The vision of the future in quantum research

URL

http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=20079.php

Description

Quantum information processing is a new branch of research that is well developed in theory. There's a roadmap for the construction of a potential quantum computer, which is usually only typical in industrial developments. We know what we need, but there are various ways to get there: with light, electrons on a chip, atoms or ions. The roadmap shows what's been achieved so far and with which method. Every method had its advantages. In semi-conductor technology, we know how to build semi-conductors and can do so on a large scale. Today's semi-conductor chips contain up to a billion transistors that work according to the laws of classical physics. At the moment, we can only produce a limited amount of well-controlled quantum systems based on ions or atoms. For the future, we need to make these quantum systems in large quantities and as similar as possible. Combining optimum properties from different systems could be the key to success.