Quantum computing has been in the news a lot lately. Conjectured in the ‘80s, with seminal motivating algorithmic and error correction discoveries in the 90s, the physics behind a quantum computer—qubit technology—has progressed steadily over the last two decades. Small, research-scale quantum computers with 10s of qubits are starting to become functional. Are we headed for a breakaway moment for this technology or, just the opposite, another quantum winter? This talk will attempt a gentle introduction to quantum computing from my perspective at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences, which funds internal and external research in the field. I’ll try to separate known from unknown and answer a few common questions. Why does quantum computer science provide a new, more-realistic foundation for information technology? How do quantum computers work? What hardware is required to build a quantum computer capable of performing useful or at least interesting computations? I will end with examples of how a small quantum computer could work based on my research in silicon- based and superconducting-based qubits.
DC Quantum Computing Meetup
