CONTEXT:
Recently, Google has launched a quantum computing chip named Willow, developed at its quantum lab in Santa Barbara, California.
About Willow Chip:
- Willow operates using superconducting transmon qubits at extremely low temperatures.
- It can solve complex computations in under 5 minutes that would take 10 septillion years on the fastest supercomputers.
- It can reduce errors exponentially as more qubits are added, solving a long-standing challenge in quantum error correction.
- It uses superconducting transmon qubits, which are tiny electrical circuits that show quantum behavior at extremely low temperatures.
- Willow is seen as a key step in Google’s goal to build a useful quantum computer, with potential applications in drug discovery, fusion energy, and battery design.
About Quantum Computing:
- Quantum computing uses quantum mechanics to solve problems faster than classical computers.
- Classical computers process information with bits (0s or 1s).
- Quantum computers use qubits, which can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously.
- Key principles include:
- Superposition: A quantum particle can represent multiple possibilities at once.
- Entanglement: Quantum particles become strongly correlated beyond regular probability.
- Decoherence: It is the process where a quantum system collapses into a non-quantum state, often triggered by measurement or environmental factors.
- Interference: In entangled qubits’ collective superposition, information is structured as waves, with amplitudes representing probabilities. Interference amplifies or cancels these waves, affecting measurement outcomes.
- Applications of Quantum Computing: Quantum computing holds the key to breakthroughs in a number of critical industries. Theapplication of quantum computing includes:
- AI/Machine Learning
- Cybersecurity
- Financial modeling
- Drug development
- Weather forecasting
- Traffic management
Challenges of Quantum Computing:
- Quantum errors due to noise and decoherence.
- Scalability issues requiring specialized techniques and materials.
- Short lifespan of qubits.
- Ineffective security protocols.
- Shortage of skilled manpower.
India’s Initiatives for Quantum Computing:
- National Quantum Mission: To enhance R&D and create a vibrant ecosystem in Quantum Technology.
- The Mission Implementation includes setting up four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in top academic and National R&D institutes in the domains:
- Quantum Computing
- Quantum Communication
- Quantum Sensing & Metrology
- Quantum Materials & Devices
- Quantum Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST): A program to build quantum capabilities.
Quantum Frontier Mission: It is led by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).