DOES IT WORK? IBM’S SENIOR MANAGER OF
IBM’S SENIOR MANAGER OF EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM COMPUTERS
EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM COMPUTERS EXPLAINS.
EXPLAINS. >> TODAY WE’RE IN MIXED REALITY
>> TODAY WE’RE IN MIXED REALITY STUDIO TO GET THE BIG PICTURE ON
STUDIO TO GET THE BIG PICTURE ON QUANTUM COMPUTING.
QUANTUM COMPUTING. HOW DOES THIS TYPE OF COMPUTING
HOW DOES THIS TYPE OF COMPUTING WORK AND WHY IS IT SO DIFFERENT
WORK AND WHY IS IT SO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
FROM WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. SO, JERRY, FIRST RIGHT OFF THE
SO, JERRY, FIRST RIGHT OFF THE BAT, LET’S BREAK DOWN THE
BAT, LET’S BREAK DOWN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BINARY BIT
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BINARY BIT AND Q-BIT.
AND Q-BIT. >> IN CLASSICAL COMPUTING, WHEN
>> IN CLASSICAL COMPUTING, WHEN WE USE BITS IT CAN ONLY BE IN
WE USE BITS IT CAN ONLY BE IN ONE OF TWO STATES.
ONE OF TWO STATES. IT CAN BE EITHER ZERO OR ONE.
IT CAN BE EITHER ZERO OR ONE. IN THIS CASE, THE BLUE OR THE
IN THIS CASE, THE BLUE OR THE YELLOW.
YELLOW. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> BUT IN THE CASE OF QUANTUM
>> BUT IN THE CASE OF QUANTUM BITS OR Q-BITS, YOU FOLLOW THE
BITS OR Q-BITS, YOU FOLLOW THE LAWS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS AND
LAWS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS AND WHAT THAT LETS YOU DO IS
WHAT THAT LETS YOU DO IS ACTUALLY MAKE INFORMATION LIVE
ACTUALLY MAKE INFORMATION LIVE IN A SUPER POSITION.
IN A SUPER POSITION. SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE IN STATES
SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE IN STATES OF ZERO AND ONE AT THE SAME
OF ZERO AND ONE AT THE SAME TIME.
TIME. ACTUALLY LIVE ON -- ANYWHERE ON
ACTUALLY LIVE ON -- ANYWHERE ON THE SURFACE OF THIS SPHERE
THE SURFACE OF THIS SPHERE YOU’RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
YOU’RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW. >> ANYWHERE WITHIN THAT.
>> ANYWHERE WITHIN THAT. >> YEAH, THAT’S CORRECT.
>> YEAH, THAT’S CORRECT. WHAT’S CRAZY ABOUT IT IS WHEN
WHAT’S CRAZY ABOUT IT IS WHEN YOU ACTUALLY MEASURE THESE
YOU ACTUALLY MEASURE THESE Q-BITS, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN BE
Q-BITS, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN BE IN ALL THESE STATES, AT THE END
IN ALL THESE STATES, AT THE END IT STILL DECIDES, AM I ZERO OR
IT STILL DECIDES, AM I ZERO OR ONE?
ONE? YOU STILL GO BACK TO THAT BIT
YOU STILL GO BACK TO THAT BIT REPRESENTATION AT THE END.
REPRESENTATION AT THE END. ENTANGLEMENT IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER
ENTANGLEMENT IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER SPECIAL TYPE OF SUPER POSITION.
SPECIAL TYPE OF SUPER POSITION. AND IT’S SOMETHING YOU NEVER SEE
AND IT’S SOMETHING YOU NEVER SEE IN CLASSICAL COMPUTING.
IN CLASSICAL COMPUTING. IT ACTUALLY INVOLVES TWO Q-BITS
IT ACTUALLY INVOLVES TWO Q-BITS THAT BECOME PERFECTLY CORRELATED
THAT BECOME PERFECTLY CORRELATED WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WITH ONE ANOTHER. IF YOU WERE TO MEASURE ONE QBIT
IF YOU WERE TO MEASURE ONE QBIT YOU KNOW EXACTLY THE STATE OF
YOU KNOW EXACTLY THE STATE OF THE OTHER QUBIT.
THE OTHER QUBIT. >> THEY’RE ALWAYS MIRRORING EACH
>> THEY’RE ALWAYS MIRRORING EACH OTHER.
OTHER. >> WHAT’S MORE, IF YOU WANTED TO
>> WHAT’S MORE, IF YOU WANTED TO JUST LOOK AT ONE ON ITS OWN,
JUST LOOK AT ONE ON ITS OWN, IT’S RANDOM, YOU LOST ITS
IT’S RANDOM, YOU LOST ITS INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. >> NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW SUPER
>> NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW SUPER POSITION AND ENTANGLEMENT WORK
POSITION AND ENTANGLEMENT WORK WITH QUBITS, HOW DOES THAT HELP
WITH QUBITS, HOW DOES THAT HELP US MOVING FORWARD WITH QUANTUM
US MOVING FORWARD WITH QUANTUM COMPUTING?
COMPUTING? GIVE US SOME ABILITY WE DON’T
GIVE US SOME ABILITY WE DON’T HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH CLASSICAL
HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH CLASSICAL COMPUTERS.
COMPUTERS. >> WHAT’S REALLY INTERESTING IS
>> WHAT’S REALLY INTERESTING IS THERE ARE PROBLEMS OUT THERE,
THERE ARE PROBLEMS OUT THERE, LIKE UNDERSTANDING MOLECULES,
LIKE UNDERSTANDING MOLECULES, WHICH ARE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT
WHICH ARE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR REGULAR COMPUTERS.
FOR REGULAR COMPUTERS. BUT THE THING IS IN THIS
BUT THE THING IS IN THIS MOLECULE WE’RE LOOKING AT HERE.
MOLECULE WE’RE LOOKING AT HERE. THIS IS THE CAFFEINE MOLECULE,
THIS IS THE CAFFEINE MOLECULE, WHICH WE KNOW AND LOVE IN OUR
WHICH WE KNOW AND LOVE IN OUR COFFEE.
COFFEE. THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERACTIONS
THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT
BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT ELECTRONS IN THIS MOLECULE.
ELECTRONS IN THIS MOLECULE. THOSE INTERACTIONS FOLLOW THE
THOSE INTERACTIONS FOLLOW THE LAWS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS WE
LAWS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS WE JUST HEARD ABOUT WITH QUBITS.
JUST HEARD ABOUT WITH QUBITS. WE CAN USE THESE QUBITS TO MIMIC
WE CAN USE THESE QUBITS TO MIMIC THE BEHAVIOR OF THIS MOLECULE
THE BEHAVIOR OF THIS MOLECULE AND STUDY SOME OF THOSE
AND STUDY SOME OF THOSE INTERACTIONSES OF THE UNDERLYING
INTERACTIONSES OF THE UNDERLYING ELECTRONS.
ELECTRONS. THAT WE CAN’T REALLY DO IN A
THAT WE CAN’T REALLY DO IN A SCALEABLE WAY WITH REGULAR
SCALEABLE WAY WITH REGULAR CONDITIONAL BITS, ZEROS AND
CONDITIONAL BITS, ZEROS AND ONES.
ONES. >> WHAT ARE CHALLENGES WITH
>> WHAT ARE CHALLENGES WITH TRYING TO MAKE A QUANTUM
TRYING TO MAKE A QUANTUM COMPUTER WORK?
COMPUTER WORK? >> YEAH, SO REALLY ONE OF THE
>> YEAH, SO REALLY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PARTS OF
MOST CHALLENGING PARTS OF BUILDING THESE QUANTUM COMPUTERS
BUILDING THESE QUANTUM COMPUTERS IS GETTING THESE QUBITS TO
IS GETTING THESE QUBITS TO SURVIVE AND LAST LONG.
SURVIVE AND LAST LONG. THE SYSTEM THAT WE BUILD AT IBM,
THE SYSTEM THAT WE BUILD AT IBM, THEY’RE BASED OFF SUPER
THEY’RE BASED OFF SUPER CONNECTING TECHNOLOGY.
CONNECTING TECHNOLOGY. IN ORDER TO HAVE THE QUANTUM
IN ORDER TO HAVE THE QUANTUM PROPERTIES UNLOCK, WE HAVE TO
PROPERTIES UNLOCK, WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY COOL THEM DOWN TO
ACTUALLY COOL THEM DOWN TO EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURES.
EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURES. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT IS ONE OF
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT IS ONE OF OUR DILUTION REFRIGERATORS.
OUR DILUTION REFRIGERATORS. THE INSIDE OF THE DILUTION
THE INSIDE OF THE DILUTION REFRIGERATOR, WHICH WE USE TO
REFRIGERATOR, WHICH WE USE TO COOL THESE QUBITS --
COOL THESE QUBITS -- >> THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE?
>> THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? >> THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
>> THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. ABOUT THE SIZE.
ABOUT THE SIZE. >> IN TERMS OF WHAT’S GOING ON
>> IN TERMS OF WHAT’S GOING ON INSIDE OF THIS, WALK US THROUGH
INSIDE OF THIS, WALK US THROUGH WHERE THESE SIGNALS ARE GOING
WHERE THESE SIGNALS ARE GOING AND WHERE THEY REACH TO MAKE THE
AND WHERE THEY REACH TO MAKE THE QUBITS ACTUALLY ACT THE WAY YOU
QUBITS ACTUALLY ACT THE WAY YOU WANT THEM TO.
WANT THEM TO. >> I HAVE A QUBIT CHIP HERE.
>> I HAVE A QUBIT CHIP HERE. IT GOES AND SITS AT THE BOTTOM
IT GOES AND SITS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS DILUTION REFRIGERATOR.
OF THIS DILUTION REFRIGERATOR. THE REASON IT’S THERE, THAT’S
THE REASON IT’S THERE, THAT’S WHERE THE SYSTEM IS THE COLDEST.
WHERE THE SYSTEM IS THE COLDEST. >> SO ALL OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE
>> SO ALL OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT CHIP
IS TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT CHIP AS COOL AS IT NEEDS TO.
AS COOL AS IT NEEDS TO. >> AND ALSO TO BRING DOWN
>> AND ALSO TO BRING DOWN SIGNALS TO CONTROL THE STATES OF
SIGNALS TO CONTROL THE STATES OF THE QUBITS.
THE QUBITS. THERE’S SOME WIRES AND MICROWAVE
THERE’S SOME WIRES AND MICROWAVE SIGNALS GET SENT DOWN THESE
SIGNALS GET SENT DOWN THESE WIRES, IN FACT, OVER TO FLIP THE
WIRES, IN FACT, OVER TO FLIP THE STATE OF THE QUBIT.
STATE OF THE QUBIT. WHEN WE PROGRAM IT, THEY DO WHAT
WHEN WE PROGRAM IT, THEY DO WHAT WE WANT IN A QUANTUM PROGRAM.
WE WANT IN A QUANTUM PROGRAM. >> THINKING ABOUT THE COMPUTER,
>> THINKING ABOUT THE COMPUTER, TELL US ABOUT WHAT QUANTUM
TELL US ABOUT WHAT QUANTUM COMPUTING IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
COMPUTING IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE’LL SEE THIS TYPE OF
AND HOW WE’LL SEE THIS TYPE OF COMPUTING.
COMPUTING. >> FOR THE LONGEST TIME WE WERE
>> FOR THE LONGEST TIME WE WERE IN THIS PERIOD OF UNDERSTANDING
IN THIS PERIOD OF UNDERSTANDING THE UNDERLYING QUANTUM SCIENCE,
THE UNDERLYING QUANTUM SCIENCE, TRYING TO BUILD THESE ACTUAL
TRYING TO BUILD THESE ACTUAL SYSTEMS AND THEN RECENTLY WHEN
SYSTEMS AND THEN RECENTLY WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO START TO RELEASE
WE WERE ABLE TO START TO RELEASE IT TO THE CLOUD, THAT’S WHEN WE
IT TO THE CLOUD, THAT’S WHEN WE TRANSITION INTO THIS PHASE WHERE
TRANSITION INTO THIS PHASE WHERE WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE READY FOR
WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE READY FOR USING QUANTUM COMPUTING.
USING QUANTUM COMPUTING. HOPEFULLY WITHIN FIVE YEARS OR
HOPEFULLY WITHIN FIVE YEARS OR SO THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO FIND
SO THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO FIND REAL PROBLEMS, WHICH WE CAN USE
REAL PROBLEMS, WHICH WE CAN USE QUANTUM COMPUTERS TO HAVE
QUANTUM COMPUTERS TO HAVE ADVANTAGE OVER CLASSIC
ADVANTAGE OVER CLASSIC COMPUTERS.
COMPUTERS. >> GIVE US A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF
>> GIVE US A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS YOU’RE
WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT
TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT QUANTUM COMPUTING CAN SOLVE.
QUANTUM COMPUTING CAN SOLVE. >> YEAH, THE PROBLEMS WE WANT TO
>> YEAH, THE PROBLEMS WE WANT TO LOOK AT WITH QUANTUM COMPUTERS
LOOK AT WITH QUANTUM COMPUTERS ARE ONES WHICH EFFECTIVELY HAVE
ARE ONES WHICH EFFECTIVELY HAVE A VERY LARGE SPACE FOR
A VERY LARGE SPACE FOR EXPLORATION.
EXPLORATION. THEY’RE VERY DIFFICULT IN TERMS
THEY’RE VERY DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF VARIABLES YOU
OF THE NUMBER OF VARIABLES YOU MIGHT HAVE.
MIGHT HAVE. SAY THOSE MOLECULES WE MIGHT
SAY THOSE MOLECULES WE MIGHT HAVE, LIKE CAFFEINE AND
HAVE, LIKE CAFFEINE AND UNDERSTANDING MOLECULAR
UNDERSTANDING MOLECULAR STRUCTURE, THAT IMPLICATIONS FOR
STRUCTURE, THAT IMPLICATIONS FOR DRUG DISCOVERY OR FOR
DRUG DISCOVERY OR FOR DISCOVERING NEW MATERIALS.
DISCOVERING NEW MATERIALS. ALSO THERE’S A LOT OF WORK IN
ALSO THERE’S A LOT OF WORK IN LOOKING AT HOW QUANTUM AND AI
LOOKING AT HOW QUANTUM AND AI CAN MESH TOGETHER, THINKING
CAN MESH TOGETHER, THINKING ABOUT EURO NETWORKS AND THE
ABOUT EURO NETWORKS AND THE GROWING SPACE OF
GROWING SPACE OF CHARACTERIZATION.
CHARACTERIZATION. THAT’S SOMEPLACE WHERE WE SEE A
THAT’S SOMEPLACE WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF INTEREST WITH USING
LOT OF INTEREST WITH USING QUANTUM COMPUTING FOR THINGS
QUANTUM COMPUTING FOR THINGS LIKE FINANCIAL MODELING AND
LIKE FINANCIAL MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF ROUTES AND
OPTIMIZATION OF ROUTES AND LOGISTICS.
LOGISTICS. I THINK WHAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE
I THINK WHAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE IN THE FUTURE WITH QUANTUM
IN THE FUTURE WITH QUANTUM COMPUTERS IS IT’S NOT GOING TO
COMPUTERS IS IT’S NOT GOING TO GO AND REPLACE YOUR COMPUTERS
GO AND REPLACE YOUR COMPUTERS TODAY.
TODAY. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS AND YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE
AND YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE PROBLEMS AND BREAK THEM DOWN ON
PROBLEMS AND BREAK THEM DOWN ON A TRADITIONAL, CLASSIC COMPUTER
A TRADITIONAL, CLASSIC COMPUTER AND THERE ARE THE DIFFICULT AND
AND THERE ARE THE DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING PARTS WE’LL TRY TO
CHALLENGING PARTS WE’LL TRY TO RUN ON THE QUANTUM PROCESSOR.
RUN ON THE QUANTUM PROCESSOR. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY
