Major breakthrough could soon allow us to actually use quantum computers, scientists say

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A new study showed that a quantum computer could be used for calculations that are beyond the capabilities of our current best classical – or non-quantum – computers. New research from IBM showed that those errors could be mitigated, however, and a quantum computer could be used in ways that a classical computer could not. “This is the first time we have seen quantum computers accurately model a physical system in nature beyond leading classical approaches,” said Darío Gil, senior vice president and director of IBM Research. “To us, this milestone is a significant step in proving that today’s quantum computers are capable, scientific tools that can be used to model problems that are extremely difficult – and perhaps impossible – for classical systems, signaling that we are now entering a new era of utility for quantum computing.” Unlike many other similar breakthroughs – which focus on the extra speed that a quantum computer can provide – this new research focuses on the scale of the computer.