6. Quantum Progress
Quantum computing has made notable progress in 2023. This technology leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to deliver computational power far beyond that of traditional computers.
In 2023, progress in quantum computing was defined less by big hardware announcements than by researchers consolidating years of hard work, getting chips to talk to one another, and shifting away from trying to make do with noise as the field gets ever more international in scope. For years, quantum computing’s news cycle was dominated by headlines about record-setting systems. But the time for arguing over who’s got the biggest processor seems to have passed: firms are heads-down and preparing for life in the real world.
IBM is expected to announce a processor in 2023 that bucks the trend of putting ever more quantum bits, or “qubits,” into play. Qubits, the processing units of quantum computers, can be built from a variety of technologies, including superconducting circuitry, trapped ions, and photons, the quantum particles of light. IBM has long pursued superconducting qubits, and over the years the company has been making steady progress in increasing the number it can pack on a chip.
In 2021, for example, IBM unveiled one with a record-breaking 127 of them. In November, it debuted its 433-qubit Osprey processor, and the company aims to release a 1,121-qubit processor called Condor in 2023. But this year IBM is also expected to debut its Heron processor, which will have just 133 qubits. It might look like a backwards step, but as the company is keen to point out, Heron’s qubits will be of the highest quality.
And, crucially, each chip will be able to connect directly to other Heron processors, heralding a shift from single quantum computing chips toward “modular” quantum computers built from multiple processors connected together—a move that is expected to help quantum computers scale up significantly.
In conclusion, Quantum computing is not just a trend; it’s a new reality that’s shaping how we interact with digital content. It’s an exciting time to be part of this digital revolution.
