood77]

21 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

As far as security encryption it could potentially obliterate it?

If it works off of factors, then yeah, it would. Quantum computers make it look like child's play.

[Beskamir]

2 hours ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Quantum computing is not intended for consumers. It's intended for simulations, like weather for example.

I can see how it could help the average user. (ie really complex AIs in games, searching through all of the files in the system, etc) basically anything that's a np problem instead of just a p problem would benefit from a quantum computer.

 

1 hour ago, RexinOridle said:

But will it play Crysis?

It would be indeterminate. So for example half of the "hits" might not register as an actual hit. Same with AIs, textures, etc.

[Godlygamer23]

Just now, ElfFriend said:

I can see how it could help the average user. (ie really complex AIs in games, searching through all of the files in the system, etc) basically anything that's a np problem instead of just a p problem would benefit from a quantum computer.

You better make sure the rest of the system can handle the file searching. While quantum computers may benefit consumers in video games with AI, we would also need sufficient software to take advantage of that, and we might have complex AI in video games before quantum computers become a staple in the industry.

 

Of course another issue is if we're even "allowed" to have access to quantum computers.

[Beskamir]

25 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

You better make sure the rest of the system can handle the file searching. While quantum computers may benefit consumers in video games with AI, we would also need sufficient software to take advantage of that, and we might have complex AI in video games before quantum computers become a staple in the industry.

 

Of course another issue is if we're even "allowed" to have access to quantum computers.

Lol, judging by the posters in the quantum computing floor at my university, there will be no RSA to break by the time quantum computing becomes mainstream enough for the average user to be able to afford having one. So I don't think the "allowed" factor should be that much of an issue. If anything quantum computers will replace our current encryption (after making it worthless of course). I know it sounds like a scheme. Step one, break encryption. Step two, offer new encryption. Step three, profit?

[Dabombinable]

1 hour ago, Godlygamer23 said:

You better make sure the rest of the system can handle the file searching. While quantum computers may benefit consumers in video games with AI, we would also need sufficient software to take advantage of that, and we might have complex AI in video games before quantum computers become a staple in the industry.

 

Of course another issue is if we're even "allowed" to have access to quantum computers.

Quantum computers would have to have a consumer orientated revolution just like current PC. Remember how the public had extremely limited access to the old mainframes? (I actually have a family member who used one of the first mainframe computers in Australia for a bank, and has seen them go from that to laptops and desktops like mine).

[dalekphalm]

7 hours ago, patrickjp93 said:

The article may be new, but this is old, old news. Michio Kaku was talking about this machine years ago. The bigger news recently was Google releasing a paper proving D-Wave's systems are real quantum computers, silencing the critics from MIT all the way to UC Berkeley.

Wasn't the primary issue that D-Wave refused to let anyone examine the guts of their q-computer? The critics weren't skeptical for nothing. You have to prove a system works before people will believe you.

 

If Google has provided that proof, then excellent.

[Godlygamer23]

4 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Wasn't the primary issue that D-Wave refused to let anyone examine the guts of their q-computer? The critics weren't skeptical for nothing. You have to prove a system works before people will believe you.

 

If Google has provided that proof, then excellent.

We have photos of D-Wave's computer:

http://www.gizmag.com/d-wave-quantum-computer-supercomputer-ranking/27476/pictures