Chinese firm Origin has produced the country's useable quantum computer that has real-world applications.
A report from Science and Technology Daily, one of the nation's state-run newspapers, confirmed that Origin's Wuyuan quantum computer has been in use for a year now, but did not say which client or industry was using it.
China now joins the US and Canada as the only known countries to have this bleeding-edge technology on an applicable scale.
More to come?
Origin's Wuyuan has some impressive specs, featuring a 24-qubit processor with superconducting chip technology. It also has its own suite of software, as well as the ability to work over the cloud, so it can be used remotely.
What's more, Origin is working on its next quantum computer called Wukong, that is said to be coming in the near future. Interesting, in the ongoing chip war between USA and China, Origin hasn't been blacklisted from using US quantum computing technologies like other vendors have (opens in new tab), suggesting that perhaps Origin's creations are wholly its own.
Even though it looks as if there is only one Wuyuan in use, there are reports (opens in new tab) that more may be coming or in fact already be in use by other clients.
Quantum computers are the next stage in super computing, using the principles of quantum mechanics to radically change the architecture of how computers work to achieve exponentially higher speeds than standard supercomputers can. The high level applications of quantum computers include weapon development, complex problem solving, codebreaking and scientific research, to name a few.
Major chip makers are getting involved in this state-of-the-art technology. IBM, for instance, recently developed a massive 433-qubit processor, and even hopes to rapidly progress beyond this, boldly claiming that a 4,000 qubit processor will be made by 2025.
If such claims are realized and the general air of optimism around quantum computing turns out to be warranted, then there may be some seismic discoveries and breakthroughs in all kinds of fields laying in wait.
- For now, you'll have to make do with the best computers you can currently buy
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