Advance Could Lead to Bigger, More Reliable Quantum Computers, University of Edinburgh Scientists Say

Insider Brief

• Researchers developed an algorithm that allows standard computers to simulate photonic quantum devices using about 5% of the computing power previously required, according to the team.
• In tests involving Gaussian boson sampling, classical computers using the algorithm matched or exceeded the performance of some current quantum devices.
• The team is working to scale up the algorithm to support larger simulations that could help researchers assess current devices and design improved photonic quantum computers.

PRESS RELEASE — Researchers have developed an algorithm that enables off-the-shelf computers to run quantum simulations previously only possible using the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

It means the simulations can be run using around five percent of the computing power previously needed to perform them with a supercomputer, the team says.

Quantum experiments

The advance could make it cheaper and easier to run experiments vital for understanding the limitations of current quantum computers and informing the design of improved devices, experts say. 

Quantum computers could, in theory, perform calculations far beyond the capabilities of even the most advanced supercomputers, but current devices are small and error-prone, hindering their performance.