Israel joins the quantum computing club
Weizmann Institute of Science researchers present Israel’s first quantum computer.
By Israel National News
22.03.22
Building a working quantum computer is such a daunting venture that many believe it’s only for tech giants and superpowers, something on a scale beyond Israel’s reach.
Prof. Roee Ozeri of the Weizmann Institute of Science begs to differ:
“One of the world’s first computers, WEIZAC, was built here in the 1950s when all Israel had was swamps and camels. Today Israel is a technological empire; there’s no reason we shouldn’t be front-runners in the quantum computing race.”
In a project reported Tuesday in PRX Quantum, Ozeri’s team succeeded in building a quantum computer – one of about 30 such machines in the world, and one of less than 10 to rely on an advanced technology known as ion traps.
An even larger computer is already in the works in Ozeri’s lab, and this one already has a name: In a tribute to WEIZAC, inaugurated at Weizmann back in 1955, the scientists plan to call it WeizQC.
Quantum computers promise to reach computational complexity that is unthinkable using even the most powerful classical computers. This level of ability is known as the “quantum advantage.”
It should bring about a slew of applications, from designing unbreakable codes and predicting market fluctuations to accelerating the development of new drugs, materials, and artificial intelligence systems.
That’s because, in contrast to today’s computers, which are limited by the boundaries of classical physics, quantum computers obey an entirely different set of laws – those of quantum mechanics, which rule the microscopic world.
In our familiar world, humans, cats, or even bits, the basic units of information in classical computing, can only be in one place at a time.
In contrast, quantum bits, known as qubits, can be simultaneously present in more than one position or state, which enables them to conduct multiple calculations in parallel, opening the door to vast computing power.
Ozeri became a pioneer of quantum computing research in Israel some 15 years ago after returning from the United States, where he had conducted his postdoctoral studies under the guidance of Nobel laureate David Wineland.
“Then, quantum computing was done in university labs,” Ozeri says. “But in the past decade, commercial companies such as Google, Amazon, and IBM joined the race to build a quantum computer, while the United States, China, and the European Union initiated massively funded strategic programs to advance the field.”
Despite this expansion of research, substantial challenges remain.
One of the greatest obstacles is the extreme sensitivity of quantum computers to environmental noise, which stands in the way of building large, complex systems.
In a project led by Dr. Tom Manovitz and research student Yotam Shapira, Ozeri’s team addressed this challenge by introducing two innovations, both successfully implemented in the quantum computer the researchers have built in their lab.
If you appreciate our content, please consider making a donation -- GiveSendGo - Help Support Tuzara Post Newsletter