world access to quantum computing cloud platform
the model ofsuperconducting quantum computer called "zuchongzhi" is displayed at2021 quantum industry conference in hefei, anhui province. (photo: xinhua)
by staff reporters
the new generation quantum computing cloud platform with the potential to achieve quantum superiority, is now online and open to all users around the globe.
providing the computing power service is a 176-bit superconducting quantum computer called "zuchongzhi," according to the center for excellence in quantum information and quantum physics under the chinese academy of sciences.
the platform was upgraded from the previous model zuchongzhi -2 by adding control interfaces of 110 qubits, making the number of qubits that users can manipulate a powerful 176. the 110 qubits are coupling bits, which can enhance the control precision between bits to a large extent, according to zhu xiaobo, chief engineer of the project and professor at the university of science and technology of china.
theoretically, quantum computers do have some advantages over traditional computers in certain aspects, such as computing speed, said zhu.
zhu emphasized that not all tasks can be performed by quantum computers and that they are more likely to supplement traditional computers. he added that it should not be the case of one replacing the other, but rather the two should be integrated.
peng chengzhi, executive vice-director of the project, said each quantum gate operation has an error rate, and the accumulated errors could make the result meaningless, so error correction is of great importance.
if a quantum computer is to be developed for general use, the error rate must be lowered, said zhu.
peng noted that even though they have made progress in error correction, it is insufficient, and one error happened in several million operations rather than in several hundred operations is what they aim for.
the cloud platform capable of error correction is hoped to be launched in about three years, said peng.
