Quantum Computer Components And Working Principles (Future Technology)

Technology - What are the principles of quantum computers?

In general, a quantum computer is a super powerful computer that can solve difficult problems in a matter of seconds. In the fields of science, health, and finance, quantum computing can accelerate discovery and innovation.

Quantum computers work using quantum principles. Quantum principles require a new dictionary of terms to fully understand, terms that include superposition, entanglement, and decoherence. Let us understand the principles below.

Superposition Principle
Superposition states that, like waves in classical physics, you can add two or more quantum states and the result will be another valid quantum state. Conversely, you can also represent each quantum state as the sum of two or more different states. This superposition of qubits gives quantum computers their inherent parallelism, allowing them to process millions of operations simultaneously.
Principle of Entanglement
Quantum entanglement occurs when two systems are so closely connected that knowledge of one system gives you direct knowledge of the other system, no matter how far apart they are. A quantum processor can draw conclusions about one particle by measuring another particle. For example, a quantum processor can determine that if one qubit spins up, another will always spin down, and vice versa. Quantum entanglement allows quantum computers to solve complex problems more quickly.

When a quantum state is measured, the wave function collapses and you measure the state as zero or one. In this known or deterministic state, the qubit acts as a classical bit. Entanglement is the ability of a qubit to correlate its state with other qubits.
Decoherence Principle
Decoherence is the loss of quantum states in qubits. Environmental factors, such as radiation, can cause a qubit's quantum state to collapse. A big engineering challenge in building quantum computers is designing features that try to delay state decoherence, such as building special structures that protect qubits from external fields.

What are the components of a quantum computer?

Quantum computers have hardware and software, similar to classical computers. The following are the components of a Quantum Computer:

Quantum hardware
Quantum hardware has three main components.
Quantum data fields
Quantum data fields are the core of quantum computers and include the physical qubits, as well as the structures needed to hold them in place.
Control and measurement fields
Control and measurement fields convert digital signals into analog control signals or waveforms. These analog signals perform operations on qubits in the quantum data field.
The control processor plane and the host processor
The control processor plane implements a quantum algorithm or sequence of operations. The host processor interacts with quantum software and provides digital signals or classical bit sequences to the control and measurement planes.
Quantum software
Quantum software implements unique quantum algorithms using quantum circuits. Quantum circuits are computational routines that define a series of logical quantum operations on underlying qubits. Developers can use various software development tools and libraries to code quantum algorithms.

What are the types of quantum technology?

No one has shown the best way to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer, and many companies and research groups are investigating different types of qubits. We provide brief examples of some qubit technologies below.

Gate-based ion trap processors
Gate-based quantum computers are devices that take input data and transform it according to predefined unitary operations. Such operations are usually represented by quantum circuits, and are analogous to gate operations in traditional electronics. However, quantum gates are completely different from electronic gates.

Trapped ion quantum computers implement qubits by using the electronic states of charged atoms called Ions. The ions are confined and suspended above a microfabricated trap using an electromagnetic field. Trapped ion-based systems implement quantum gates using lasers to manipulate the electronic states of ions. Trapped ion qubits use naturally derived atoms, instead of synthetically creating qubits.
Gate-based superconducting processors
Superconductivity is a set of physical properties that you can observe in certain materials such as mercury and helium at very low temperatures. In these materials, you can observe the characteristic critical temperature below, at which the electrical resistance is zero and a magnetic flux field is excluded. Electric current through a loop of superconducting wire can last indefinitely and without a power source.

Superconducting quantum computing is the implementation of quantum computers in superconducting electronic circuits. Superconducting qubits are built with superconducting electrical circuits capable of working at cryogenic temperatures.
Photonic processors
Quantum photonic processors are devices that manipulate light for calculations. Photonic quantum computers use quantum light sources that emit squeezed-light pulses, with qubit equivalents corresponding to continuous carrier modes, such as position or momentum.
Neutral atom processor
Neutral atom qubit technology is similar to trapped ion technology. However, this technology uses light instead of electromagnetic forces to trap qubits and hold them in position. The atoms have no charge and the circuit can operate at room temperature.
Rydberg atom processor
Rydberg atoms are excited atoms with one or more electrons that are on average farther from the nucleus. Rydberg atoms have a number of strange properties including an excessive response to electric and magnetic fields, and are long-lived. When used, qubits offer strong, controllable atomic interactions that you can adjust by selecting different states.
Quantum annealer
Quantum annealer uses a physical process to place the qubits of a quantum system in an absolute energy minimum. From there, the hardware slowly changes the system configuration so that its energy landscape reflects the problem that needs to be solved. The advantage of quantum annealers is that the number of qubits can be much larger than that available in gate-based systems. However, its use is limited to certain cases.