Unlike traditional computers that rely on bits of information that can be in one of two states (1 or 0), quantum computers manipulate qubits, or units of information tucked inside subatomic particles. That means, they follow the wacky laws of quantum mechanics and so can be in two states at once. This ability allows quantum computers to theoretically store exponentially more information than your everyday laptop. Live Science is here to dissect the latest achievements and discoveries in this bizarre quantum world of computing.
Latest about quantum computers
'Quantum AI' algorithms already outpace the fastest supercomputers, study says
Researchers have successfully demonstrated quantum speedup in kernel-based machine learning.
Millions of qubits on a single quantum processor now possible after cryogenic breakthrough
Scientists in Australia have developed a quantum control chip that removes a key obstacle to getting qubits into practical, real-world computing systems.
Breakthrough quantum computer could solve problems 200 times faster than a supercomputer
Scientists have built a compact physical qubit with built-in error correction, and now say it could be scaled into a 1,000-qubit machine that is small enough to fit inside a data center. They plan to release this machine in 2031.
Microsoft breakthrough could reduce errors in quantum computers by 1,000 times
Microsoft scientists developed a 4D geometric coding method that reduces errors 1,000-fold in quantum computers.
IBM's monster 10,000-qubit quantum computer coming in 2029 after science behind fault-tolerenance 'solved'
The quantum computer, called Starling, will use 200 logical qubits — and IBM plans to follow this up with a 2,000-logical-qubit machine in 2033
What is quantum error correction (QEC)?
Quantum computers can one day be vastly more powerful than the most powerful supercomputers on the planet — but only if scientists find ways to fix the extremely high error rate in qubits.
Quantum computing: Facts about the ultra-powerful computers that use quantum mechanics
Discover interesting facts about quantum computers, how they differ from classical computers, and what sort of fields they'll be used in.
Quantum 'miracle material' can store information in a single dimension thanks to newly discovered magnetic switching
Scientists have developed a method for storing quantum information in a single dimension, thereby reducing decoherence, using chromium sulfide bromide.
