Qubits worth far more than two bits

Qubit Representation  (Image by Glosser.ca)

The word “bit,” when not referring to the painful aftermath of fangs in flesh, is a shortened combination of the computer terms “binary” and “digit,” with a value of either 0 or 1.

This either/or limitation is exceeded when both/and qubits come into play.  Because qubits (meaning “quantum bits”) possess properties of “superposition and entanglement,” they are able to exist as both 0 and 1 at the same time (superposition), and can act connected even when disconnected (entanglement).

What this means in practical terms is that quantum computers can operate far quicker than binary ones.  But up until now, qubits have been too unstable for use within conventional computers. 

Just this week, however, scientists at Griffith and Queensland Universities in Australia announced the creation of a quantum “Fredkin gate.”  This development “could bring fully functional quantum computers closer to reality.”

Resources

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/scientists-successfully-create-a-quantum-fredkin-gate/ 

Copyright March 28, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved