Three practical issues that quantum computers could assist in resolving.
World Quantum Day
In honor of World Quantum Day, which marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of quantum physics, it’s time to the potential applications of quantum computers to address previously unsolvable issues.
One hundred years have passed since the discovery of quantum mechanics this year. This discovery made it clearer to individuals that the principles of physics governing the smallest molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles in the natural world are fundamentally different from those governing how humans interact with items in their daily life. From the electric batteries that run the machines and cars to the metabolic processes within the bloodstreams, quantum mechanics has helped us grasp the nuances of everything. It has also led to the development of semiconductors and lasers.
Even though quantum mechanics changed the knowledge of the natural world, it wasn’t until 1981 that famous physicist Richard Feynman realized that since the world is quantum, humanity would likely need to create a quantum computer if it truly wanted one that could effectively simulate the entire natural world.
Google has made significant strides in achieving its target of creating massive, error-corrected quantum computers that can tackle problems that would otherwise be impossible over the course of more than ten years of scientific advancements. Let’s examine three ways that quantum computers could enhance people’s lives in honor of World Quantum Day.
Better medical care
Quantum computers could help us get a deeper knowledge of the intricate biological systems of the human body, such as those related to drug creation and metabolism, although researchers still have a lot to learn. Quantum computers may aid in the advancement of medicine by predicting the interactions between specific drug candidates and their targets as well as other biological molecules.
For instance, one can have demonstrated that quantum computers will be able to more accurately and faster than classical computers replicate a crucial structure of the biological enzyme cytochrome P450 in partnership with the pharmaceutical business Boehringer Ingelheim. Because it breaks down medications into the bloodstream, cytochrome P450 is an essential enzyme for assessing the efficacy of medications.
Improved batteries
Every year, the world’s need for energy and its storage capacity increases. It’s looking into how designing new materials will be aided by quantum computing. For instance, researchers have investigated the possibility that quantum computers could faithfully replicate lithium nickel oxide (LNO), a substance used in batteries, in partnership with the chemical giant BASF.
Although the chemistry of LNO is little known and its industrial production is challenging, it has a lower environmental impact than lithium cobalt oxide, which is widely used in batteries. It has been even looked into alternatives to cobalt. The industrial production process might be enhanced by simulating the quantum mechanical behavior of LNO, which would ultimately aid in the development of better batteries.
New sources of energy
Although fusion energy, which powers stars, holds up the promise of abundant and clean energy, it has not yet been scaled up. Computational models are used to study materials under extreme fusion conditions in order to design the required reactors. However, existing models need billions of CPU hours and are inaccurate, frequently failing to match real-world results. The investigators demonstrated, in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories, that a quantum algorithm executed on a fault-tolerant quantum computer might more effectively model the mechanics required for long-term fusion reactions, potentially contributing to the realization of fusion energy.
Although this kind of advancement in energy and medical would be significant, quantum computing may only be the beginning of what is possible. Because of its intricacy, this technology may be able to answer issues that humanity aren’t even sure how to ask yet.
Building and scaling better qubits, enhancing quantum error correction, creating novel quantum algorithms, and implementing them in the real world are all necessary to reach the full potential of quantum computing. help keep collaborating with partners in academia, business, and government to build the most cutting-edge quantum computing system in the world since no one can accomplish this alone.
Summary
By comparing the basic laws of nature with the promise of quantum computing to resolve now unsolvable issues, the passage presents the technology. The use of quantum computers in drug development is highlighted, with particular reference to Google Quantum AI‘s efforts to mimic the cytochrome P450 enzyme. The main point of the message is that quantum computing has the revolutionary ability to solve problems that were previously unsolvable.
